Okay. I've been watching all this fiberglassing. and I want to do it.

where did you start?
read a book?
buy quart starter kit or the 5 gallon size?
use filler tape or loose stuff or WHAT?
there are too many choices.
Could I have a guide line for beginners? Please (down on knees here, begging)

Hi Jana
In that old Boler was a can of fiberglass Gel and some fiberglass matting.I mixed up according to directions and tried it in a place where only I would see it.I let it dry and then sanded down with a palm sander.It came out real good.To make it smoother I then used same stuff without matting and put it on.When dried sanded again.Now ready for undercoat or paint.
Hope this helps Jana---If you can make and spread icing sugar on a cake you can do fiberglass repairs.SECRETE---Use those dissposable latex gloves.No sticky mess on fingers or any thing else.

Jana
I just bought the small cans,about 1 liter size.

Okay, that helps. I had no idea how far the stuff went.
I can do this. Thanks a bunch, Ches.

Jana
Just mix a little at a time.It drys fast so experiment first.

Ches
Is fiberglass resin like bondo that the more hardener you put in the faster it dries? I can remember years ago when working with bondo if you were a newbie at it, we were, you could use less hardener and it would give a longer working time.
Nancy

Hi Nancy
Thats correct.I also use the cloth with it.I like using it.:wave

Hi All
I finnally got my door project finnished.Originally door sagged about 1 inch and was not square in opening.The other problem was the curved door at bottom was about 1 inch or more away from closing tight.A lot of talk has gone on about how to fix this problem.I broke the wall away and moved wall to door curvature.I braced wall apart and fiberglassed in gap on both sides of door.I also moved the silver door still towards door. I fiber glassed a piece of plywood into place and reinstalled still.

The finnished product is beyound my expectations.Door closes tight all around.









I hope these photos help others with there door problems.This was a 8 hr job.I enjoyed the results of this effort.I would do it again.

Whoe! that is great. :thumb

Now how about a bump out to inlarge the front bunks then once you get going, you could cut the top off and add some more height.
(teasing Ches. I love that redone door, but it does make my mind see beyond the norm)

The problem with adding more hardener with fiberglass is that it cures too fast and becomes brittle, and consequently isn't as strong. Fiberglass is an exothermic reaction so if you mix too much, it gets too hot which also affects the integrity. In extreme cases, I've seen it get so hot as to melt the tupperware container it was mixed in. I find that the most I can mix and work with before it starts to gel up, is about 1/4 cup.

If working with cloth, cut your cloth to shape first, then mix your resin. Use disposable paint brushes and a sheet of cardboard. Brush some resin on the cardboard, then place the cloth on the resin, and then impregnate the cloth with resin using the paintbrush until the cloth becomes somewhat translucent. then with the brush, pickup the cloth and position it on the spot you're repairing (unless the piece is big enough to want to slide off the brush, then you'll have to use your fingers). Using the end of the bristles on the brush, dab the cloth until it blends in and all the airholes are gone. You can brush some more epoxy on the surface to smoothen it off once you're finished layering your cloth. Having a thicker layer of resin on the top layer of cloth, also gives you some sanding room so you don't take off too much of the cloth.

After each round of cloth, I soak the brush in acetone while I'm preparing the next cut of cloth and mixing resin. When I'm ready to start, I shake the brush dry and get started.

I did about 12 layers of cloth to fix the drivers side rear corner of my Boler before I painted the outside. You can see the damaged piece in these pictures: http://www.beer.org/boler/

Disclaimer: I'm not a professional body man or fiberglasser. I was taught how to do repairs by a boat builder in Sidney BC and the skill has come in immensely handy over the years.

Hope that's helpful.

Great, thanks Herb. The closest thing I've done is a resin lamp back in the 70's it was FUN. but it had a mold. this sounds kind of like papier-mâché.

Jana,

You can put your mixed can of resin in a container or ice & water to slow down the reaction time, while still giving it a proper ratio of catalyst to resin, as per Herb's very good instructions. It'll heat up to outside tempreture and more very fast after you apply it.

My project continues.



What previous owner had done to top.


Piece ready to splice in.


New top to go on with stove and sink to be installed.

Wow, Ches, you're really putting some work into that. That door fix is great. That new counter top looks nice, too.

Hi Ches, your new counter is looking great.

Do you have the side window removed too, kinda looks like it in the picture?

Hey, I have another dumb question for you. I was noticing on one of the pictures of your door that the window is a bit pock marked in the bottom right, mine's exactly the same way. What do you suppose it's from?

Hi Lainey
That pock marks is from having door window opened then opening door and it hits the wall of your RV.I have a new one to replace it.

Yes side windows are removed and to be installed after we paint.

Counter repaired.


Before



Repaired




First coat of paint(TEST)

Hi All
The first lesson i learned was not to be afraid of fiberglass repairs.If you make a mistake just sand out and start again.:wave

Ches, that looks good. What type of paint did you use?

Hi Suz
That was just a little white spray paint in a can I had left over from:wave another project.I just wanted to see what it would look like after repair.I also wanted to show folks that anyone can do it.That was my first time trying something like that.

Hi Ches- been a while since i checked your thread.........looks like a super job all around. I don't have the skill or patience to tackle that kind of restoration. Look forward to seeing more as it happens-

phil

Hi Phil
Thanks.:wave

Hi All
Project continues---Counter top with sink,stove installed loosely and my 2 way fridge. Icebox/110volt.While travelling will use converter and power fridge or if boon docking,ice/generator.The blue stuff at bottom of fridge is styrofoam insolation.I put in a block of ice and it lasted 56 hrs in the sun in my yard.I have a drain in fridge to outside.I drilled a hole and set up a hose.Works great.





All will be put in permently after interior is painted.

Hi Ches,
Everything looks great. I admire your stove top. Is that an old one that you painted? If so what kind of paint? Or, is it a new one? If so where did you get it? We've scrubbed and scrubbed our "stainless steel" stove top, but it is still rusty and pitted. We asked about getting it sand blasted and were quoted a $600.00 set up fee. We got a laugh out of that. Thanks.

Hi Maggie
Paint brand name is tremclat--Type of paint--Hi Heat.I got this idea from one of our members who had redone his stove.

This stove top had been bent and rusted .I straightened out and sanded then painted.

$600.00 for sand blasting is outrages.You could buy a few good stoves for that price.
:wave

Hi All
Photo of bottom of ice location.It has drain and stryafoam is shaped so all water runs to drain.Insolation is stuck in place using clear silicone.

Maggie,

Look around more for sandblasting. We had an intake manifold which would b e about the same size as the stove top done at a small industrial sandblasting company for $20.00.

Hi All
Test fit of new table.Lawn chairs will be replace with bench seating.I just used them to test.

Sandblasting should cost no more than about $20-$30. Here in Calgary we have a 'do it yourself' sandblasting place. It's about $1/min. I did the entire frame of my truck for $70CDN. I routinely go there to do bumpers and such, and $70 is the most I've ever spent.

Maybe they were quoting you on sandblasting and ceramic powder coating even though that's still about 3 times the price that should be.

I love the idea of do it yourself sandblasting place. Nothing like that here. We thought the price quoted us was their way of saying, "we don't do stovetops". We know someone who may get set up for sandblasting. It's funny, the only reason I'm thinking about the stove is that everything else is starting to look pretty good. For awhile there the stove was in first place, now it's falling behind. But enough about my stove...

Ches, your front table looks great.

Incidentally, I used the Tremclad High-Heat white on our stove-top as well. I found that it doesn't really clean up all that well. We were cooking spaghetti when the water boiled-over. It left brown stains on the paint which didn't want to wash or scrub off. Obviously this wouldn't be a problem with enamel.

Thankfully, there's lots of paint left in the Tremclad can so I can just re-spray it whenever it gets too stained.

:conf
Hey why replace the chairs? You can move them out of the way when you want and if you need more outside seating they'd certainly move better than benches. Just think of all the storage space on the way to camp. And they'd be way more comfortable than a little bench. Of course you'd need some non-skid pads on the feet. Think of all the hassle you'd eliminate with no cushions to upholster, and with more visible flooring how much more spacious it would appear. You could even stack them 2 deep for when any of us stop at your site.
:L Can you tell I'm not a carpenter?
Good luck with the renos, because I have absolutely no doubt that you will ignore my work made easy suggestions (read 'lazy'!).
Jean

Hi Jean
I don't ignore any one.Most of my ideas have come from good folks like yourself.All ideas are welcome.Thanks for positive feedback,:wave

HI THERE. FAB JOB YOU'RE DOING. DO U HAVE AN EXTRA SET OF THE BLACK IRON CABINET SUPPORTS FOR LEFT UPPER AND LOWER CABINETS. MINE ARE MISSING ON A 74. PLS ADVISE.

Dear Rebeccamarc,

I used a 1" wooden dowell in replacement of the iron support.

In my case I was able to put it under the cabinet corner and on top of the galley top. It is entirely under compression and is very strong and stable.

Hi
No I haven't got any,but I will probably do as as suggested and use a dowel decorated some how.
Ches

Ches,
Leave it to you to go the extra mile and decorate a dowell.
I left mine natural with a finish. But I don't do things as well as you.

Hi Thomas
You do things very well---Yup--got a few ideas on how to decorate dowel.:laugh