spent a lot of time on tuesday sanding fiberglass...it looks and feels pretty smooth with just the resin but when i put a coat of primer on the right side it came out looking like crap. I was hoping to avoid bondo but I guess I am gonna have to use it..
just need it to warm up a bit so it dries correctly...

 

Use some good top coat and feather it out further then you think. Apply thinly. Most fiberglass cars are all top coated before primed. However, with the advent of hi build primer this could be different now.

 

We have to talk prep and products one of these days Robb. What about using the micro strand filler you can get from Sherwin Williams in Tualitin before adding anything like bondo. I heard there is a product called feather light that works better than bondo too, which leaves lots of holes.

What kind of blocking tools do you have? I good blocking tool can go a long way to cleaning something up and getting a better finish.

You could also top coat with spray on or brush on gel coat just like they do for boats.

 

thanks for the advice guys..will need to look into some other stuff like you mentioned. will head over to sherwin williams to see what they have. Might try harvey's boats since they are around the corner from me to see what they recommend too..
found a ton of videos on youtube on how to use brush on gel coat..looking at it I would much rather go with that than using something like bondo..
though looking at about $90/gallon, finishing this part of the project might be after x-mas..

I have been using my 4x4 pad sander and some sanding blocks..

 

It is starting to look like a Trekker again. I have never worked with fiberglass. Something I will be watching as you do, one day I need to just jump in and see what happens. Cant really help on that.

Looks like you the biggest part of the job done, now just the fine stuff. Great job.

 

If it is bondo you want then check with Home Depot. They actually sell some bondo and fiberglass repair stuff and it is a hell of a lot cheaper than the alternative of going to a regular automotive paint supply.

 

have got a gallon of bondo still..need some hardener, the other tube is MIA.
would rather not do the bondo, but might try some on one side to see how it comes out. Might just suck it up and paint it and redo it when it warms up later on.
time to beg my wife for an early x-mas present and ask for Gel coat..

I really want to get this thing done and get up to do some winter wheeling.

when i do the top I will do two wider layers on the inside and one smaller layer on the outside..hopefully it won't be quite as much work. maybe reinforce it some more so it hold ups to the stress of removing it.

weird that my top had never been off before and it was cracked around the hinge area (upper left Corner) in the same spot as the top I just traded back to you and the Sky's Trekker top that is coming from Robert...Winnebago didn't make these things to last..

 

If you are worried about cracking the mud, a thin layer of top coat is like using thick hi build primer. Just saying. What brand mud are you using. You say Bondo, if that is the brand I won't use it. Find a body shop supplier and get some marglass or other hi quality top coat.

 

Bondo is what I have on the shelf. Just Mar Glass and price doesn't look too bad. I will pick up a quart monday and see how it works.
Funny thought that Bondo and Mar glass are both 3M products,
though it looks like I could probably use Marson Precision glaze over the top, similar to Gel Coat.

my wife is gonna kill methe cost of my 'free' project is starting to add up

gonna watch some youtube tonight on applying this stuff...
thanks for the suggestion on Marglass

 

that stuff is for deep dents which is why it has fiberglass reinforcement. It will leave pin holes when it hardens and you will still need to topcoat it. If you only need a little mud to get it flat, use a topcoat. I should have told you to use Evercoat for that, and after searching a bit it seems there is a specific topcoat for fiberglass:
http://www.amazon.com/Fibreglass-Eve.../dp/B000P6US6A

Sanding, Get a stiff/firm block to work the flattish areas. When i am working a panel i make my sanding pattern at a 45 to the ground, then back going perpendicular to that. step one: \ sanding direction, step two: / sanding direction. This will knock down the mud in an even manor as to not dig deep gouges and uneven sanding. Of course there are situations where you won't be able to do what i am describing, but they are usually ares where the body changes lines or bends. You can hide a lot of flaws in body seems and bends.

I can explain it better if you want to pm me, and i can send you my digits.

hope that helps

 

RBX-cool, what you say makes sense, I will give it a shot. Thanx!

 

my wife is gonna kill methe cost of my 'free' project is starting to add up

Yours too huh??lol ....I wish I could help on the fiber glass.

 

*Waiting impatiently for update.

 

Me too
have a couple of must do home projects to get done...

 

Found this on JustDSM's build on pirate..saving for future reference/idea:

 

Why? They join at the positive lug on the battery? Just askin

 

mainly in the interest of having one heavy gauge wire at the batter terminal and keeping it a little cleaner up there..

 

Here's the direct link to the part. I picked it up from these guys along with most of my other stuff for the electrical aspect of my project.

http://order.waytekwire.com/productd...0TYPE%20BLACK/

 

cool, thanks for the link

 

I do the same thing. Use the thread for keeping notes. Great job. Cant keep all of this in memory.