repairing plastics

I am repairing my plastic but I have done it before and it seems that it didnt do much help what should I do to make sure it is repaired good?

 

OEM ABS-type plastic or aftermarket "plastic" that is really fiberglass and resin?

 

plastics

After market shark skinz

 

Buy the kit at your auto parts store or even wal mart.
Follow the directions.

Do the repair from the inside of the fairing. If you are patching a hole, cover the area on the outside with regular wax paper. Back it up with cardboard if it's really big. The resin won't stick to the wax paper. This will allow you to get the shape close. You may have to do a couple of layers.

Finish the outside with regular bondo.

I could make my race fairings look ok, not perfect. Practice a little on a cardboard box if you have to.

 

Before you start with any sanding or resin, clean the inside and outside with some solvent (acetone, paint thinner, etc). Otherwise you may not get the patch to 'stick'. I think I have seen threads here on fiberglass repair, or search the net for step by step detail.

Have fun. Dont breath too many fumes.

 

Sharkskins use epoxy based resin in their bodywork. Do a search here for West Systems.

Don't waste your time with the stuff at your local auto parts store.

 

The West system stuff is the shizznit. It is an epoxy based resin just like Sharkskinz uses, not a polyester. I still owe Tom a for turning me on to the stuff.

Merle

 

there's some tutorials on here somewhere's...do the search button thingee mabob

 

Thanks I appreciate it.

 

Hmm. I actually went away from epoxy a couple of years ago because the stuff I was using got soft in direct sunlight on a warm afternoon. Of course this was the standard 1:1 stuff from Tap Plastics. The datasheet for the West System stuff looks similar. Anyone using the West stuff have a similar issue?

 

This is absolutely the right way to go. I've repaired several sets of totally mangled bodywork this exact way. Works like a charm.

 

Nope, no issues at all.

I use the powder they sell also. It ends up having more flex and doesn't crack off like bondo.

 

I use the West System also. It takes a while longer to set up and may be a little bit harder to sand but it bonds really well, No issues with it getting soft in sunlight. They make two speeds of hardner with it so it can be used in cold weather also with the fast hardner.

 

Try a product called Super-fil. This stuff is used on experimental aircraft and is very light, strong and easily sanded.

http://www.polyfiber.com/epoxy/