sub-titled.... how to get something done while scratching with both hands... I hate fiberglass...

Well ... last night we started working on the inside surface of the tilt hood... actually Donnie the body man did and I assisted and itched.

first pic is what we started with... you can see the rough mats and wild hairs... we tried working on a folding work stand but were limited by reach... that thing is huge inside...

second pic is a stand I built so we can stand or sit and work the entire surface much more easily.

third pic is after the first pass on the easy to reach parts with 36 grit...on a d.a. we really did better with a right angle die grinder and rolox disk... much easier to manipulate than a 6 or 8" d.a....

we're probably done till next year sometime... I start night shift 6pm to 6 am - 7 day weeks on the 28th of Dec for about 5 weeks then onto another 7/12 outage at another power plant...... I plan on padding the 'easel' with some foam rubber to spare the gel coat any damage.. as well as the hood edge at bottom of easel.

later
John

 

So what material did you decide on using to finish the inside of the flip hood?

 

A hood insulating pad looks attractive right now. One with a cool Ford emblem or sumthin. This thread is makin me itch.

 

thoughts now are using filler in the really bad needy places... and trying to use slicksand for the nicer areas... .. probably put an overall coat of SS on the whole thing when finished...

Donnie kept asking me "how about here?" and I kept telling he it was ALL gonna show...

j

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...874740BF1636C8


Just thought this might interest ya, just might save a lot of sanding

 

Your slicksand gun should shoot resin if that becomes a need. If the glass work was done right it probably wouldn't be necessary though. Just thinking it might flow out and get it closer to right quicker. I've never done it. Just a thought and not so much a recommendation. I know it will be nice when you are done John. It's just gonna be a lot of work but that's not news on these trucks.

 

Gerrymoe... thanks for the link.... that stuff looks amazing... but he's working over a slick finish board...

I've sent a query to them about my application to see if they have a product that might work. That hood has so many turns, corners, curves it might not work... although the video shows him working seperate sections at a time... if that is the case you might be able to work a fender... let it cure... work the air dam... let it cure... and so on... and I wonder how boo-boos could be worked out... he does show a little light sanding on his edges... interesting stuff... more research is needed..

thanks again
j

 

The part that interests me the most on this application is two things. The material curing time can be somewhat controlled because of the uv drying capability, and the fact you can put the color pigment of your choice in it and skip so many steps that the normal paint process involves.
A good idea of doing more research and while you are at it question if all that presanding on the existing fiber is necessary with the use of this product.
My son does surfboards and he is not so sure the pre sanding was necessary, but he would research also if he was to do it. He does not sand between his layers of mat and resin only when he goes to finish and and that is only for getting the high lows out from the application of resin with the spreader.

 

Gerry

swapped a couple of emails with Gary Fisher at Solarez and send him a few pics

I've got to get my list of questions together and we're gonna get a phone call together... he seemed really interested in the project and wanted to find the best product for the hood... It'll be after Christmas before we'll talk and the 28th I start 7-12s of night shift for a few months so...who knows... I would really like to see this work and do away with all that tedious hand work..

j

 

John

I am really looking forward to seeing the results of this. I really feel that the fiber and resin is the way to go and either way is a lot of work but in my opinion the fiber and resin will be the least of the two.
Its good to know that the manufacturer of the product is taking a proactive approach. I am sure you will end up with the best product with good end results.
I am going to list the steps my son does on his boards and maybe this will provide some more info for you to ask the Solarez rep about. They probably will not be the same with resin and mat steps and your application.

Shapes and paints the blank
1 layer mat and resin on bottom of blank
2 layers mat and resin on top
clear resin top and bottom sand with 320
clear resin top and bottom sand with 320
clear resin on streaks left from the squeegee
sand and buff as per doing a car paint

These boards come out shiny and smooth as a babys butt

 

kinda left this thread hangin... get it... hangin thread ??? anyway

been working along on the inside of the hood... using body filler (Evercoat lite) and slick sand primer... high build stuff... really builds but hard to sand.

we're down to the pinholes and boo-boos now... finish sanding off the red blotches and maybe one more coat of slicksand and a final block... and this pig is finished... it has been a chore... just ask my body man with the shorter fingers..

 

looking good, time for paint!

 

well... it's finally done... lots of filler and sanding and patch putty and sanding and sanding and sanding and flipping and sanding...ready for the paint booth... only the hood...


got a video of the hood working... but it won't let me load it ??? it's a mp4 file ???


j

 

Hey that's cool that you're going with that patina looks John...

 

Looks good John...lots of work but believe me, it will show in the end.