fiberglass cloth for crack repair

DeanR

DeanR

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finger lakes ny
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1999 ST1100
I've never used fiberglass cloth before. I see both cloth, and cloth tape on Amazon and don't know which to get. Will be used with either ABS cement or Permatex Plastic Welder for extra reinforcement.
Assuming you just lay it down in whatever goop you are using?
 
Hey Dean
I re-fiberglassed in floor of a boat a few years ago so that's makes me the consummate expert in fiberglass repairs. :rolleyes:

I used both roll and cloth depending on the area I was working in - same stuff. You need the right goop - i.e. resin. Buy a repair kit from an auto or marine store. It'll have catalyst and hardener chemicals in it. And instructions.

Last but not least - protect yourself. Nasty messy stuff.

If you're just fixing a small fairing crack you might get away with any old "goop" but it'll be a real PITA if you have to undo it. Have you checked out plastic weld kits? Fairly cheap but usually only for very small repairs.

This is where the real experts chime in... :D
 
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Tape has finished edges in specific widths. You can cut cloth to width but the edges tend to fray and look messy and possibly require extra sanding to finish off. That is mainly the difference in the finished job.

There is epoxy and there is polyurethane resin. For me epoxy is easier to work with but it is more expensive but that doesn't matter much in a small job. Epoxy mixes 50/50 and if you buy stuff like West Systems Repair Kits they come with prepackaged amounts of cloth, resin, hardener, fillers and mixing supplies for a reasonable cost. Smells better too.

West Systems has good DIY guides. http://www.westsystem.com/ss/use-guides/

Or you can buy some tape or cloth and just use hardware store Devcon epoxy for a one-time small job.
 
Glass tape is fine for a simple crack. Otherwise cut a patch from glass cloth.
Scuff the back side of the crack with sandpaper. Make sure that your adhesive flows inside the crack. Wet the glass cloth with your adhesive using a cheapo cleaning brush (the short ones with the rolled metal handles). Lay on the cloth over the scuffed area...work it down with the brush. Apply more adhesive if any areas aren't wet with adhesive.
Clean up any adhesive that leaks onto the pretty side of the crack before it sets.
 
+1 --- Glass cloth with Epoxy is the way to go.
Easy to cut the cloth to the shape you want, and the repair ends up STRONGER than the original surrounding plastic!
If its an easy INSIDE repair, U won't have to do much sanding at all.
 
I'd say depends on what you've got as an issue. I'm a big fan of the plastic epoxy you can pick up at your hardware store. If you can get it in the crack all the better, and you can butter the back side to add thickness. This stuff is tough and sandable, etc. It's cheap enough to try it on something else to see if it suits your job.....
 
Thanks guys.
It's just a couple small spots so the tape should be good. Only on the inside surfaces so doesn't matter what it looks like.
Ray, I'm assuming the Permatex Plastic Welder is an epoxy since it's a two parter. A strip or two of tape would reinforce this right?
I'm pretty sure Uncle Phil is gonna mention super glue/baking soda!
 
st plastics are abs, fiberglass resins will not stick very long . Best way to repair cracks is with a stainless steel screen(for reinforcement) you can try an epoxy available at an auto parts store that is designed to work with abs plastics. this youtube video shows how to do it, I have used a soldering gun that works well on small stuff [video=youtube;pmTWCzJbNBw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmTWCzJbNBw[/video]
 
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