Fibreglass repair
Fiberglass repair
Elise and Exige clams are made of glass fiber and XXX resin. Lotus have used two methods, in the S1 and s2 Exige the glass fiber is hand laid and in the S2 elise they have employed a system that injects polyester resin and glass fiber into a mould and the sections are then assembled at Hethel. The hand layed clams are slightly thicker, heavier but stronger than the clams the use the injected method.
XXX unsure on repair implication
Saftey
when working with glass fiber
The glass fibers and resins come together to form a strong, light compersite material.
Glass fiber
comes in several forms which are used for different purposes:
Tissue
Clopped strand matting
Woven
Resins
several resin bases are used
polyesters
epoxy higher toughness than polyester
additional reinforcement
aluminum mesh
Repair thickness
Masking off the undamaged area mask off using plastic bin bags secured to the body with masking tape. Mask off an area much larger than you think, resin is very messy and if it gets on the paint it will cause damage.
Surface preperation: The first step it to try and maximise the access to the site you are attempting to repair. Some repairs can only be performed with the clam removed. removing clams link
The area that has been damaged may extend further than the surface damage would suggest. The area around the damage needs to be removed. The fastest way is to use an electric grinding tool such as a dremmel so carefully file back the broken fiber glass. A shallow wedged edge should be created around the damage to give a larger surface for the repair to bond to.
chemicals acetone
Working in confined areas such inside the boot can be alkward. One method to make life easier is to prepare the fiberglass and resin on a sandwich bag and then use it like a glove to apply the fiberglass and smooth it into position.
Finishing:
More to come soon