Stripping Grp With Plastic Media Blasting

PostPost by: marcfuller » Wed Nov 26, 2003 6:08 pm

I sent my 66 S3's bonnet to a shop that strips fiberglass by using nylon "sand". It was reccomended by a Corvette restorer. I like it, it leaves a smooth lightly frosted surface on the gel, with no harm to detail and shape.

It does have the down-side of finding every air bubble that was left in the original layup between the gel coat and the grp. This means more filling and prep sanding, but will also keep most blisters and pockets from showing up later. (I am surprised by the amount of air left in the grp, it seems like there was not much effort put in to rollering the air out of the fresh grp back in 66.)

I plan to use the plastic media over the whole body as opposed to scraping and sanding. With the amount of small near surface air pockets in this Lotus, I feel that chemical stripper would be unwise.
-Marc '66 Elan DHC (36/6025)
http://www.lotuselan.us
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PostPost by: The Cyclist » Wed Nov 26, 2003 8:43 pm

:blink: Apparently ACBC gave the body makers a bonus for using less resin & saving money. Consequently the finish of the naked fibreglass is usually appauling.
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PostPost by: marcfuller » Wed Nov 26, 2003 9:45 pm

Seems likely! I just knew there must have been a good reason.

Maybe leaving so much air was also "adding lightness"
-Marc '66 Elan DHC (36/6025)
http://www.lotuselan.us
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