Glassing the tub back together

I finally did it. Some of you may remember me getting a free fiberglass body that the previous owner had cut in two. His plan was to stretch it to fit on an F250 platform but only got as far as cutting it. It probably took 10 minutes to do the cutting and I have about 10 hours into putting it back together...but then the price was right and I sold the front end that I didn't need.



First I had to evict some ants and remove the bottom layer of glass and plywood coring. Not a bad job since it's been absorbing water for years.



Then I had to grind the underside of the remaining layer of glass and bevel the edges to a razor-edge. When put back together the bevel makes a valley to fill up with layers of glass to get a better bonding area. Also I ground any areas where new glass would touch. This part of the process was by far the worst. If I had children I would have taken full advantage of them.



Next was aligning the parts and screwing blocks allong the seams to hold them. The tips of the screws get cut off so the can be removed later without the glass sticking. Next all of the cloth was cut and layed out before mixing any resin. Here I recruited an "expert" from work.



The seams were taped with 2 layers, 2" wide and then 4" wide, then the whole area got 3 layers. Finally a layer of 1/2" pvc board for coring. This is the same board we use in boats because it's stable, porous and holds a screw well. Finally all edges got filled with thickened resin.



That was left to cure and a few days later I went over it again with another layer and taped the sides. Here's the once-again-whole-tub sitting on it's new home, a frame I found on craiglist.



Now that I know it fits I can move on with the project. The tub came with the later model/longer hood and fenders but has details of the earlier model tubs, so I wasn't too sure. Next to the body, when I ready to mount it, I want to fabricate an underseat tool box and I need to reinforce the area arround the tailgate opening.

This is what I'm starting with. I know it looks perfect but the body is sagging arround the frame and isn't safe on the road.



This is what I'm hoping for when it's finished.



Thanks to all for the inspiration/information.

 

That's pretty cool that you pulled that off. Looks like a fun project.

 

Having help from work is what really made it happen...a 12 pack goes a long way. I could have done it alone but it would take a lot more time and wouldn't have turned out so well. With the black board coreing the final product is better than before. I'm tempted to replace the plywood in the rear deck...in my spare time.

thanks again.

 

Spare time? I've heard of that, but never actually seen any!

 

Got a link for the PVC Material? Sounds interesting.

 

You have a good start on the rejoining of the two half's of the Jeep, but you will increase the strength a lot if you now grind out enough of the other side of the glass-----Yes, the exterior in some cases-----and lay in a reinforcement on that side also.

You want to make it deeper in the middle, and taper it out (scarf joint) at least 7 to 1, and take the middle out deep enough to just barely go through the original glass layup.

I would use uni straight across the joint, and then BID at 45* to top it with. Put in extra layers as needed to get the original thickness back in the middle, and run each layer long enough that the ends overlap the finish surface. And then when it sets up, grind/sand it all back flat.

Yes, a lot of extra work, but consider the abuse most of give our Jeeps.......

Here is a link to a good article on fiberglass repair.

http://www.ericgreeneassociates.com/images/Repair_of_Composite_Boat_Damage.pdf

Good luck, keep on keeping on.

 

It's called Sparloy. We get it from a vendor that makes cabinet and door products.

 

What you're describing is basically what we did on the back side, trying to keep the finished side as nice as possible. The material was 1/4" thick so I ground to 2" wide to get an 8-1 scarf. The outside seam is 1/8" wide due to the saw cut, this will be ground/recessed and then filled. Luckily the side seams aren't very big and the floor is mostly covered so finishing will be at a minimum. I also want to add another layer or 2 to the inside sides.

thanks for the link.

 

Figured so, just wanted you to know about doing the double sided repair-----see the last illustration in the link. It is a lot stronger.

You are welcome.

 

If I could teach our lab how to use a grinder I'd be in good shape.