Small holes in fiberglass sheets can be repaired with an application of fiberglass resin.
Fiberglass is strong and lightweight, however it is not impervious to damage. Accidentally putting a small hole into a fiberglass sheet is a common enough occurrence, and luckily there is a way to repair it. Using basically the same material used to build the fiberglass sheet or object, you can fix a small hole in about an hour or so of working time. Additional time is needed to allow for drying. Anyone with some experience hanging drywall or painting will find this project easily manageable. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Inspect the hole for burrs. Remove burrs with the edge of a razor blade by scraping it along the surface and edge of the hole.
2. Sand the edge of the hole with sand paper once the burrs are removed. Grind out the edge to bevel and roughen it for the application of fiberglass. For small holes, this is all the prep work needed. Large holes require grinding along the edges to create a bevel. Measure and cut fiberglass sheets to fit over the hole if the hole is larger than an inch in diameter. This adds extra strength to the hole patch.
3. Mix up the fiberglass resin and hardening compound which comes in a fiberglass repair kit (available at a hardware or auto body store) in a small cup or container using an ice cream stick or similar object you can throw away later. Follow the mixing ratio recommendations on the fiberglass repair kit instructions closely. Only a small drop of hardener is required for a square inch of fiberglass resin in most cases.
4. Apply the resin to the small hole with the wooden stick or the applicator supplied in your kit. Apply the fiberglass in one even stroke and let it dry for 12 to 24 hours or as needed. For larger holes, lay the fiberglass sheets over the hole and then apply the resin compound. When dry, it will be completely solid.
5. Sand the repair until it is flush and even with the rest of the fiberglass using 200-grit sand paper. Then prime the surface with fiberglass paint, let it dry and apply a top coat as needed.
Tags: fiberglass resin, fiberglass sheets, application fiberglass, edge hole, fiberglass repair, fiberglass sheet
