bodywork repair?
- Thread starter fizzer
- Start date
eE jeremy
New Member
stop by the auto store or home depot, buy a jug of resin, a tube of hardener, some fiberglass cloth, a paint brush and you're ready to go for about $20. It's easy if you just want to put pieces back together or strengthen some damaged sections.
It's a little trickier if you want it to look like it was never crashed though.
It's a little trickier if you want it to look like it was never crashed though.
Trent1098S
New Member
I agree with the above post.. Look around to see if you can find a "Keystone" distributor in your area. It's a huge company so there's probably a distribution point somewhere near you. They're an autobody wholesaler, but they'll take walk-in's if you tell them you do fiberglass work for motorcycle repair.
Anyway I bought enough fiberglass materials to repair 20-30 motorcycles, and paint 4 bikes (including the paint gun, body suit, respirator, etc), for under $600.
Just to do the fiberglass part you're looking at under $50. For under $100 you can buy enough to do a LOT of repair jobs if you get a gallon at the autobody place.
If you have big broken pieces to put back together, you'll want fiberglass matting (or cloth), and resin + hardener. If you just have cracks, or small holes to fill, long strand fiber on the backside of the fairings works well (get a tube of cream hardener for this). For smoothing out grinds and scrapes, or final fill, a paste bondo like Keystone Lite is perfect. Sands smooth, spray primer, and done. Paint optional..
For matting / cloth work, get your bodywork positioned together again, mix the hardner and resin per instructions, scoop the mix out and spread it in a layer where you want to join the bodywork back together, lay down your pre-cut piece of matting/cloth, and tap it in with a brush to get air bubbles out. It's real easy to do and it literally takes 15 minutes to bind pieces of bodywork back together again. It hardens in a matter of minutes (the rate depends on how much hardener you use, a little goes a LONG way...).
Use an automotive "mix pad" with tearoff paper sheets and WEAR VINYL GLOVES. Also helps to do it outside or with a lot of ventilation, that stuff will stink you right out of your garage...and is hazardous.
Anyway I'd really recommend you learn how to do minor fiberglass repair if you're gonna ride a lot..
I've got some (new) bodywork damage to repair from RA, and three bikes to paint this fall. I'll post up my misadventures in a how-to on my Chronicles thread. "Chronicles of an Amateur Bodywork Repairman" lol.
Anyway I bought enough fiberglass materials to repair 20-30 motorcycles, and paint 4 bikes (including the paint gun, body suit, respirator, etc), for under $600.
Just to do the fiberglass part you're looking at under $50. For under $100 you can buy enough to do a LOT of repair jobs if you get a gallon at the autobody place.
If you have big broken pieces to put back together, you'll want fiberglass matting (or cloth), and resin + hardener. If you just have cracks, or small holes to fill, long strand fiber on the backside of the fairings works well (get a tube of cream hardener for this). For smoothing out grinds and scrapes, or final fill, a paste bondo like Keystone Lite is perfect. Sands smooth, spray primer, and done. Paint optional..
For matting / cloth work, get your bodywork positioned together again, mix the hardner and resin per instructions, scoop the mix out and spread it in a layer where you want to join the bodywork back together, lay down your pre-cut piece of matting/cloth, and tap it in with a brush to get air bubbles out. It's real easy to do and it literally takes 15 minutes to bind pieces of bodywork back together again. It hardens in a matter of minutes (the rate depends on how much hardener you use, a little goes a LONG way...).
Use an automotive "mix pad" with tearoff paper sheets and WEAR VINYL GLOVES. Also helps to do it outside or with a lot of ventilation, that stuff will stink you right out of your garage...and is hazardous.
Anyway I'd really recommend you learn how to do minor fiberglass repair if you're gonna ride a lot..
I've got some (new) bodywork damage to repair from RA, and three bikes to paint this fall. I'll post up my misadventures in a how-to on my Chronicles thread. "Chronicles of an Amateur Bodywork Repairman" lol.
an extra $0.02: I recommend a filtering mask or something from home depot. My personal experience has been killer head-aches after working with resin, open area or not. I'm not sure if its the fumes or glass fibers but wearing that protection eliminated the head aches.
To smoothen the outer portion of the bodywork sandpaper and some shaped foam sanding blocks (also available at the body work shop) really help make the curvey parts of the body look good for painting vs. your fingers or flat block.
To smoothen the outer portion of the bodywork sandpaper and some shaped foam sanding blocks (also available at the body work shop) really help make the curvey parts of the body look good for painting vs. your fingers or flat block.
Thanks for the input, all. I'm not looking for beauty, just function. My lower basically got ripped off the upper and I have six ripped holes where the dzus went through. Are those fixable? There is also a 12" tear vertically that certainly looks fixable, but I'm not sure about the holes. They're only 1/2"from the edge and completely ripped open. Whaddaya think?
Angelo
Angelo
Shouldn't be a problem. The trick here is that you are more than patching holes, you have to make those mount points work again. You need to apply new glass cloth and resin an inch or two around each hole and make sure it bonds to the underlying glass. Sand down the area around the holes to let the new resin and glass bond to the existing stuff (not the paint) and cut yourself several patches of the glass cloth. Cut enough for 3 or 4 layers over each hole. You can try folding them over the edge to the other side of the bodywork but I can never get that too lok right. Then mix the resin/hardener and apply a layer at a time, laying each patch of glass cloth so the fibers don't all line up to add more strength.
If you mess up just sand or cut the bad stuff off after it dries and try again. This stuff its pretty easy with a bit of practice.
If you mess up just sand or cut the bad stuff off after it dries and try again. This stuff its pretty easy with a bit of practice.
Trent1098S
New Member
On that long tear, duct tape the piece together on the outside. Then you can use either long strand fiber mix or resin & cloth on the inside - just make sure to spread it a couple inches on either side of the crack.
The finished piece will be sturdier than the original. Heavier a bit, but much tougher.
The holes, same principal, you're building up a new layer of fiberglass, sanding it smooth so they'll fit together right, then re-drilling holes to mate them together. Taping wax paper over the outside, and applying glass to the inside can help things along if you're patching a big hole or need some detail work.
Just get in the mindset of "building a mold" if you have to work around the edges of a piece or need a certain line to form up a certain way. Chances are you'll find something laying around that'll work.
Just don't use the kitchen scissors to cut bodywork up to get rid of ragged busted crap to get pieces to fit together right.... I found out that makes wives angry.
The finished piece will be sturdier than the original. Heavier a bit, but much tougher.
The holes, same principal, you're building up a new layer of fiberglass, sanding it smooth so they'll fit together right, then re-drilling holes to mate them together. Taping wax paper over the outside, and applying glass to the inside can help things along if you're patching a big hole or need some detail work.
Just get in the mindset of "building a mold" if you have to work around the edges of a piece or need a certain line to form up a certain way. Chances are you'll find something laying around that'll work.
Just don't use the kitchen scissors to cut bodywork up to get rid of ragged busted crap to get pieces to fit together right.... I found out that makes wives angry.
Trent1098S
New Member
Yeah that resin will harden like concrete. You can drill it, sand it, shape it.. do whatever.
I was talking to a guy at Keystone when I was waiting to pick up my stuff, he doesn't do autobody work, he builds replica cannons out of them. BIG replica cannons, to precise dimensions, even down to the proof markings. They get used in movies (drop a steel liner in them and they can belch smoke with some black powder.. no projectile), by war recreation buffs, water parks, etc. It was cool talking to him, he's been doing it for years and he's built stuff that's been shipped all over the world.
So yeah, sky is the limit when it comes to fiberglass. Waterproof, lightweight.. shit you could build a boat out of the stuff in your backyard if you had the time and desire.
I was talking to a guy at Keystone when I was waiting to pick up my stuff, he doesn't do autobody work, he builds replica cannons out of them. BIG replica cannons, to precise dimensions, even down to the proof markings. They get used in movies (drop a steel liner in them and they can belch smoke with some black powder.. no projectile), by war recreation buffs, water parks, etc. It was cool talking to him, he's been doing it for years and he's built stuff that's been shipped all over the world.
So yeah, sky is the limit when it comes to fiberglass. Waterproof, lightweight.. shit you could build a boat out of the stuff in your backyard if you had the time and desire.