How to fiberglass rust holes
How to Fix Rust Holes on a Budget Using Fiberglass - NO WELDING
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hello viewers for DIY is here with an
editorial video for everyone in this
particular video here I'll be doing a
demonstration how to repair rust holes
on your vehicle's body panels using
fiberglass now before I do get into this
repair as a disclaimer this is a budget
repair and when done correctly can last
for a very long time however with that
being said if you are wanting to restore
a vehicle properly then this isn't the
repair for you this is a repair where it
can be done at home doesn't cost a load
of money or require any specialty tools
and can easily clean up your vehicle
fiberglass is strong so won't fall out
like a body filler even when using a
reinforcement mesh the two main concerns
with fiberglass is that it doesn't
expand and contract like metal so the
repair may be visible and it may have
bonding issues with the steel so those
areas will be covered in this video
I have you just method in the past on
low-budget daily drivers without any
issues and it has held up great despite
living in a area where the vehicles are
exposed to harsh winters so as you can
see here there's quite a few soft spots
along the fender unfortunate with this
fender design the inner fender folds
over on the inside creating a prime spot
for dirt to get trapped holding moisture
and eventually rotting out the steel
luckily this lip is still salvageable so
it'll be easier to maintain that shape
and the body lines removing the paint
and rust this can be done by hand or by
machine you can use anything from a
surface sander such as what I have here
media blasting orbital sander etc when
removing material it's important to wear
the proper safety equipment such as a
mask and safety glasses so you're not
exposing yourself to any harmful
contaminants 80 grit sanding discs are
used this will clean up the surface
quite quickly while the surface sander
can create Heat you'll need to be
careful and minimize this we want to
avoid heat as this can warp the steel
getting the panel down to the bare metal
so you have a good base point on what
needs to be cut out and where the rust
ends
from the rust damage there should be
about two to three inches around the
area to ensure we have a solid base and
it didn't miss any rust spots which may
jeopardize the repair try to clean up
the area fairly well you can go over the
area again and just before the
fiberglass is applied using compressed
air blow it any dirt or debris which may
be stuck behind the fender next using a
die grinder clean up that rust hole
cutting out some of that thin rusted
metal this pneumatic die grinder is made
by OEM tools model number two four four
zero four from a Mobil distributor
supply if you have seen my cab corner
video both the die grinder and a surface
sander or use their as well
both these tools work great with a small
portable air compressor so they do fit
perfect for anybody working at home a
link to both these products will be
included in the description below
once that rusted metal has been cut out
unfortunately there will most likely be
rust in behind that fender and this can
be tough to tackle using a media blaster
would be the best option however that
can be messy and if you don't own that
equipment it can be a bit costly to get
into and I'm trying to keep this as a
budget repair a chemical rust converter
can also be used which I'll be showing
here there are various products on the
market available some do work better
than others this is the same product I
used to clean up the rear differential
on my Toyota Tacoma and we'll be posting
a video for that in the future
application processes will vary with
this product I dumped a desired amount
into applies to container and then
applied it to the surface using a brush
keep the surface wet the slower it dries
a little longer it can attack that rust
once it dries I went over the area again
using 80 grit disks and abrasive pads to
ensure all the paint is removed and we
have bare metal exposed just to give you
a close up at the surface sander this is
made by OEM tools model number two four
four one seven from mobile distributors
supply this works excellent with those
small portable air compressors is
relatively quiet and a compact allowing
you to get in those tight areas inside
that hole and behind that fender using
80 grit sandpaper to scuff up the
surface a rough surface allows the
fiberglass to have a straw
bond to the bare metal if there is paint
or primer in between the fiberglass and
metal materials this may give an area
for the bond to fail I'm also wearing
gloves which helps prevent the oil for
my skin contaminating the surface this
also can cause a tease and issues using
a hammer
lightly tap on the edge of the hole the
fiberglass cloth will go in behind and
overtop of the hole this will help keep
the repair level with the original body
shape clean the surface using a wax and
grease remover and a clean rag gloves
are highly recommended when working with
fiberglass the fibers can embed in your
skin causing irritation you'll need to
cut up various lengths and sizes this
matting cloth will need to be placed
across the surface in multiple layers
it's best to have plenty of pieces cut
first as it can be messy if you need
additional pieces halfway through
patching the holes using fiberglass is
messy as the resin will most likely
start dripping when applied cover up the
surrounding areas to help contain that
mess resin can be tough to clean up when
it's dried on a surface or object for
this project I'm using a polyester
laminating resin which will remain tacky
when it dries and can easily have
additional layers if desired
using a mixing container dump a desired
amount of resin if you do run out of
resin partway through that isn't an
issue as you can always mix more don't
mix too much as it can go outside of the
resins work time then apply the hardener
the ratio between the hardener and resin
can vary between products and this also
depends on weather conditions more
hardener tends to be needed in cooler
weather and a lesson warmer weather as
it cures faster but if you do add too
much hardener the resin produces heat
when curing so this heat can create
warpage on the fiberglass too little and
the resume not cure at all when the
hardener is added the resin will change
color which is normal the resin must be
well mixed and try not to cause any
bubbling either also when working with
fiberglass work in a well-ventilated
area using a cheap disposable brush
applied the resin to the surface
this will help stick the fiberglass
cloth to that surface
then apply the cloth first you'll need
to apply it on the backside you can pre
soak the cloth but this can get messy so
I'm taking a slightly cleaner route the
cloth must be fully saturated in resin
otherwise it may not stick on the
surface or its structure will be
jeopardized
using a stir stick I'm able to maneuver
the cloth and behind that panel to stick
it in place the exposed metal edge
basically needs to be sandwiched between
the fiberglass layers the more layers of
fiberglass the stronger the repair will
be if there is high spots this isn't an
issue as it can be ground down
afterwards once the area is filled up
using painters tape lay it over the top
this will help keep the area together
reduce the chance of the edges pulling
away before it cures keeps the bubbling
down and when it's cured you'll have a
smoother surface next working on the
other side using the same process work
time of the resin will depend on how
much hardener is mixed in along with the
weather conditions dry times will vary
this should be ready to sand in a few
hours however I will be letting this dry
overnight the hole should be overlapped
by at least a couple inches so there is
a good strong bond if you go past the
cloth with the resin that's not an issue
as it can be sanded afterwards remove
the tape and as you can see the repair
has hardened you can of course hand sand
the area but this does take time this
should be done with 80 grit sandpaper
and I'm using a block backer this is the
same setup that I used on my cap corner
replacement video or you can use a
surface sander to cut down that area
quite fast you'll need to rough in the
area first a filler will take care of
the fine work after considering the
fender shape was gone due to the rusting
this will need to be made again if you
do find any thin areas or holes in the
fiberglass more cloth and resin can be
applied clean the area using a wax and
grease remover using a short strand
fiberglass filler this will be used to
get the shape back this is a strong
waterproof filler the mixing ratio for
the hardener and filler will be listed
on the can and the filler should be
dragged across the surface when mixing
so you don't introduce air bubbles in
the filler the filler should be mixed on
something which doesn't soak in the
resins I am using wax paper
over a cardboard backer then apply the
filler to the surface if you don't get
all the spots in the first try more
filler can be applied you'll have a
certain amount of work time when
applying the filler once it goes past
that window the filler will be hard to
work with and it won't have that bond
allow the filler to dry and then block
the surface using 80 grit sandpaper
getting that shape back does take some
time and if you're new to bodywork it
can be tough
it does take patience time and always
looking at the panel from different
angles being that this panel is in one
color this also makes spotting those
angles a little tough using a coarse
sandpaper makes roughing in the shape
much quicker and the sandpaper doesn't
tend to plug up as easily however when
that sandpaper does plug up you can use
a wire brush to clean it I would
recommend wearing gloves however at this
moment is quite hot outside so it's a
bit more comfortable without them on the
curved edge you can use a flexible
rubber backer to help achieve that
smooth contour I can already see there
are some low areas which will need to be
addressed in a moment clean the area off
using a wax and grease remover then
allow it to evaporate before applying
more filler a fast and efficient way for
cleaning up an applicator is by scooping
up the remaining filler from your mixing
board once it dries Bend the applicator
and the filler will break right off in
large chunks when the filler is too thin
it can flex the applicator and can be
hard to remove apply more filler using
the same process as previously mainly
focus on those low areas or any flaws on
the surface sand the area again using an
80 grit sandpaper
I did end up applying more filler in a
couple missed areas there really isn't a
limit as to how many coats you can apply
and I usually try to keep the thickness
around 1/8 of an inch or 3 millimeters
in total now working on the back side
you may need to seal up the surface
depending on the fender design I do have
a couple holes in the inner fender which
I won't be batching but it does expose
the back side of the repair and it may
allow moisture to penetrate in order to
gain access inside the fender well
plastic covers may need to be removed
for this truck there's a shield at the
front and rear inside that fender there
will be plastic clips that hold these
liners and
place and they simply pull straight out
first using a die grinder with a wire
wheel clean up any dirt or rust in the
backside you'll most likely need to
remove the wheel for this so the vehicle
should be safely elevated using a wax
and grease remover clean the surface
here's a quick view on the inside of
that fender using an etching primer
applied to the surface and etch primer
is needed on bare metal as it increases
the bond for additional products and can
help reduce future rusting to some
extent two coats are needed wait five to
ten minutes in between each of those
coats next I applied a regular gray
primer which will be a barrier between
the etch primer and undercoating edge
primer can sometimes cause a chemical
reaction depending on the products that
are used two coats are all that's needed
again wait five to ten minutes in
between coats back on the outside of the
fender considering it is getting late I
like to seal up the surface to some
extent from the elements sand the fender
down using 180 grit and then finish up
with 220 there is bare steel however
there is also filler and paint so an
etch primer can't be used as it can
sometimes create a chemical reaction so
a filler primer is being used instead to
seal up the surface feather in the
existing paints edge so we have a
smoother transition line clean the area
using a wax and grease remover then mask
off the surrounding area for masking I'm
using packaging paper which is cheap and
will soak up the paint so there is no
risk of any paint flaking off onto the
work surface
place the paper over the area which will
be painted apply the tape and then fold
it back over this will reduce the chance
of a hard tape edge which can be hard to
sand afterwards overspray can be removed
this can be done using a wax and grease
remover or clay bar give the area
another wipe down with a wax and grease
remover then apply the filler primer
first applying a light coat then to
medium to fully wet coats you're looking
at about 10 to 15 minutes in between
coats this can vary depending on your
temperature remove the paper within 5
minutes after that final coat
considering I did leave her for the next
day the primer should be lightly sanded
with 400 grit abrasive pads by hand if
you apply the undercoating 20 minutes
after that final coat of primer there's
no need for scuffing the surface if he
did scuff the surface also give that
area wiped down using a denatured
alcohol mix the undercoating accordingly
and spread on the surface starting out
with a light coat first considering it
is warmer outside you'll be looking at
about 15 minutes in between each coat
applying more coating for the surface
will leave it smoother while light coats
tends to put more texture on once it
dries here's what I'm left with and it's
officially done on the inside you can
use a guide coat on the outside just
like my cab corner video I notice fairly
close and you can see the high and low
areas therefore it won't bother with a
guide coat sand the surface using 220
grit sandpaper and vacuum fat the edges
around the old paint and the repair will
need to be feathered in along with any
surface imperfections if you do sand
down through the primer to the bare
metal more primer will need to be
applied considering this is a fiberglass
filler it is thick and has a higher
chance of causing pinholes these will
need to be filled a spot putty also
referred to as a glazing or finishing
putty will be used here this can also be
used to fill any mod Leeloo areas or any
light surface imperfections a two-part
product is the best option as it's a
much better quality product than
compared to a single part product this
includes both a filler and hardener
again it's mixed by dragging it across
the surface until it's a uniform color
and the mixing ratio will usually be
printed on the side of the product
package apply to the surface using a
plastic applicator same way as the
fiberglass filler this filler is much
thinner which allows you to achieve a
smoother finish and it can be feathered
and much easier again you'll have a
limited work time window and this will
depend on your weather along with how
much hardener has been mixed in the
thickness of the filler should be no
thicker than 1/16 of an inch or 1.5
millimeters dry times will vary again
however in general this should be ready
to
in about 30 minutes using 220 grit
sandpaper block the surface using the
same process as before working across
the panel avoiding any waves
if the sandpaper becomes plugged use a
wire brush to clean it considering a
filler was used again this can leave
outlines in the paint so a primer is
needed go over the main area with 320
sandpaper and 400 at the blend points
where the transition is between the
primer and original paint tape the area
off just like before the primer needs to
be applied over those 220 and 320
standard areas otherwise the sanding
marks will show through on that final
paint finish the area will need to be
cleaned using a denatured alcohol to
remove any contaminants apply the filler
primer primer colors can vary depending
on the final color of your vehicle I'll
cover that for another video this is
black so does cover fairly well over a
white filler primer so it's not an issue
you'll be looking at about three coats
one light coat and the other two will be
a medium to fully wet coats five to ten
minutes in between each of those coats
and try to avoid any runs which will
need to be sanded out if they do occur
remove the paper within a few minutes
after that final coat and then allow it
to dry once dry to smoothen out the
transition lines between the primer and
paint or remove any orange peel to level
out the surface block the area with a
600 grit sandpaper when sanding make
sure the filler or the metal does not
show through otherwise this will need to
be touched up again typically with
thicker paints 400 grit can be used
before the final paint coverage but with
thinner or metallic paints 600 grit
should be used between the new and old
paint transition where the tape edge
will be use 1000 grit if you don't fully
cover those 1000 grit sanding marks with
paint that isn't an issue as they are
fine enough to be polished out you'll
need to paint at least a couple inches
past that repair area where the primers
edge finishes clean the area again using
denatured alcohol and then let the
product evaporate now tape off the area
just like previously laying the paper
over the repaired area and then fold it
back over for a soft tape edge which may
easier to blend after making the repair
nearly invisible it's a cooler day so I
warmed up the cans of paint in a bucket
of hot water this helps the paint flow
better on the surface if you have part
cans I would recommend using those first
as they don't always spray nicely due to
the lower pressure or they may only
spray in certain angles for paint this
is a single-stage acrylic enamel which I
had mixed in my local auto parts
supplier they were able to mix the color
based on the color coat I provided from
the vehicle which can be found through
the serial number on the doorpost inside
the hood sometimes in the trunk area or
in the glovebox ensure the paint can is
thoroughly mixed and apply a light coat
to the surface typically I like to get
the hard and awkward areas first then
finish up the final coat on the larger
more noticeable sections this paint is
not needed clear coat as it will dry
with a gloss finish single stage doesn't
tend to be as durable however there is
less work to applied and it's cheaper a
two-stage paint requires a base coat
applied first then a clear coat is
applied to provide that layer of
protection and the final gloss finish
but can be more expensive and slightly
more work apply the second coat of paint
considering this is a little cooler
today I'll wait 10 minutes in between
coats have the edges of the taped areas
allow the paint to taper off with
overspray so we don't have a hard edge
which would be harder to blend after I'm
not making a huge deal about the
overspray on the rest of the truck as it
did get a full paint correction and I
have already released a video for this
so be sure to check it out overspray can
travel quite a ways so try to keep the
paint away from any other areas which
can cause damage I am applying three
coats so I have enough material for what
sandy and polishing if the paint layer
is too thin then this is a greater
chance of sanding through that layer the
final paint layer should be a fully wet
finish with no runs if any runs do occur
they can be sanded out afterwards wait
about five minutes after that final coat
and remove the paper if you wait too
long the paint can harden and you may
risk the chance of pulling the paint off
the surface on that tape edge while the
paint is still fresh it also has a
chance to smooth it out
wait at least a week before what sanding
so the paint has cured enough cure times
will vary depending on your weather
conditions with the cooler weather the
paint will take longer ensure the area
is clean and free of any contaminants
that may cause damage during the
polishing process using a bucket of
water with a soap mixture pre soaked the
sandpaper starting out with 1000 grit
sandpaper this will remove a majority of
the orange peel and overspray apply
light to medium pressure working evenly
across a surface a backing pad is
recommended as it does apply even
pressure to the sandpaper this can be
something like a flexible rubber backer
pad or a sponge with the odd contours
and the fender your hand can be used but
be extremely careful as you can see with
the backing pad it isn't flexible enough
to bend around the contours so it is
leaving marks in certain areas this is
something we need to avoid with 1000
grit sandpaper the surface should be
fairly smooth and only light orange
peels should be left behind
moving up to 1500 grit sandpaper rinse
tiara and sandpaper off sanding debris
from time to time and the area always
needs to be well lubricated with the
water and soap mixture the 1500 grit
sandpaper will remove the remaining
orange peel finish up with 2,000 grit
sandpaper you can of course go higher
but I find it isn't needed if you're
willing to spend a little extra time
with polishing compound you can go over
the original paint with each 2000 grit
sandpaper this will remove some light
orange peel and can help blend the area
as a final stage getting that paints
shined back using a polishing compound
this can be done by hand or a machine
polisher this is fresh paint
so polishing by hand would be the safer
route using a soft cloth apply the
polishing compound and then work it on
the surface I did apply a light mist of
water to help the polish work a little
easier there is a variety of products on
the market workability and quality of
finishes can vary remove a polish and
buff the surface using a microfiber
cloth after a couple minutes you can see
the shine has been fully restored and
the transition line is almost invisible
I can lightly see an outline but after
a few more minutes of polishing it
should blend much better finishing up
with the rest of the fender being that
this is black it will show imperfections
much easier than compared to some other
colors so it can be a bit hard to work
with at times wax should only be applied
once the paint has fully cured I would
wait at least a month to be safe when
polished correctly this surface will
remain shiny just like the rest of the
vehicle as mentioned at the start of my
video this is a budget repair that will
still be durable and lasts a very long
time when done right if you do want a
proper repair especially if you're
restoring a vehicle cutting out the rust
and welding in a patch or replacing the
whole panel at the factory body seams is
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