Anyone craft with fiberglass?

[FantWriter]

The only ways I've ever worked with fiberglass are as home insulation and shooting it into commercial molds.

I'm thinking of using it for something different and will really, really, really, really, really appreciate any advice, tips, and warnings.

I recently purchased an older SUV. Some of the interior trim pieces are cracked or broken. By hitting several pick-a-part salvage yards, I've found replacements for all but two of the pieces. I've been really lucky that way because it seems that on every vehicle, most of those parts are cracked, broken, or missing (as in someone before me needed it).

I've gotten the idea that it would be a good idea to reinforce those pieces before installing them. A layer of fiberglass on the back seems the best way since the fiberglass sheets and resin for auto repairs is fairly inexpensive and readily available. I'm thinking it will be thin and strong.

But since I've never worked with it, I'm sure there are pitfalls, and possibly disasters, lurking.

Can anyone help in any way?

 

[FantWriter]

So I take it that no one has done anything with fiberglass?

 

[bsidb]

bondo, no fiberglass, sorry

 

[mrtinee]

Just make sure u tape off everything u don't want glass on...

**keep calm and vape on**
Sent from my Note 3 via Tapatalk

 

[OtherBarry]

Yeah man. Safety first for sure, I'm a huge fan of entropy resin for just about everything, low fumes makes everything safer. Depending on how much you have to do it may not be a worthwhile investment but it is reasonably priced if you haven't already picked up something else. GLOVE UP, the stuff can be seriously bad for you if you get it on your skin, you should also wear a respirator rated for the fumes if you will be working inside. It's fairly easy to work with though, generally speaking. Cut long and wide to avoid a lot of potential problems. Any pictures would help with specific pitfalls.

 

[FantWriter]

Thanks all!

I'm mostly worried now about whether the resin will warp/eat through/bond with the plastic, whether the plastic and fiberglass will expand/contract at different rates which will put even more stress on the pieces, and the whole "do precise work while gloved, goggled, and breathing through a gas mask" thing.

And I still have to come up with a good way to find out how much clearance there is behind the pieces. I thought to spread Play-Doh on the back of a piece, install it, and pull it off to see if/where it touched metal. I now have two strips of Play-Doh fallen into places I can't possibly fish them out of.

I did stumble across a forum where someone suggested using fiberglass drywall tape and 5-Minute epoxy for reinforcing plastic pieces, but that was from 2004, and there was no reply to indicate whether or not it worked.

Because of the dearth of available replacements, I'm not anxious to experiment (I found another vehicle in a salvage yard, and it, also, has all those trim pieces broken or missing).