Cutting Fiberglass

[R.DeVoe]

I'm fitting some '94/95 VD FC side pods to my '93 VD FF. Can I just trim them with a dremel tool or similar?

I've never worked with fiberglass before.

Thanks,
RD

[Stan Clayton]

Yes, but wear a good dust mask and do it out doors.

[SEComposites]

Not forgetting safety glasses too.

[Nardi]

Maybe some long sleeves too.

[gmac]

Also use masking tape to prevent chipping along the cutting line

[ReynardF1000]

And, do it outside if you can. FG gets into everything!

[R.DeVoe]

Thanks Gents!

[Albatross]

Leave enough of a raw edge ( 1/32 - 1/16th) for a light sanding 280-340 grit wet/dry sand paper to give a nice smooth/finished edge.

[Modo]

for actual cut you don't want to grind cut away, what a mess, you want to make a cut ..... can even carefully cut the width of the blade if it's a close trim, use saber-power jig saw and 6X magnifying glasses to slowly carefully follow line and trim ..... available at americanreadingglasses.com 5x 6x $8

tape padding or other on bottom of jig saw if fiberglass is finished to avoid scratches 24 -18 tpi blade at modest speed

[EACIII]

OK - here is the trick. You take your small pnuematic right angle grinder with the rolock pad holder on it. Use a used up sanding pad to hold a small cutoff wheel and cut it with that.

Like the others said, leave some extra to finish off neat by sanding.

Ed

[JohnPaul]

I was taught by one of the best fiberglass boat guy down here (fiberworx) that the best way to cut fiberglass is to use a jigsaw with a ceramic tile cutting blade. It works great. great.

[Northwind]

I use an electric 4" angle grinder with a mason cutting wheel blade. It cuts a nice line or can be used as a grinder to feather the cut line profile. It has more torque than the air tools I have used in the past and I don't have to wait for the air compressor to catch up on the big jobs.

[Modo]

Thursdsay Night .......... Hungowaaaay ,bine there, done that

[glenn cooper]

for actual cut you don't want to grind cut away, what a mess, you want to make a cut ..... can even carefully cut the width of the blade if it's a close trim, use saber-power jig saw and 6X magnifying glasses to slowly carefully follow line and trim ..... available at americanreadingglasses.com 5x 6x $8

tape padding or other on bottom of jig saw if fiberglass is finished to avoid scratches 24 -18 tpi blade at modest speed

I am sooooooooooo gonna get me some of those Mr Magoo replicas!

[Tom Irwin]

some of my fiberglass molesting tools

Attachment 38317

I fitted VD sidepods not long ago. The new set needed a lot of fitting

[Modo]

Just don't try and walk around the room with the Magoos, you will enter WARP 3

[Steve Demeter]

some of my fiberglass molesting tools

Attachment 38317

I fitted VD sidepods not long ago. The new set needed a lot of fitting

Would not want to be fiberglass around you with all those tools.

[Tom Irwin]

I'm not allowed within 500 feet of a sailboat, a thousand yards from a surfboard and there is a restraining order keeping me away from Corvettes


The new side panels had a serious warp curling the bottom outward and not laying flat against the frame.
I ground down past the Kevlar in the affected area and did a vacuum bag lay up replacing the F/G & Kevlar using a fitted caul plate to reform the panel


Attachment 38320

Attachment 38321

Attachment 38322 the black sharpie lines show where the caul plate fit the lines of the panel

Attachment 38323

[Rick Kirchner]

When I took those panels to Tom you couldn't get them to pull into place with a tow truck. So much for Pennon "fiberglass that fits".

He also fixed the splayed nose, splayed engine cover, cracks around every mounting hole, reinforced the sidepods.

When Tom got done with it I carefully filled in and redid all those ugly holes where the suspension goes through. The sidepods still required a complete re-engineering of the mounting to get them to pull in. Stuff was off by 1/2 inch, which you had a hard time figuring out until all the stuff was back in place.

The result looks like this now:

[beachguy12]

I have seen Tom's work. It is really first class.