Clear coat or plastic coating lifting off

Anything goes in the world of fiberglass and plastic

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:48 am
I have another project I'm working on. I have a couple of GEM's and a Ford Think (electric cars); I'm having what appears to be a thick plastic coating flake off in large pieces on the plastic fenders, hood, etc. I've found that I can blow most of it off with an air hose but the parts that haven't started peeling and some portions of the parts that have, won't come off. I need to repaint these vehicles, any suggestions? I also have a couple of parts to repair. These pieces don't appear to be fiberglass, they are smooth and black on one side.

After my experience with the buggy, I thought I would ask first this time. :D

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:23 pm
To play safe i would strip it of and for your black smooth part sounds like abs.,

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:24 pm
Dave, yeah, it should all go. With most clears that are failing, they fail because the base coat under them fails first. If you don't get it all off your doomed on anything that goes over it.
As for identifying your plastics, this entire page is helpful...
http://www.urethanesupply.com/identify.php
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 4:49 pm
Thanks Paintpot and DarrelK, I sure appreciate all your advice. Any ideas on how to remove the plastic coating? I'm calling it a plastic coating because it's thick and comes off in sheets when it's loose. Please note the attached pictures;

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I was able to blow almost all the coating off of the pieces that the coating was flaking off with air from my compressor; the pieces that aren't affected, air won't affect the finish. Also on some pieces, not all the plastic coating will blow off, parts of it are very stuborn. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Dave

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:20 pm
Well, for me looking at that a couple of things come to mind. If I had a "best case" scenario of what to do with those surfaces I would be taking them to a media blasting shop that used "deformable plastic media blasting." The stuff is not super aggressive and usually blasts paints or clears off layer by layer. The point with those systems is not damaging the underlying substrate. Guys do that around here with heavily rusted metals because the panels don't get distorted. Stuff works wonders on old fiberglass because it presents no type of contamination problems.
The second way I could see doing this would be to simply use a DA type sander or rotary sander with 80 grit paper and carefully and slowly cut through the layers. Problem is sanding generates heat if you stay in one place to long. That could heat and "smear" your surface contours. I have done this before on painted plastic parts but you've got to get a feel and rythmn going with the sander. You go through a lot o discs and it takes time.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:14 pm
Thanks Darrel, I was thinking that might be the wisest choice. I'll start looking for a shop that uses plastic media for blasting and see what I can do. I'm thinking that might be the best bet for my 62' Vette too.

As for repairing that crack on the hood of the GEM; It could be a Thermoset polyurethane or a Polycarbonate & ABS. But I'm not sure on either of them, there is a little flex in the pieces but they definately hold their shape. I'm not sure I want to get into 'welding' with a plastic rod, so my question is; is there any kind of an adhesive (I guess I'm thinking about the epoxy adhesive) that would work on fixing the crack. Ideally, I would like to put the piece back together and then use something like a fiberglass bondo to smooth it out.

Thanks,
Dave

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:29 pm
If you don't feel like doing plastic welding I would probably go here...
http://www.lord.com/Home/ProductsServic ... fault.aspx

Fusor products go beyond epoxy technology with many being polyurethane/ epoxy hybrids. Since you've got some flex in that material I just don't think a regular epoxy is going to do the job. Scroll down that page and carefully read the applications. One material on that list that wouldn't require their special applicator guns is the 201EZ. You'll find Fusor products at most any local paint jobber or you can find souces over the net as well. As far as smoothing it out I'd use something like USC's Pro Flex (formerly known as Thin Ice)...
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/usc-26037.html
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:40 am
Thanks Darrel, I'll try those. Dave



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PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 9:17 am
type6 acrylic or corn cobb for corvettes. plastic can harm the surface of fiberglass. i use only 30 lbs of pressure on them. any place that has not done vettes is a risky venture at best.

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:19 pm
The first picture just looks like the base hasn't adhered to the bumper .I have had bumpers in with paint peeling of where some body has attempted to repair it ,but not putting on a plastic adishion promoter on.Are you sure it hasn't been repaired before.
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