GENERAL FIBERGLASS REPAIR SEQUENCE FOR MINOR SCRATCHES AND SCUFFS Bigfoot Industries (2010) Inc. 4114 Crozier Road Armstrong, BC Canada VOE1B6 Phone: 250.546.2155 Fax: 250.546.2166 Email: bigfoot@bigfootrv.com
General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 1 INTRODUCTION GENERAL CARE YOUR BIGFOOT RV - Exterior Wash your unit regularly. Avoid using aggressive soaps. A gentle boat or auto soap is recommended If possible, store your RV in a covered area out of direct sunlight Wax your RV two or three times per year Use a soft brush when washing your unit Dry with a chamois or soft white cotton rag. This will prevent water spots. TOOLS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED TO REPAIR A MINOR SCRATCH (Most products are available at Lordco Automotive, Canadian Tire, WalMart, Target) Electric buffer or polisher Buffer Pads: o XXX 1 pad, white in color - use for aggressive waxes o XXX 2 pad, gold in color - use for final finish (optional) Velcro backers Extension cord Sandpaper: o 320 grit o 400 grit o 600 grit o 800 grit o 1200 grit White cotton cloths Plastic water spray bottle Soap Water Portable light, if required Meguiar's #3 (http://en.meguiarscanada.com) Sattex Buffing Compound and Sattex Finishing Compound (www.sattexcorp.com) Cut polish Buffing Pads - lamb's wool or synthetic Fiberglass Wax Final cut polish Acetone - if required. If not available, isopropanol may be used.
General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 2 INSPECTION The following tools are required to inspect parts or units: Fluorescent light (portable) Grease pencil or masking tape. Do NOT use felt marker. Soap and water Acetone (only to be used to remove foreign substances). If Acetone is not available isopropanol may be used. Clean white cotton rags Meguiar's #3 Start the inspection process by wiping down the unit or part with soap and water. Note: acetone will not remove dirt and grime. WIPE DOWN - Use soap and water. - Acetone will not remove dirt and grime. - Acetone or isopropanol to be used only to remove foreign substances.
General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 3 SANDING PROCEDURE Wash unit with soap and water, wipe down and dry. not working in a well lit area. Go over unit with a bright light if you are IDENTIFY SCRATCHES - Use fluorescent light - Mark with grease pencil or masking tape Identify scratches or scruffs, mark with a removable pencil masking tape. The scuff or scratch should not penetrate the gel-coat surface. See photo example below:
General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 4 Be sure when choosing a cut polish, you select a polish for gel-coat or a boat polish. Many minor scuffs or scratches can be simply removed by hand polishing the area using a Meguiar's #3 with a clean white cotton rag. Should the scratch still be visible but does not penetrate the gel-coat, apply medium cut polish. Try buffing with Meguiar's #3. If that does not remove the scratch use a medium cut polish. Scratches that cannot be removed with cut polish must be sanded. The sand paper grit to be used will be determined by the severity of the scratch. o Deep scratches 320 grit and up o Minor scratches 600, 800 or 1200 grit When sanding out a severe scratch a series of sanding grits will be required (e.g. 320 grit to 600 to 800 to 1200). When sanding by hand, use a foam or wood sanding block. from being distorted or dished. HAND SANDIN,G,/Wood Block,/ Foam Block HAND SANDING Do NOT use fingertips Use sandpaper and water You MUST use a block Using your fingertips will create a dish and uneven surface. This will prevent the surface
General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 5 When sanding is complete, wipe area clean with white cotton rag, then proceed to Buffing Procedure. SANDING COMPLETE Wipe area clean with white cotton rag.
---~~----------~------------------ General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 6 BUFFING PROCEDURES When buffing there are very important precautions and procedures that must be followed: Buffing pads must be clean. Old wax and contaminates will cause additional scratches. Clean buffing pads with warm soap and water. It may require several cleanings to remove excess wax and contaminates. When the buffing pads are clean, be sure to remove excess water from pad. BUFFING PAD Must be clean. Use soap and water. BUFFING PAD May require SEVERAL cleanings before use. The next step is to choose the appropriate level of wax for the application. Meguiar's #3 to be used for hand buffing minor scratches, scuffs and taking out swirl marks. Meguiar's #3 is also used for the final stages of polishing with a BUFFER. Meguiar's #3 must be hand wiped on gel coat for even distribution before buffing. Sattex white is to be used with medium wool buffing pads only. Sattex white is the step prior to Meguiar's #3. When done correctly Meguiar's #3 may not be required as an additional step.
General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 7 Fiberglass repairs must be sanded with 1200 grit or higher for final finish to reduce buffing time. NOTE: Sattex blue and brown, use Schedule xx1 SCHLEGEL pad. BUFFING PAD Applying wax. Sattex Brown is a very aggressive polishing compound. The use of Sattex brown on parts or units should be minimized to areas of least visibility. BUFFING PAD Applying Sattex Blue or Brown wax. Use only wool buffing pads.
General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 8 AGGRESSIVE WAX Must be handled carefully. Can create bad buffing, swirls and minor scratches. Now that you have chosen the appropriate buffing procedures are strictly follows. wax for the application, it is very important that The speed of the buffer should NEVER exceed 3000 rpm. Excessive speed will cause buffing swirls. The gel-coat can be burned and delaminate from the wall due to the buildup of heat. SLOW rpm of the buffer achieves optimum results for finishing the buffing procedure. Before starting to buff an area, it is necessary to work wax into the surface. The Meguiar's cut polish is applied, then spread evenly by hand using a cotton rag or sponge. Buffer pad position is also very important. This is done by slightly adjusting the angle of the buffer and applying pressure to the outer surface of the pad. The buffing angle must not exceed 20 degrees. Exceeding this angle will create excess heat and swirling marks. BUFFING ANGLE Must not exceed 20 degrees. This will cause swirl marks. BUFFING ANGLE Slight angle, no more than 20 degrees.
-- -----.-------------.~~~~ General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 9 Buffing motion is important to eliminate swirl marks. Erratic buffing patterns will cause swirl marks. A consistent one way overlapping pattern is required (a left to right motion is recommended). BUFFING PATTERN - Consistent one way overlapping is a requirement.
" -----~---~-------------- General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 10 Buffing can cause damage to other surfaces such as paint, molding, plastics and decals. Areas that are not fiberglass should be masked off when working near them. It is very important to mask off all areas to prevent damage. MASK OFF CRITICAL AREAS - Moldings, windows, plastics, decals, etc. - Use masking tape only! - Do not use duct tape.
--- ------------------------------------------------------~----- General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 11 MASK OFF PAINT - Use masking tape or painting tape only.
General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 12 PROBLEM - When decals are not masked damage from buffing will result.
----_._----------------- General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 13 SPLATTER - Windows not masked. - Residue on window. p SPLATTER - Cleaned off with rag. - Should have been masked.
General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 14 When is complete, all excess wax and buffing residue must be wiped off with a white cotton rag. When area is cleaned properly, there will be no evidence of a repair. NOTE: If area is masked off, very little wiping will be required. FINISH BUFFING - Wipe off all residue and excess wax.
------------------------------------ General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 15 Deeper Scratches in Gel-Coat To repair scratches that penetrate the gel-coat, a two or three step procedure is required. The number of steps required is dependent on the depth of the scratch. To identify the extent of the gel-coat damage, take a regular HB pencil and shade the area by using the side of the pencil lead to show the scratch. This will show you the difference between a scratch and a crack and will also be used as a reference guide determining depth and length of the scratch, which will later be used during sanding. DEEPER SCRATCHES INTO GEL-COAT - Requires a 2 or 3 step procedure. - Number of steps depends on depth of scratch. - Shade area with pencil to show scratch. IDENTIFY DAMAGE - Scratch or crack. - Use reference guide: o Depth o Length
General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 16 To repair the scratched surface, start by wet sanding with 320 grit wet/dry sandpaper and progress to 600 grit and finally 1200 grit. REPAIR SCRATCHED SURFACE - Wet sand with 320 grit wet/dry - Progress to 600 grit - Finally use 1200 grit - Be sure to use a block of wood or 1 ;:::::::::::::::::::::==:=== foam 1_ Where possible use a small block of wood between the sandpaper and your hand for all sanding. Sand the area evenly; each time you change the grit of the sandpaper, ensure that you sand beyond the previous perimeter to eliminate lines. Be sure to clean away any residue from the previous sandpaper grit before going to a finer grit. This will help to keep the sanding scratches to a minimum and free of dirt and debris. It is important to keep checking the surface of the gel-coat and watch for signs of sanding through. If caught soon enough at the right stage of sanding you can sometimes avoid having to spray surface with gel-coat. Finish with 1200 grit and wipe the surface clean of residue using a clean white rag. Once you have completed the above, refer to the buffing procedures as indicated in Level 1. This procedure is also applied to all finishing gel-coat procedures such as sprays, chip and scratch dabs. IMPORTANT NOTE: Ensure the sandpaper is kept wet.
---- ---.-----~~--------- General Fiberglass Repair Sequence for Minor Scratches and Scuffs Page 17 CONCLUSION./ Keep in mind that preventative maintenance on your unit will payoff in the long run../ If you try to venture beyond a basic scratch repair, you may wish to consider calling a professional for advice. As a unit ages the gel-coat may fade. This makes it difficult to make a color match../ Washing and waxing your RV is the most important part of your maintenance program../ If at all possible, do not store your unit outdoors and unprotected../ Always remember to use soft white rags, or a chamois to wash and wipe your unit../ Ensure the products you use are intended for use on gel-coat. Boat products are in general compatible with RV products../ If you have any questions regarding fiberglass issues with your Bigfoot RV, please call us at Bigfoot Industries 250.546.2155 or email us at Bigfoot Industries (2010) Inc. 4114 Crozier Road Armstrong, BC Canada VOE lb6 Phone: 250.546.2155 Fax: 250.546.2166 Email: bigfoot@bigfootrv.com