foothold install update / questions!!

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CarFanatic

Fiberglassing Newb
Location
Cincinnati, OH
ok, so I"m making progress on my install. I got the holds cut out and the foam dug out. First off, man thats alot of labor just to pull the mats and get rid of all the sticky residue!!! The easiest part was cutting the holes!
cuts.jpg


I got the foam dug out
foamdug.jpg


NOW!
here is the part that kinda made me mad. I got cyclones, used the templet from wammers site. Meassured 5 inches in and made the cut. easy. The foot holds however once I layed them in the cuts, I noticed they weren't identical, and didn't sit very good against the body. So I had to adjust the hole for them to fit alittle better. The left foot has a bigger hump to hold your foot then the right one does. Its noticably smaller. Then The damn things weren't trimed right. there is alot of excess material like they didn't cut it off. I'm assuming this was doen incase you cut the hole to big?? But now I have some over lap that I guess I'm going to have to trim to get a cleaner fit. I"m also worried if I trim the back part, which is were it need triming, there isn't going to be more then 1/4 inch or so of material to glue up to the hull....??:shocked: I dont think thats enough.
gap.jpg

gap2.jpg


Lastly These holds dont lay flat again the hull all the way around. I'm afraid if I glue them in and take the screws out that they could pull away?? Is this possible?? I don't know how stung this epoxy glue is.. But There will be some tension on them, simply because the holds don't sit against the body... If I leave the screws in though, it be harder to get them out if I had to ever take them out. Plus I got button head screws, not counter sunk, to take out because I planned on epoxying over the holes??? I assume these have to be installed good and strong because they will take the abuse of pulling and twisting with your feet. Please help. :theyareontome:
 
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Mark44

Mark44

Katie's Boss
Location
100% one place
Just apply epoxy behind them screw them down and wait for it to set up then pull out the screws and glass over you will be fine.

Mark44
 
gj_fx1

gj_fx1

X-H2
CarFanatic said:
If I leave the screws in though, it be harder to get them out if I had to ever take them out.
Click to expand...

Forget about ever taking them out in any easy way.

Also, you are ok with little or no lip on part of the edge, just put an extra layer of glass over that area.
 
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CarFanatic

Fiberglassing Newb
Location
Cincinnati, OH
They definatly are not identical! Ones even longer then the other. I'll put them side by side and take a picture. you can see how much longer the other is, and that the left hump is larger. I'm gonna trim a bit of the back plastic so there isn't as much of it sticking out past where the back of the gunwale starts to round at the rear.

Is it hard to get the screws out after the glue dries?
 
keefer

keefer

T1
Location
Tennessee
If you coutersink the holes and use #6 SS screws you can just leave them in and not do too much grinding. Use some adhesive filler in the epoxy and it will not let go. You should be putting a layer of 12oz biax glass down anyway to strengthen the tray bottom. By the time you do this you might have to grind the area lightly to feather in the transitions so that surface is relatively smooth. Turf it up and it should be fine..
 
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CarFanatic

Fiberglassing Newb
Location
Cincinnati, OH
ya I was going to put so glass in between the foot holds where I will be standing. The part that isn't flush is there the gunwales start to round. There is alot of excess plastic that sticks out. Thats What I think I will have to trim to fit more flush.
this part here
gap.jpg

gap2.jpg
 
keefer

keefer

T1
Location
Tennessee
Don't trim the part unless it will not fit into the hole. The overlap material is ok. Once you glue and screw it in with adhesive filler thickend epoxy just use a spreader to ease the transition from the part to the tray with the excess epoxy that squeezes out. Once this sets up you can grind it a little to further ease the transition. When you start to glass the tray just use some smaller pieces to ease the transition some more before laying the big piece over the whole area. This takes a little longer but the end result will be worth it.
 
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CarFanatic

Fiberglassing Newb
Location
Cincinnati, OH
ok is it best to sand all the way past the gel coat like this??? Its taking forever and I didn't know if it was over kill??

sand1.jpg

sand2.jpg


also I'm really pissed of that the left and right hold are not the same shape or size!!! :thinking:
 
keefer

keefer

T1
Location
Tennessee
Epoxy resin will stick to most anything, but you would be better off getting past the gelcoat. If you are doing it by hand you will be there forever. You need air tools. Preferrably a right angle grinder with some circular twist lock 50 grit pads. You can have the whole tray ground down past the gelcoat in a few minutes. If you don't have air tools, then you can use a drill with the the twist lock pad setup but it will be tedious and slower. Go to any good auto paint supply store and they should have the abrasive pads and the mandrel that works with them.
 
C

CarFanatic

Fiberglassing Newb
Location
Cincinnati, OH
I have air tools, but not a angle grinder... do I need to sand the entire tray down??? I thought I just needed to do that for the holds, then scuff up the rest for the hydroturf.

I might go to sears and get an electic angle grinder?? or maybe one for my compresser. what is the circular twist lock pads??? certain kind of pad or name brand thing??
 
keefer

keefer

T1
Location
Tennessee
Just think about it, you are over thinking the situation. Just grind down where you will be attaching the part and the area that any fiberglass cloth and resin will be used. You just need to rough up the gel coat to get a suface that the contact cement for the turf will stick to. Like I mentioned, go to any good auto paint and body store and describe the circular abrasive twist lock pads and the mandrel that goes with them. There are several brands and some pads will interchange with others. 3M makes good quality abrasives IMO.
 
C

CarFanatic

Fiberglassing Newb
Location
Cincinnati, OH
ok I'm gonna go in search of an angle grinder and some pads..

The resperator would be a good idea, I just had like a dust mask on... but I had some blue boogies haha so that sucks.
 
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