Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005 19:57:07 -0600
Reply-To: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Subject: Re: bumper repair was Re: tube bumpers
In-Reply-To: <BAY101-F2153735D24958BCF5A354FA0340@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
Gougeon Bros. resin IS marine quality and although designed to glue
wood together for marine applications, it's pretty dog-gone sticky to
a lot of other items(but not polyethylene!)
I once decided to use the West systems epoxy to actually glue wood
together(as I had been using it for years to repair ABS whitewater
canoes) as we had a Wal Mart wood toilet seat that was coming apart
at the joint. I mixed a small amount up and loaded in a farm supply
syringe with a #16 needle and injected the many surfaces of the
joint. Didn't have a clamp that wide so I wrapped many bungie cords
around it before we all went to bed. The next morning I noticed some
of the epoxy had oozed out of the joint and fallen to the bottom of
the toilet. In an envrionmentally-insensitive moment, I decided to
flush the residue down the toilet. 3 flushings later it was still
there. I went to get a stick and poke at it to get it off. NO
luck. It took a chisel and hammer to remove this wad of epoxy that
had no surface preparation, no clamping, and fell into the water and
bonded to the bowl with only gravity to pin it to the porcelain.
Long story short....I think it will glue/repair your Vanagon bumper
with the right surface prep. there's no telling what sort of crap
resin system VW used on those FG bumpers. It looks like a chopper
gun operation to me.
DM&FS
At 06:39 PM 12/25/2005, Dave Vickery wrote:
>You can't use fiberglass to repair the bumpers, it won't hold--unless the
>repair is cosmetic and still I wouldn't use it. The can use marine epoxy
>though and it holds up well. The fiberglass just doesn't want to stick for
>some reason. I took my bumper to a repair place and they recommended this
>really expensive marine resin mix compound. It sands easily and worked
>great. I'm sure they would know what you mean if you go to a marine store.
>
>
>>From: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
>>Reply-To: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>Subject: Re: tube bumpers
>>Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005 14:38:07 -0600
>>
>>.....even better repairs made using kevlar/military S-glass and
>>Gougeon Bros. West System Epoxy. Available from a friend of mine in
>>Mustoe Virginia. www.johnrsweet.com He buys surplus and military
>>contractor seconds that would fail Nasa and military testing, but
>>work just fine for boat repairs and automotive applications. The
>>epoxy is pretty much the same price everywhere(haven't checked ebay),
>>has an incredible shelf life, pumps for no hassle measuring ratios,
>>and virtually no odor.
>>
>>John also sells a variety of graphite cloths, resin colorants,
>>neoprene foams, minicell, fiberglass tools, and yes, the vinylester
>>and polyester resins if you want to go the cheap route.
>>
>>For those of you that paddle whitewater and are familiar with the
>>Gauley River in W.VA, Sweets Falls on the lower run was named for
>>him as he was one of several on the first descent way back in the
>>70's and he apparently was the first to run that drop.
>>
>>No financial interest here, just a loyal customer besieged by
>>excellent customer service over the last 15 years or so.
>>
>>DM&FS
>>
>>>obeechi@RUNBOX.COM writes:
>>>
>>>
>>> > unfortunately, in the mean time I have a split in half carat rear
>>>bumper
>>> > held together with rope..,
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>>> ever heard of fiberglass resin/matting?
>>> fiberglass bumpers are easy to repair..
>>>
>>>
>>>chris
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