Tarting Up My Door Mirrors With Carbon Fibre

[andys]

Just for completeness if anyone else does something similar, this is the good stuff
Fibreglass repair kit grp Mat + Resin1kg Lloyds approved Boat Fibre glass | eBay

And this is the cack that didn't work
1kg Low Viscosity Ultra-Clear Epoxy Resin | eBay

 

[Northern Monkey]

That’s a shame fella was looking forward to seeing the finished product

 

[Kev23]

In cool or colder conditions use a faster hardener. Or use secondary heat (heat gun/lamp etc) to raise the epoxy temperature above the hardener's minimum recommended application temperature as found in the manufacturers data sheet. Mixing (over or under) has an effect on the curing process also, you can also apply direct heat to the mixed parts while still in the pot, after initial mixing, heat direct and stir slowly, this eliminates the micro air pockets you found yourself with.

 

[andys]

In cool or colder conditions use a faster hardener. Or use secondary heat (heat gun/lamp etc) to raise the epoxy temperature above the hardener's minimum recommended application temperature as found in the manufacturers data sheet. Mixing (over or under) has an effect on the curing process also, you can also apply direct heat to the mixed parts while still in the pot, after initial mixing, heat direct and stir slowly, this eliminates the micro air pockets you found yourself with.

Thanks, I wish I knew this before I started, but I'll remember for next time

One of them is virtually at a stage where it could be sanded, but the other one (the one I tried to heat in the oven) is still a leathery finish which will not sand as it's still slightly squashy. I've got 2 new blank ones that I've primed and painted and should be ready to go on the van tomorrow night.

 

[andys]

A bit orange peely but good enough, just wanted to get the van back to being driveable so these caps are now on, scratched interior plastic trim repaired and resprayed and seat back in.

 

[Northern Monkey]

Looks mint

 

[andys]

Looks mint

Thanks I'll probably revisit carbon fibreing at some point next year but I'm sick of having an undriveable van and messing with mirrors so LEDs in the door card is the only mod planned for the next month or so.