5.3. WORKING WITH POLYESTER

When you are sawing, sanding or drilling fibreglass, there will be dust, which is very unhealthy, when not only it is inhaled, but it is a skin irritant as well. Make sure to take the appropriate safety measures, for yourself and everybody in your vicinity, by wearing proper clothing, dust masks and safety goggles.

When you need to drill a hole in the fibreglass we advise you to use HSS (High Speed Steel) drills or as an    alternative, a so-called Dremel, which is a very high-speed drill (Up to 20.000 revs) The holes for the instruments in the dashboard can best be realized by using core drills. Another possibility is to have these holes pre-drilled by the Burton Car Company, so they are there when you pick up the body. When you need to saw a hole in the body, this can best be done by using a hand- or electricity powered jigsaw, in both cases equipped with a saw blade normally used to cut metal. Do not use too much force when sawing but let the jig saw do the work instead. Be careful not to damage the coloured gel coat. An electrically powered jigsaw tends to vibrate quite a lot so we advise you to protect the gel coat against these forces by covering the surface with masking tape. Make sure that the bottom of the jigsaw will not damage the gel coat by giving it a protective layer of some sort. Make sure that the fibreglass does not get too hot; there it will result in irreversible discolouration of the gel coat. Make sure you do not drill with too high a speed. This specifically applies when you are drilling the larger holes for the instrument gauges in the dashboard and such.

The fibreglass edges can be worked on using a belt sander. Make the edges smooth with sandpaper. Be careful to protect areas you do not want to be damaged by covering them with good quality masking tape or even duck tape. With the use of a bright electric light on the inside of the body, you can easily assess the thickness of the material. Small damages or irregularities can be removed by using sandpaper. To do so you start with grain 600 or higher. Once you are happy with the result you continue by gradually lowering the grain size, so continue with 1000, 1500, 2000 and end with 2500. Make sure to use plenty of water while sanding. Finish it off by using a fine polish (e.g. Commandant 4 here in the Netherlands) and finally yet importantly, apply a quality car wax.

To make this job more enjoyable, we advise you to have the body rest on solid stands, preferably at the height of your hips.

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