Hot on the heels of our successful halloween offer we have decided to extend this into November with our Autumn Special. From today you will still be able to get 10% off all your materials when you buy online

Thanks for reading and happy fibreglassing!

Today we are pleased to announce the launch of our revamped trade counter or as we call it now the GRP Express. Taking customer feedback on board we have made the products a lot easier to view and have changed the overall layout of the store. The desk area has also been revamped giving people access to a lot more information, over the coming weeks we will have installed a touch screen computer so customers can view more information on the products and services.

Another thing that we took on board from existing customers is the ability to quickly and easily pre-order materials before collection. You can always order over the telephone but now customers can pre-order materials by placing an order over at www.grpexpress.net (the site is iPhone friendly for pre-orders on the go) or through our fibreglass toolbar making it even easier for collection wherever you are.

Possibly one of the biggest things that we are bringing in with GRP Express is a loyalty card system. Now you will be able to collect points when you purchase and save up for special offers and money off vouchers. To register for more information and to get your hands on a card please visit GRP Express and enter your details into the loyalty card section, or speak with a member of the sales department the next time you are in.

Customer can download the new Autumn/Winter catalogue now by clicking the big blue button next to the logo on the GRP Express website.

Following our announcement last month that we’ve teamed up with Net Composites to offer Training Courses, we are now please to announced two new courses available to book now for December;

Improving Your Carbon Footprint – 8th December 2009

With the increased focus on climate change awareness of carbon footprinting is vital to every organisation today; this course helps organisations to monitor, measure and minimise their carbon footprint and improve their environmental performance. This programme is aimed at people who want to improve their understanding of carbon footprinting and environmental issues. This course allows you to start calculating a carbon footprint for your organisation or product and shows you how to reduce your carbon footprint and achieve environmental improvements and businesses benefits from improved sales to reduced costs.

Book Now

Recycling Options for Fibre Reinforced Plastics – 9th December 2009

With the increases in landfill tax and the EU drive to zero waste, recycling of FRP becomes more and more of an issue that the industry needs to tackle; this course will look at the current options for recycling of FRP and further developments on the horizon.

Book Now

Both courses will start from approximately 10am and run through to 3:30pm in the afternoon, refreshments and food is provided, please enter any special dietry or access requirements when you book.

Last month we looked at repairing damaged fibreglass with a gel coated finish, this month we take a look at a repair from the back where the surface finish is simply rubbed down and painted, this is when you cannot get to the back of the fibreglass and have to repair from the front surface;

• Cut out the damaged fibreglass area with a gig saw or fine saw blade leaving a rectangular hole not circular. The reason here is that you are going to make an “oversize” patch which will have to be manoeuvred into the back of the repair hole at an angle then straightened into position and pulled against the back with wire or string. You cannot get an oversize circle into a smaller circle
• Once the rectangular hole has been cut file at a rough angle of 45 degrees to allow new fibreglass to bond to the old fibreglass
• Cut a piece of thin 2 or 3 ply plywood about 1-2 inches bigger than your hole. Cut 2 holes in it 2 inches apart in the centre of the plywood and run some string through the two holes so that when you place the wood through the repair hole it will straighten the wood up and pull on the string you can then tie the string around a piece of wood in front of the repair hole with the plywood firmly held at the back.
• Abrade the fibreglass at the back of the hole with wet and dry to rough up the surface then clean with acetone.
• Cut 2 pieces of fibreglass mat the same size of the wood, make 2 small holes to thread the string through on both pieces of glass fibre mat.
• Catalyse the resin at 2 % (2 ml per 100 ml resin ). Wet the wood with a brush then lay a piece of glass on the wet wood. Stipple the glass mat with resin holding the string well away.
• Place the other chopped strand mat through the string and with more resin wet this out on to the first piece of glassfibre again stippling to get the air out. You should have a piece of wood with two wet layers of fibreglass adhered to it with two pieces of string coming up the centre area.
• Manoeuvre the wood through the repair hole and straighten into position so the wet resin and glass are pressed to the rear of the hole. Place an other  piece of wood in the front and tie the string loosely around the wood in front, then twist the wood around tightening the string and thus Appling pressure to the plywood holding the wet laminate to the rear of the repair hole. Only apply enough pressure to hold the plywood and resin  to be held with a very slight bow inward.
• Allow to cure
• Cut the string, now either add layers of resin and glass to go close to the surface, and let it cure, then fill with body filler, or if it the repair is to a thin laminate then just fill the hole with a good body repair mixture. Leave slightly proud.
• Rub down the repair with various grades of wet and dry 240 600, and 800 grit, then paint to match.

PLEASE NOTE: This advice is given in good faith for guidance only, and is given without guarantee, or warranty, and users should use there own judgement on the suitability of there specific project.

Today we are pleased to announce the launch of our Fibreglass Toolbar. Quick and easy to install this application will sit inside your web browser and offer loads of time saving service for new and existing customers.

Download data sheets and material safety guides, pigment colour checkers, roofing material calculators, real time weather check (for the outdoor fibreglasser), quick links to products and services, Talk Composites chat room as well as being able to order materials for collection plus much more.

All the other stuff you would expect from a toolbar is in there too, you can set-up alerts for new emails, it comes with a powefull popup ad blocker and has its own marketplace so you can download applications to the toolbar such as facebook, YouTube etc….

For more information and to download visit fibreglasstoolbar.com today and stay connected.

]]> http://www.fibreglass.net/portal/2009/10/06/introducing-the-fibreglass-toolbar/feed/ 2 http://www.fibreglass.net/portal/2009/09/21/grp-teams-up-with-net-composites-to-offer-training-courses/ http://www.fibreglass.net/portal/2009/09/21/grp-teams-up-with-net-composites-to-offer-training-courses/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:53:49 +0000 GRP Staff http://www.fibreglass.net/portal/?p=135

Today we are very pleased to announce that Graham Roberts Plastics have teamed up with Net Composites to offer the full range of training courses.

Aside from the free and pro Fibreglass Flat roof training that we currently offer with the RoofitAll range we wanted to be able to offer our customers a wider range of courses. Currently we have two courses available to book today starting with an Introduction to composites manufacturing which is on the 14th of October and covers the various processes available using composite materials. The second course is on the 11th of November and will cover REACH for Composites. Full details can be found on our website. Plans are underway to organise another two courses before the end of the year so stay tuned for more information.

We will also now be showing the latest news from the composites world which will also be powered by Net Composites, just click on the composites news button in the header of this site.

About Net Composites

NetComposites is a global research, consultancy and online media company, creating and using innovative technologies to advance the composites industry as well as running the industry’s leading online portal for composites.

NetComposites is also highly active in national and international networks in the composites industry, including CompositesUK, the Network Group for Composites in Construction and the National Composites Network.

Today we announce the launch of the GRP Finder a fast, free service that allows you to get quotes from composite contractors for any job or projects that you need doing. From small residential jobs such as minor repairs or construction to larger more technical projects for companies and government organisations, our team will find you the right people for the job.

Simply fill out the details on the finder form and click submit, your job request will then be sent to composite contractors and we will return the results with prices quoted.

The GRP Finder will be available on all websites as well as grpfinder.com.

We had a Tweet from @coledude in sunny Australia asking if it was easy to make a mould out of an existing part, so we decided to write up a quick tutorial for him and anyone else who would like to know. For this example we are using a motorbike part.

If there is a part, say of a motorcycle that is broken or a vintage part that is hard to obtain then making a fibreglass replica part would be the cheapest and maybe you’re only option, please find below the basic techniques for this process;

You will need the original part to use as the plug to make a copy mould, then you use this copy mould to make a part to fit the motorcycle. What you must remember though is you cannot get an absolute perfect copy as each time you use fibreglass there is a small amount of shrinkage which will affect the overall dimensions.

• The first thing is to prepare the surface so that the fibreglass will not stick to it, and will release easily
• Wax the surface with a good amount of wax, then polish it back so it is shines like it would on the bonnet of a car, you will need to repeat this process 5-6 times giving time for the wax to dry before polishing off. This process will take at least half an hour but you will have built up 5 layers of wax on your part.
• Get some gel coat and catalyse to 2% and then spread over the waxed surface. Make sure to cover all of the part, do it to a depth of at least 800 microns, which is like a thick painted surface and leave to cure for at least 3 hours.
• When cured get the fibreglass mat (450 gm is best), wet the surface with catalysed resin and apply the chopped strand mat over the top. Wet the mat and consolidate with a roller, getting all the air out. Apply a second coat of mat and repeat the process, wait and leave it to cure before applying a third and forth layer of mat but do this the next day. The reason is to try and lesson the shrinkage of the mould you are making.
• Now you can if you are really clever obtain a zero shrink resin system to make your mould, It is a filled polyester and specially designed to make moulds, but only moulds .In which case do all the 4 layers at once. This resin is special and is not designed for finish parts though so you will need normal resin for this.
• Ok you have a mess of resin all over your original part, gently release the battery cover away from your fibreglass. without damaging the original you could use small wooden wedges to prise them apart.

Now you have made a mould

• You now have to repeat the process on your mould, so wax the surface again at least 5 times
• Apply a gel coat of the colour you want the finished product to be. If you want a carbon Kevlar part then apply clear gel coat
• Then apply 2 layers of 450 gm mat if making your part out of fibreglass or one layer of carbon Kevlar, Carbon Kevlar is very difficult to work with and the exact pattern of the mat is all important on the finished product, if you are using this then lay and consolidate carefully. I would personally leave this type of mat to the professionals unless you know what you are doing.
• Wait until cured and release from you mould you should then have your replica part.

No responsibility can be held for damaging original parts. If you want to make a number of replicas then flanges need to be added to the mould which is a specialised process and the mould should be made bigger than the original allowing the part to be trimmed to a depth. Also if there are sharp returns on the original, then a split mould would have to be made. This is what fibreglass moulders do for a living and is a whole different ball game.

PLEASE NOTE: This advice is given in good faith for guidance only, and is given without guarantee, or warranty, and users should use their own judgement on the suitability of there specific project.

Fibreglass is easily repaired with fresh fibreglass but there are two types of finishing. Either you can have a gel coated finish like the original fibreglass would have had, or a polyester filler finish which is then painted. If you want a gel coated finish then get the correct coloured gel coat before you start old gel coat fades so if you want the finish to blend in send a sample of the gel to us and we will do our best to match it.

First we will look at a repair with a gel coated finish

• Cut the damaged area away, if the old fibreglass has been holed, then cut a round hole at least 2 inches around the damaged area completely removing all the damaged fibreglass. This may leave a circle about 3 or 4 inches in diameter, which is fine. The damaged fibreglass should be ideally cut, using a gig saw or a fine saw blade.
• File the edge of the hole you have made at around 45 degrees, this will enable the new fibreglass to bond to the old
• Clean the area of dust and grease with acetone
• Now you will need to cover the entire hole from the original gel coated surface with a ridged board, waxed card, melamine or plastic sheet. This must be held firmly in place, screw from the out side or if possible wedge the ridged face against the hole.
• This board must not move as it needs to be waxed and polished so the new gel will not stick permanently to it or all you will be doing is sticking a piece of plastic over your hole with fibreglass.
• Once your board is fixed securely and will not move then you can start gelcoating. You will need to use 2% catalyst (2ml per 100ml of gelcoat) do not “whisk” the catalyst into the gelcoat, instead gently mix and stir slowly, this will avoid adding air into the gelcoat and causing pin holing.
• Apply the mixture at least 4mm thick and wait for it to cure, then apply another 4mm and again wait to cure. A cured gelcoat will be tacky to the touch, 2-3 hours will give it ample time to cure.
• Cut your chopped strand mat to fit the area you have cut out, you may need 4 or 5 pieces. If you are going to be needing more 6-7 pieces for example then you will need to do this in 2 sessions, no more than 4 layers of fibreglass should be laid in each session, the heat will generate too much heat during curing and will cause excessive shrinkage.
• Mix sufficient resin to wet out the glass you have cut, the amount of resin you will need os 2.5 times the weight of the glass you have cut,  2% catalyst again and then you can start to laminate the glass with a Laminating brush, stipple the resin into the glass rather than the brush and make sure that all the air has been removed out of each layer before proceeding to the next layer. If you have a laminating roller then use this to get out the air but for small 3-4 inch holes it is not necessary to use a roller.
• Finally cut some glass overlapping your repaired hole by at least 3 inches, two layers should be enough. Abrade the existing fibreglass around the repair with wet and dry which will rough up the surface, clean with acetone then laminate these last 2 layers and allow to cure.
• Remove the board from the front face and with working through the grades of wet and dry 240 grit, 600 then 800, rub down carefully to match the original profile. Do not rub in one direction only, use a circular motion with a rubbing block. If you had screwed the board to the surface then these holes will need to be filled with catalysed gel before rubbing back. When filling the holes leave a slight raised meniscus on top to allow for shrinkage.
• Buff and polish to a desired finish using a polishing compound.

PLEASE NOTE: This advice is given in good faith for guidance only, and is given without guarantee, or warranty, and users should use there own judgement on the suitability of there specific project.

Part 2 on how to repair damaged fibreglass from the gelcoated surface will be coming soon.