cleanshavenXLT
Sep 04 2005, 07:45pm
I have had a bunch of people ask me how I did my taillight fillers on my stepside bed. Well, I thought I would post this up to help some people out. Not sure if it has been done yet so if it has you (mods/admins) can delete this.
Its pretty tough, but well worth it and didn't cost near as much. Here's a list of materials you will need:
Fiberglass filler, short strand or long
Regular Filler or Bondo
36, 80, 180, 240, and 320 grit sandpaper
Grinder
Fiberglass cloth
Fibeglass resin
Fiberglass screws or wood screws, pretty much the same
Here's the steps I took to shave my taillights.
I took my old taillights and covered them in aluminum foil. Make sure they are tight and completely covered.
I then took fiberglass cloth covered in resin and layed it over the foil. I made the pieces about an inch or more longer then what the taillights were. The reason for that was so it would be easier to trim later on. Once that dried, I layed another piece on top of that.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_192_full.jpg
This is all you want to put on it for now.
Once it dries, pull the hard fiberglass off the foil. This is your mold. Make sure all of the foil is off the filler.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_193_full.jpg
Now what you want to do is lay two more pieces on the INSIDE of the filler. Reason for this is so that you don't build up the outside and make it to where it won't line up right when you go to mold it in.
Once it is all dry, align the filler to the bed and trim the excess fiberglass.
Once that is done, sand or grind a good ways around the old taillight area.
Place your filler up in the hole once more and then using fiberglass screws, (or wood screws), screw the fiberglass filler in place being careful not to crack or bust the filler.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_195_full.jpg
Now lay another piece of fiberglass over the whole area where you grinded/sanded and over the filler. I wraped this final piece from the back of the fender well area to the inside of the tailgate jamb. Doing this will fill in the hole on the inside of the jamb.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_194_full.jpg
Once all this dries you will need fiberglass filler for the next part. Sand the entire area where the fiberglass is with coarse grit sand paper, (I used 36 grit). All you are doing is scrathing it up so the filler will stick.
When through sanding, lay the fiberglass filler over the area and let dry.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_196_full.jpg
(Sorry about the poor pic, camera was messed up)
Sand and shape once it is hard. When you are done, if you have any low places in the filler, fill with more fiberglass filler if needed. If not, then you can now use regular filler to get the final shape.
I did most of the shaping with my hand that way I wouldn't get any flat spots with the DA. Just becareful not to get "waves" in the filler. (Sand with your palm, not your finger tips.)
After you finally get it shaped, spray a couple of coats of primer and wet sand when dry. I wet sanded with 240, then 320 on the second time I had to spray.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_197_full.jpg
Here's a pic of what it all looked like when I was done. At the time, I was re-shaving the tailgate handle and bodyline, molding in the rollpan, molding in taillights, and shaving the old taillights. Took me roughly a week and a half to do all that.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_198_full.jpg
And of course, the final product after being painted two different times.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/3/web/2067000-2067999/2067264_2_full.jpg
That should be the basic run down on how to build fiberglass fillers for a fiberglass bed. I will tell you, it is tough but its well worth it. I have had mine shaven for a while and no cracks or anything. If you have anymore questions or dont understand something, let me know and I'll do my best to help you more.
Chris
South Central Customs
stuffman_2001@hotmail.com or just PM me
Its pretty tough, but well worth it and didn't cost near as much. Here's a list of materials you will need:
Fiberglass filler, short strand or long
Regular Filler or Bondo
36, 80, 180, 240, and 320 grit sandpaper
Grinder
Fiberglass cloth
Fibeglass resin
Fiberglass screws or wood screws, pretty much the same
Here's the steps I took to shave my taillights.
I took my old taillights and covered them in aluminum foil. Make sure they are tight and completely covered.
I then took fiberglass cloth covered in resin and layed it over the foil. I made the pieces about an inch or more longer then what the taillights were. The reason for that was so it would be easier to trim later on. Once that dried, I layed another piece on top of that.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_192_full.jpg
This is all you want to put on it for now.
Once it dries, pull the hard fiberglass off the foil. This is your mold. Make sure all of the foil is off the filler.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_193_full.jpg
Now what you want to do is lay two more pieces on the INSIDE of the filler. Reason for this is so that you don't build up the outside and make it to where it won't line up right when you go to mold it in.
Once it is all dry, align the filler to the bed and trim the excess fiberglass.
Once that is done, sand or grind a good ways around the old taillight area.
Place your filler up in the hole once more and then using fiberglass screws, (or wood screws), screw the fiberglass filler in place being careful not to crack or bust the filler.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_195_full.jpg
Now lay another piece of fiberglass over the whole area where you grinded/sanded and over the filler. I wraped this final piece from the back of the fender well area to the inside of the tailgate jamb. Doing this will fill in the hole on the inside of the jamb.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_194_full.jpg
Once all this dries you will need fiberglass filler for the next part. Sand the entire area where the fiberglass is with coarse grit sand paper, (I used 36 grit). All you are doing is scrathing it up so the filler will stick.
When through sanding, lay the fiberglass filler over the area and let dry.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_196_full.jpg
(Sorry about the poor pic, camera was messed up)
Sand and shape once it is hard. When you are done, if you have any low places in the filler, fill with more fiberglass filler if needed. If not, then you can now use regular filler to get the final shape.
I did most of the shaping with my hand that way I wouldn't get any flat spots with the DA. Just becareful not to get "waves" in the filler. (Sand with your palm, not your finger tips.)
After you finally get it shaped, spray a couple of coats of primer and wet sand when dry. I wet sanded with 240, then 320 on the second time I had to spray.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_197_full.jpg
Here's a pic of what it all looked like when I was done. At the time, I was re-shaving the tailgate handle and bodyline, molding in the rollpan, molding in taillights, and shaving the old taillights. Took me roughly a week and a half to do all that.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/208000-208999/208470_198_full.jpg
And of course, the final product after being painted two different times.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/3/web/2067000-2067999/2067264_2_full.jpg
That should be the basic run down on how to build fiberglass fillers for a fiberglass bed. I will tell you, it is tough but its well worth it. I have had mine shaven for a while and no cracks or anything. If you have anymore questions or dont understand something, let me know and I'll do my best to help you more.
Chris
South Central Customs
stuffman_2001@hotmail.com or just PM me