DIY bumper repair with fiberglass

In detail: do-it-yourself bumper repair with fiberglass from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The bumper is an important part, the purpose of which is to provide safety in the event of a collision or collision with an obstacle. In such situations, the bumper structure takes the impact and deforms. You can repair a fiberglass bumper with your own hands. It is enough to purchase the necessary materials, prepare the tools and get acquainted with the main subtleties of the repair, which can be watched in the video.

Modern car manufacturers manufacture bumpers from synthetic materials, namely fiberglass. In terms of composition, it does not have a homogeneous structure and is a fiber bonded with a sticky mass - polyester resin. To make the part look smooth, a special material is applied over the fiberglass components - gelcoat, which is usually black.

Many automotive concerns have abandoned the metal buffer, replacing it with fiberglass. In case of damage, such a bumper can be easily repaired by hand, since the restoration process is technically simple.

Before proceeding with the restoration work at home, it is necessary to determine the nature of the damage. There are several types of damage to the fiberglass buffer:

small or deep scratches that are external defects in fiberglass and only affect the paintwork;
dents in which the bumper was seriously damaged - in such situations it will be necessary to spend a lot of time and effort to carry out repairs with your own hands;
holes or breaks;
spalling of parts of the part;
breaks or gusts, in which the integrity of the structure is violated.

Video (click to play).

After the nature of the defect is determined, the part should be dismantled. Even if the damage is minimal, it is imperative to repair the fiberglass bumpers, since the defect will increase from vibration when the car is moving.

Repair of a fiberglass bumper should begin with the preparation of equipment, materials and the bumper itself. To work at home, you will need the following tools:

construction hair dryer, which can be used to straighten and warm up dents;
compressor;
grinder or grinder - for the final stage when leveling;
spray gun - to paint over the seams or completely paint the part.

Of the materials that will be required when repairing the buffer with your own hands, you should purchase:

putty with fiberglass;
epoxy resins;
fiberglass material;
acrylic paint thinner;
sandpaper;
a set of metal spatulas;
primer;
small tassels;
varnish;
dye;
mesh, which is applied to the seam, so that additional cracks do not appear.

To prepare the resin, you must follow the directions on the package or watch the video on the Internet. Since this component hardens quickly, all manipulations must be carried out as soon as possible.

After dismantling the structure, do-it-yourself repair work will depend on the type of damage. Before starting the repair, you need to clean the bumper from dirt and degrease the surface with a solvent.

Use a sander to grind the tear edge. Upon completion of the sanding work, it is necessary to join the edges of the gap and place the buffer on a flat surface. This will provide the ability to adjust to the required dimensions.

To completely eliminate the damage with your own hands, you need to clean the surface towards the cracks at a distance of up to 5 cm until a new layer appears, which is laid on the other side of the buffer. Polyester resin is applied directly to the crack and the surface around it with special brushes, which is covered on top in several layers with fiberglass.

Important: work on applying polyester resin should be carried out in special rubber gloves.

The part to be repaired is left until the resin is completely dry. Then put putty on the surface and clean it with a grinder or sandpaper.

If a hole is found in the bumper, then do-it-yourself repairs will take more time and material. The surface in the area of the hole is smoothed at a distance of up to 15 cm. This will help to increase the rigidity of the setting of glass fabrics. After the surface is cleaned, tape is glued to the back of the part.

The resin is applied directly to the hole and up to 20 cm away from it. Then fiberglass is applied in 3-4 rows, each row is coated with resin.

Note that the more layers of fiberglass there are, the stronger the bond will be.

When the surface of the part is completely dry, you can start sanding the resulting protrusion. A putty with a metal mesh is applied on top, which will provide protection against microcracks. Then the surface is dried with a hairdryer and leveled with a grinder.

Do-it-yourself repair of the problem will directly depend on the complexity and nature. Large dents should be repaired in the same way as holes. If the dent is not large, then the damaged area must be heated with a hairdryer and returned to its original position. After that, resin and putty are applied to the surface.

Rebuilding the bumper is also possible at home. It is enough to spend a little time, observe the established technology and simple protection rules. When handling hands, gloves should be worn to prevent chemicals from getting on the skin. Since resin vapors are very toxic, you should work with a respirator. These measures will help you not to harm your own health.

What is required in order to repair a car bumper at home on your own? Since some types of breakdowns require detailed work, and those that are simpler can be repaired using simpler tools at hand, the selection may differ for each damage separately. However, in order to be ready for anything and for all occasions, it is worth stocking up on all the necessary tools and using them for their intended purpose in specific cases. Here is a selection of the most commonly used tools that will be involved when repairing a fiberglass bumper:

Building hair dryer. It will straighten bumps and dents.
Bulgarian. You can replace it with a grinder, which is required at the very end of the alignment.
Compressor.
Spray. He will paint over the seams or paint the entire bumper.

Two types of putty - fiberglass and plain;
Epoxy resins, fiberglass material;
Acrylic paint thinner;
Brushes, their size is not large, 23-30 millimeters;
Sandpaper;
Primer and varnish;
A spatula made of metal; for convenience, the whole set is bought;
Draft dye;
Fine mesh for working with seams;
Rubber gloves, duct tape.

The process of repairing a fiberglass bumper may include removing it. It is recommended to remove the bumper even when the smallest scratch is to be repaired. When you have at your fingertips everything that may become necessary in the process of performing actions, you need to decide on the type of damage. Among the entire spectrum of possible problems, there is a categorization according to which damage is divided into:

Dents. If they are large, repairs can be difficult.
Breakthroughs.Structural failure, loss of integrity.
Holes, breaks. Some damage can cause the bumper fabric to bleed.
Scratches of various depths and sizes.
Chipping off parts.

A certain type of damage has its own sequence of actions and instructions for its repair. If the problem manifests itself as a breakout:

The edges are processed with a sander. After work, they are joined, and the part is placed on a flat surface. Thus, it becomes possible to adjust the dimensions. The damage can be completely removed only by cleaning the part in the direction of cracks up to 5 centimeters. It is necessary to clean until a new layer appears, which is located on the other side of the part. Then resin is applied to the crack. It is necessary to work with it with gloves, and special brushes are used for application. Several layers of fiberglass are laid on the resin. Then we give the resin time to dry, leaving the part for a while. Apply the putty in a thin layer, after which the surface is smoothed with sandpaper, another method - with a grinding machine disc.

A hole will take more time and energy from you. The hole is being repaired, but since the hole is larger than the crack, more fiberglass and putty will be needed. The surface in the damaged area is cleaned at a distance of up to 10-15 centimeters. Such a gap will increase the rigidity of the fiberglass fastening. After stripping, the tape is glued on the back. Apply resin to the hole, 20 centimeters from the hole.

Fiberglass is installed on top, rows should be from three to four. The more there are, the stronger the connection will be. Each row is again lubricated with resin. When the resin is dry, the formed protrusion is cleaned. To do this, use sandpaper or a resin roller. Then a primer and putty are applied. We glue a metal mesh on the putty so that there are no problems with the appearance of microcracks. Dry the applied putty with a hairdryer. If you walk well and work on the sealed area with sandpaper or a sander, the area can be completely leveled off.

Dents are repaired depending on their complexity. A strong large dent is repaired in the same way as the hole.

A small one can be repaired by yourself using a hairdryer. If the damaged area cannot be leveled with a hairdryer, the protruding part can be cut off and repaired with resin. Small dents are repaired with resin and putty.

Scratches are also repaired depending on the complexity and nature. In case of deep damage, resin is applied, and in case of shallow damage, a putty is applied. The place in the damaged area must be pre-sanded.

Splinters of parts of the bumper or its corners can sometimes also be found on cars. In this case, motorists have the opportunity to supplement the missing part of the bumper with fiberglass. Repairing yourself can be a little more difficult than otherwise. Repetition of the ideal shape of the problem area can be difficult if it is not there in order to see an example and shape. If you don't want to try your hand at repairing a spall, you can contact a car service. However, having a set of materials and tools, there is a chance to make a complete home renovation.

Sometimes there are situations when a spall occurs, this happens at the corner parts. The problem area is cleaned until the protruding parts of the fiberglass are completely removed. Fiberglass can perfectly follow the shape of the corners and fill the gap where the missing piece was. The patch is leveled with sandpaper, and the corner should match the shape of the bumper. The gaps are closed with layers of fiberglass and resin. There is a very good chance to reinforce the corners from the inside with four layers of fiberglass. Once the fiberglass bumper has been repaired, it can be painted over.

Bumper painting is done with a spray gun and a compressor.Mixing the paint with a solvent, its color is selected. Sometimes it is enough to paint the damaged area of the bumper, and sometimes you have to paint it entirely. In the first case, for people who do not have experience in carrying out technical and service work, it may be difficult to paint over the problem area so that it is not noticeable and does not stand out from the general background. Therefore, it is better to paint everything completely. This part is painted in two layers. When the paint dries, the bumper is installed on the car, but it is best to wait until the paint is completely fixed - one wrong movement can ruin the appearance of the part, and semi-dry paint does not always contribute to the correct work with the part painted with it.

Acting with the images described in the article, you can repair any type of damage to the bumper, and you can safely do all the work with your own hands at home. Such restoration does not have any very difficult stages, so every motorist can try himself in such a thing as repairing a bumper with his own hands.

In this video you can see how the procedure for repairing a bumper with fiberglass with your own hands takes place.

The master, the creator of the body kit is obliged to be ready to repair it. The work of fiberglass repair body kits is not creative, alas, the service of your own creations is a matter of the principle of a good tuner.

“Quickly you came back to me” - removing the torn bumper in half, I realized with sadness how seriously my friend was getting ready to attack off-road in his own all-wheel-drive bus with my bumper.

And at the same time, there was not a bad opportunity to tell how I do repair of fiberglass bumpers and how to do it right body kit repair.

01. The bumper laid out on the workshop floor sagged along the fault line - the original geometry of the shape was broken. A large fragment of the lower shelf is lost, which means that we will not be able to simply fold the halves of the bumper by combining the torn edges.

02. But there is good news - the catastrophic consequences of the front bumper hitting an obstacle did not go beyond the place of the gap itself. After all, the most terrible and irreparable for body kit repair made of fiberglass is a network of cracks in large areas of the part. I carefully examined the surface of the bumper near the torn edges and did not find small cracks in the paint.

03. Trying to match the shaggy edges of the gap is pointless. Like any laminated material, fiberglass breaks down, forming edges sticking out with spines.

04. I know of only one effective, but extremely unpleasant means of dealing with fiberglass crumb. This is a Flap Disc Angle Grinder. Sometimes it seems to me that it is she- LBM stands in the way of young enthusiasts to tuning. There are no random people working with this instrument on fiberglass ...

05. After light processing with angle grinder (or you can simply manually clean it with emery paper) the inner surface of the bumper, we try to align the edges of the gap, unfolding the bumper on a flat surface. If you guessed in advance to measure the distance between the corners of the bumper while still on the car before removing it, then giving it the correct position will not be difficult.

06. And now - the advantage body kit repair fiberglass in action. Spread polyester resin on the inner surface of the bumper that has been cleaned around the crack.

07. Cover the crack and the surface around the crack at a distance of 50-100 mm with pieces of thin glass mat (grade 300). The number of layers can be different, especially since the glass mat moistened with resin is easily "smeared" over the surface. I use fiberglass on the inner surface of the bumper as an assembly layer to restore the geometry of the shape.

Bumper repair from fiberglass do it yourself... Toyota Caldina.08. Elimination of the crack itself and complete restoration are carried out on the front surface of the part.Fragments and delamination of fiberglass, chips and cracks of paint are clearly visible on the mounted bumper crust. I often meet "craftsmen" who simply putty these defects and paint the bumper. But, after this body kit repair defects appear very quickly on the ink layer.09. One of my mentors taught me how to clean a crack in fiberglass from the outside "on the mustache", or "no". This means that the plastic is grinded gently towards the edge of the crack, turning into a very thin edge. It is necessary to start stripping from the place where thin cracks from the gap end on the bumper paint or at a distance of at least 50 mm.10. I grind down the old fiberglass so that the inner mounting layer of the new fiberglass appears through the crack. A shallow groove is formed on the surface of the bumper.11. By filling the groove with glass mat with polyester resin, we glue the edges of the crack and at the same time level the surface of the bumper repair with fiberglass. For this, three or four layers of 300 grade glass mat are enough.12. The hardened fiberglass is treated with sandpaper. I love working with a belt sander, or what I call a "tractor". In skillful hands, it is a very effective remedy, and not as dusty as a "grinder" with a petal disc.13. After the "tractor" with coarse sandpaper (forty), the patch of fiberglass at the bumper repair site must be corrected with a bar with sandpaper no larger than eighty.14. It is better to immediately cover the sanded fiberglass with a layer of universal polyester putty. I usually level the surface myself body kit repair for painting, but this time the bumper was pulled out of the hands - urgent work.15. When the geometry and shape of the bumper is restored, the rest of the damage to the fiberglass can be repaired. Judging by the characteristic breaks in the corners of the bumper, they tried to pull it out by the front lower flange and, it seems, was not unsuccessful. In places where the crust of the body kit is not deformed, but only torn or cracked, I start the repair immediately from the front side.16. The fracture structure of the fiberglass is clearly visible on the rupture crack cleaned out "on the mustache". The stratification is especially noticeable at the very corner. I try to sand away the delaminated fiberglass as much as possible so that the thickness of the fiberglass patch for body kit repair provided sufficient strength.17. Forming of fiberglass on protruding corners has one peculiarity. Thick glass mat, due to its elasticity, does not fit into corners without bubbles. Therefore, it is better to use glass mat no thicker than three hundredth and at the same time thicken the resin more with Aerosil.18. Sandpaper lined patch for body kit repair made of fiberglass hides the cracks and breaks so that the part appears homogeneous from the front side. Before puttingtying, I sand the restored bumper spots with an 80. Let me remind you that scratches on fiberglass from a larger stone of sandpaper appear on the paint even through putty.19. A good layout designer is a "cowardly" layout designer. The fear of returning after the repair of the body kit through the fault of the layout designer pushes a good layout designer to reinforce fiberglass in the most loaded places. It strengthens the corners glued from the front side also from the inside. Old fiberglass is grinded down almost to the newest patch.20. Place 2-4 layers of glass mat 300 in the corner. Now you can sleep peacefully.21. Further manipulations after fiberglass bumper repair is carried out by the painter, and the installer is engaged in the installation. I can only admire the creation of my own hands. And every time it seems that only a master finisher (painter, interior fitter, carbon fiber, veneer) revives and animates rough workpieces from the inhabitants of the model.Tuning Articles: "Express repair", Articles about tuning with your own hands. Body kit repair. Repair of fiberglass bumpers.
When copying the article, please link to my blog. It will not be difficult to repair a bumper at home, especially if it is not the first time that you have to work with your own hands with a car repair. To do this, you must first prepare a working tool and purchase the required materials.ATTENTION! Found a completely simple way to reduce fuel consumption! Don't believe me? An auto mechanic with 15 years of experience also did not believe until he tried it. And now he saves 35,000 rubles a year on gasoline! Read more" Image - DIY bumper repair with fiberglass

You will need the following tools to work:

A construction hairdryer to be able to warm up and straighten out dents or bumps.
A grinder or grinder is required for the final leveling stage.
Compressor.
Spray gun, for painting seams, or complete painting of the bumper.

And the following materials to make do-it-yourself bumper repairs:

Special putty with fiberglass and regular automotive.
Fiberglass bumper repair kit, which includes epoxy resins and fiberglass material.
Special solvent for acrylic paints.
Small brushes 25-30 mm.
Sandpaper, different hardness.
Primer.
Varnish.
Metal spatulas, it is better to buy a set.
Draft colorant, about 300 grams.
Mesh, to be applied to the seam, so that cracks do not appear (fine-mesh, soft metal).
Rubber gloves and scotch tape.

After making sure that all the tools and materials are available, you need to determine the nature of the damage. There are the following types of damage to fiberglass bumpers:

Dents, the bumper is seriously damaged and you need to make a lot of effort to repair it yourself.
Gaps or tears, the material has lost the integrity of the structure, and the structure of the fiberglass is broken.
Breaks or holes are separated by the appearance of holes in glass fabrics.
Scratches, small and deep scratches exist.
Chipping of parts of the bumper.

Having decided on the nature of the damage to the car bumper, it is imperative to dismantle the bumper. Even if it is a scratch, it is best to remove the bumper and have it inspected and properly repaired.

In case of a break, the edges of the breaks are processed using a grinding machine.

After finishing grinding the edges, the edges of the breaks are joined, and the part is placed on a table or flat surface in order to be able to adjust the dimensions. To achieve the complete disappearance of the damage, you can do it yourself by cleaning the parts in the direction of the cracks, at an interval of up to 5 cm.
Erasing continues until a new layer is visible on the other side of the part. The polyester resin is applied to and around the crack at a distance of up to 10 cm. Working with the resin with rubber gloves. The resin is applied with special brushes. The resin is covered with glass cloth (grade 300) in several layers. After all, we leave the part for a while, until the resin dries. A thin layer of putty is applied and cleaned with sandpaper or a sander belt.

Finding hole damage on a part will take more time and effort to repair. The hole in the bumper needs to be repaired, and this is not a crack, more fiberglass and putty will be needed. It is necessary to clean the surface in the area of the hole at a distance of 10-15 cm. This is necessary to enhance the hardness of the setting of glass fabrics. After cleaning the surface, tape is glued to the hole on the back of the part. The resin is applied to the hole, and at a distance of up to 20 cm.

Fiberglass is laid on top of the resin, in 3-4 rows. The more, the stronger the connection will be. Each row is re-lubricated with resin. After the resin has dried, it is necessary to start cleaning the formed protrusion. Remove this layer with emery paper or a resin roller and clean it. A primer is applied over the covered area and sealed with putty.A metal mesh is applied to the putty so that microcracks do not appear. The putty can be dried with a hairdryer. You can level this place with the plane of the bumper with your own hands using a grinder and a special disc.

Depends on the complexity of the dent, if it is strong and large in size, then it is better to cut and act as with a hole. If it is small, then we will use a hairdryer and do it yourself. The place of damage is warming up, and heating to a certain temperature, we return to its original position. Even if the hair dryer cannot be leveled, you can always cut off the protruding part and seal it with resin. Small dents that go into the bumper are repaired with resin and putty, and you're done.

From the nature and complexity of the scratch, a resin is applied (for a deep scratch), or a putty (for a shallow one), having previously sanded the place in the area of the scratch.

There are moments when the corners of a part or parts of it break off. The lost part of the bumper can be restored with fiberglass. Do-it-yourself repairs here will be a little more difficult. After all, repeating the shape of the chipped part of the bumper can cause problems, especially if this part is lost. It is better to seek help from a professional, but if you have confidence in yourself and decide to do everything at home, then you can try. The cleavage point of the part is cleaned until the fiberglass that protrudes completely disappears. Fiberglass can perfectly match any corner shape. Fiberglass patch is equal to sandpaper. Part of the corner should be the same shape as the bumper. The gaps will be closed with new layers of resin and fiberglass. It is better to strengthen the corners from the inside, establishing 4 layers of glass material. The repair was carried out for any type of damage, and you can proceed to the last stage of work, painting the bumper.

Painting is done with a spray gun and a compressor. The paint is pre-mixed with a solvent, and the color is selected. Either the place of damage is painted, or the bumper is completely painted. The first option is very difficult, the difficulty is that a layman cannot paint over a place so that it does not stand out. It is better to use the second option, clean the entire bumper with a grinder and open it with new paint. Painting is carried out in two layers. After the paint has dried, the bumper is reinstalled.
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Having broken a plastic bumper on a VAZ car, the owner can relatively inexpensively purchase and install a new one, painted in a suitable color. Owners of foreign cars are not so lucky, plastic body kits for their cars are much more expensive. The way out is to repair the damaged part by repairing the crack with your own hands in order to save money. It is useful to know about the methods of restoring broken plastic to the owners of Russian cars, not to buy a new element because of small cracks.Depending on the amount of damage and the type of plastic, the following methods of cracked bumpers are practiced:

cosmetic bonding with acetone and donor plastic;

gluing with modern chemical compounds;

mount on epoxy resin using fiberglass reinforcing mesh;

sealing the crack with a soldering iron reinforced with a metal mesh;

welding with a hot air gun and a plastic rod.

Reference. There is one simple method used by car enthusiasts who are not overly concerned about the look of the car. This is the connection of the edges of the crack with wire or staples from a stapler.This is a simple matter, which means that there is no point in considering this technology, everything is clear.The use of acetone for bonding, which can dissolve many types of plastics, is a temporary measure used for small cracks that have appeared in the middle of the body kit. Its essence is as follows:

Pieces of plastic, similar in composition to the bumper material, are selected and dissolved in acetone to a thick consistency.

On the back of the bumper, the crack is degreased and also treated with acetone in order to soften the surface.

Liquefied plastic is applied to the damage from the reverse side, and then hardens for several hours. Outside, the defect can be tinted with a corrector tube.

Any single cracks in most plastics can be sealed using thick two-component compounds sold in two tubes. The exception is fiberglass body kits, they are glued together with epoxy resin, and in case of serious damage, reinforcement with fiberglass mesh is used.With numerous large cracks, breaks and holes in the bumper, bonding methods become ineffective. In such cases, soldering or welding with a hot air gun using a donor polymer material is practiced. After such repairs, the place of the defect is thoroughly cleaned and painted in the color of the car. Finally, a full bumper polish should be done so that the painted area does not stand out against the background of the old coating.Advice. If you got into an accident or collided with a fixed obstacle and broke the body kit, try to collect all but the smallest pieces that have flown off. This will allow you to use "native" plastic for repairs and not look for something similar.The preparatory process differs little for various methods of gluing and welding polymer parts, so it should be considered separately. The first question is whether it is really necessary to remove the bumper in order to make repairs. In most cases, dismantling is indispensable, since the plastic must be sealed on both sides. The exception is broken body kits, cracked in many places. They must first be stitched together and then removed. Otherwise, after repair, the part may lose its shape, which is why the attachment points will not converge, and the gaps with adjacent elements will increase.Reference. Often, the body of the bumper comes off at the attachment points and small pieces of plastic remain on the screws. Before dismantling, such a part is securely welded to the torn mount and only then removed.To prepare a damaged body kit for repair, you need the following tools and materials:

a set of keys and screwdrivers for removing the element;

electric grinder;

sandpaper of various grain sizes - from P180 to P320;

degreasing liquid - organic solvent or white spirit;

rags.

Note. With the help of a grinding machine, you can perform cleaning better and much faster than by hand. This and other power tools that are needed for painting and polishing can be rented for 2-3 days.Regardless of whether work is being carried out directly on the car or with the bumper removed, it must be thoroughly washed and dried. Then, with a coarse sandpaper, you need to peel off the paint with an indent of 3-5 cm from the crack in each direction and sand the area with fine sandpaper. Whichever method of repair you choose, the paint must be removed to the base, otherwise it will interfere with the adhesion of the adhesive or the fusion of polymers during welding. At the end, the area should be degreased.Advice. The quality of the body kit repair depends on the conditions in which it is made. It is more convenient to repair damage in a garage equipped with a viewing ditch for easy removal of a part and soldering of loose fasteners in place.To implement this method, you need to purchase the following bumper repair kit from the 3M brand:

2 FPRM components for the preparation of liquid polymer in tubes of 150 ml (price - about 2500 rubles);

special hard tape;

self-adhesive reinforcing mesh made of fiberglass (otherwise - glass canvas) 48 mm wide;

an adhesion initiator in an aerosol can;

2 spatulas - wide and narrow;

stationery knife;

gloves, goggles.

Reference. Similar kits are offered by other manufacturers, but the 3M brand is the most famous and proven in practice.Liquid resin bonding is suitable for most plastics and can be done either with the body kit removed or on the vehicle. True, the second option is rather inconvenient, plus you will need good lighting in the inspection pit. To cut the crack, you will need an electric drill (not a grinder!) With a mandrel for abrasive wheels. The repair consists of the following technological operations: Using a low speed drill and an abrasive wheel, chamfer approximately 30 ° around the edges of the crack on both sides. In cross section, it looks something like this: ">

Before painting, irregularities need to be putty

Important! After mixing the components, the composition must be used within 6 minutes, which is quite enough for applying to the damage on one side. A curing time of 30 minutes is correct for a room temperature of 21-23 ° C, therefore, when working in a cold room, it is imperative to arrange local heating of the bumper (for example, with an infrared heater).

If irregularities are noticeable on the front side of the element, then before painting, apply a little putty intended for plastic on the drops. After drying, clean it with P1500 sandpaper, degrease and paint with a spray gun, after applying a layer of primer. After 1 day, polish the surface of the body kit.

The technology is used to repair damage to body kits made of fiberglass, since the previous method will not work in this case. What is required for work:

fiberglass for bumper repair;

polyester (epoxy) resin complete with hardener;

soft brush;

utility knife or scissors;

latex gloves.

Advice. If a bulge or a depression has formed at the place of impact, then immediately after stripping, level it using a construction hair dryer to heat it.Since fiberglass patches will have to be applied on both sides of the damaged area, it is better to dismantle the bumper from the car. After completing all the preparatory work, including stripping paint and degreasing, proceed in the following sequence:

Using a sander with coarse sandpaper (P80-P120), make a depression in the bumper body from the front side, covering a radius of 3-5 cm from the crack. This is necessary so that the fiberglass overlay does not ultimately protrude beyond the plane of the part.

On the back, sand with a coarse sandpaper, but without a depression. Degrease the area and let dry.

Cut out the fiberglass patches. On the front part, you need to make a neat patch, repeating the shape of the recess, and from the rear you can glue a rectangular overlay.

Mix resin and hardener in the proportions indicated on the package. Apply the composition with a brush to the surface, apply a patch (you can in several layers) and saturate it with resin.

Accurately observe the time specified for the curing of the epoxy compound (written on the container with the resin), then carefully clean the repair area with a fine sandpaper. The task is to level the surface by removing the protrusions.

Note. Initially, coarse sandpaper is used in order to create a roughness on the surface of the plastic, which contributes to better adhesion of the polyester adhesive.This completes the work on the repair of the plastic itself, then cleaning, priming and painting are performed using standard technology. The last operation is bumper polishing, it is necessary to give the element a uniform shine.

Numerous cracks, breaks and torn off bumper elements are repaired using thermal methods, in particular, soldering.This painstaking work requires a small set of tools and materials:

a soldering iron with a power of at least 100 W with a wide sting and a wooden handle;
thin metal mesh specially designed for thermal bonding of plastic parts;
knife, nippers for processing broken off segments;
screw clamp;
fine and coarse sandpaper for cleaning seams.

Note. Soldering of serious defects can take hours. During this time, the plastic handle of the soldering iron will warm up so much that it will become difficult to hold the tool with your hand.

In the process of preparing for soldering, the paint must be removed to the base not only from cracks, but also from torn pieces of the bumper. Moreover, in this case, the body kit is not removed from the car until all the gaps are fastened and fixed by soldering, otherwise the element will lose its exact shape.

Soldering technology is implemented in the following sequence:

Important! When soldering the edges of the plastic, you need to hold it motionless and give time to solidify. If you release the part ahead of time, the seam will come apart.

At the end of the soldering procedure, sand the surface of the element, then degrease and paint in the desired color. During further operation, be more careful, because from a strong impact, the bumper can fly to pieces, breaking in the same places. To hold it together more firmly, it is worth using another method - welding with donor plastic.

This is a more efficient way of joining polymer parts, used not only for repairing bumpers, but also for restoring a variety of plastic products. It allows you to more reliably fasten the elements, spending much less time on work than when soldering. To use this technology, you need to prepare the same tools with materials as for soldering, excluding the metal mesh. In addition, for repairs you will need:

hot air gun with a power of 1600 W with the ability to regulate the temperature of the supplied air from 100 to 700 ° C;

universal welding rods compatible with most plastics.

Advice. If you buy or rent a hot air gun, make sure that it has overheating protection with automatic shutdown.The welding technology of a broken bumper is very similar to soldering and differs only at the last stage:

After completing the preparatory stage, align the edges of the cracks, secure them with clamps and grab them with a soldering iron, as described in the previous section. Replace the broken pieces in the same way.

Using a soldering iron, cut the crack along its entire length, making a depression where the welding rod will fit.

Take in one hand a hair dryer heated to 400-600 ° C (depending on the type of plastic), and in the other - a welding rod. Attach its end to the beginning of the cut crack and heat with a hair dryer simultaneously with the surface of the bumper, holding the tool at an angle.

When the bar begins to soften, start laying it in the groove without stopping heating. Fill the groove to the end.

For reliability, make several transverse seams, applying the softened bar directly to the inner surface of the body kit.

Note. To cut a crack, instead of a soldering iron, you can use a cutting or abrasive wheel mounted on an electric drill. But such work requires care so that the potholders do not fly off.If possible, use special welding nozzles for a hair dryer, where a plastic bar is immediately inserted, so that you do not need to hold it with your hands. At the end of the work, the repaired bumper must be repainted and polished.Advice. If you didn’t manage to get a hot air gun, then you can use a special hot glue gun that welds plastic with thinner rods.