[Blindstitch]

I picked up some saddlebags and one was involved in a fall or something was dropped on it. I can tell that the top has fiberglass since it's exposed. There isn't really a hole but a soft spot about the size of a dime where it looks white. The saddlebag is kind of odd since it isn't the normal shell that i'm use to. It is hollow welded two piece design. The inner or bottom shell almost touches the top shell with there being maybe a 1/4 inch gap between the top and the bottom. But the border all the way around has a 1x1 hollow section and the absolute front has a 1x2 inch hollow section and that's where the damage is. There's maybe 4 inches of cracked paint. Under the cracked paint the fibers are holding but you can tell it's damaged.



So what works to fix this fun? I almost wish I could fill the hollow gap with something hard or would get hard so I could focus more on fixing the area then wondering how to reinforce it. I don't really think it will ever be put in a high stress situation since it is on the top outside corner but I want to get it fixed in case an act of god happens.

 

[Shep]

Fibre glass matting and resin?Then filler and sand and paint.Autozone will have them.







http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...165625_langId_-1?cm_vc=IOV4PDPZ1&iozone=PDPz1



In this instance cheap rattle can Acrylic black for paint as it's easy to spray/compound and maintain.

 

[DaveF]

Plastifix reinforced with fiberglass cloth works well for this. The fiberglass cloth can be purchased at any place that sells auto body supplies, including most discount auto parts stores.

 

[gopher]

...an act of god happens.

Provocative. You know the rules.

 

[DavidfromWisconsin]

Don!!!



For a professional photographer, you need to post a better photo than that!

 

[marshallf3]

Fiberglass is rather easy to work with, lots of advice on the internet about it.



Ventilation however is an absolute must - even for hours afterwards.

 

[Blindstitch]

Don!!!



For a professional photographer, you need to post a better photo than that!

That's the picture that was on craigslist. I prefer good pictures of the end result.

 

[Blindstitch]

Well I weighed the options and I didn't think I could swing fiberglass resin in the apartment because I'm not that dumb. I want quality but I don't want to kill myself doing it. And I wasn't exactly sure how to reinforce the inside since it's not like a cap. It's a two piece glassed together cover.



In the end I hit up the bondo website to see what they had because I remember using bondo glass on the lower edge of a truck door and cab corners with repetitive slamming for 7 years and it was still in tacked. Well bondo makes a product called bondo hair which is a two part solution like bondo but has long fiberglass hairs in it. I took and cut the broken section area out leaving a 1 x 2 1/2 diamond shape. Since that opened up some access I took and twisted up pieces of newspaper so I could block off a baseball sized portion of the inside. Of course it wasn't as thick. I mixed up the bondo hair and I was expecting something more liquid like that what I got. It was very similar to a large hair clog in your drain.



So I scooped it up in 1/4th cups increments and fed it through the hole. The first ball went in pretty good but wasn't enough so I quickly mixed up another batch and packed it tight. Even poked it in with a paint stir stick. Seems like it bonded pretty good. I put pressure on it and it wouldn't move so I was happy. Took out the dremel and sanding wheel and cleaned the area up. After that a skim coat of regular bondo or plastic filler as my auto body teacher liked to call it because we used some off brand. I have a few spots that need spot putty to fill in pin holes but that should get me going to looking like it was never there.

 

[Blindstitch]

Ok here are the progress pictures. Sorry Dave but I used the cheapo green point and shoot.

 

[WayneDW]

looking good, Don.



By the way, I have been working with fiberglass repair myself. My fiberglass BMW fairing has a crack. I am posting progress pictures here:

My link



I guess I'm kind of dumb because I did the work inside in my basement shop. It didn't seem so bad, didn't kill too many brain cells I hope. I did turn off the furnace so I wouldn't blow up my house and turned on the bathroom exhaust fan which is close by. Also had the back door open...



I'm learning as I go. now that the inside of the fairing is patched I will be digging out the crack on the outside and filling with bondo. Then sanding and painting. I'm haven't matched the paint yet, either.

 

[Blindstitch]

looking good, Don.



By the way, I have been working with fiberglass repair myself. My fiberglass BMW fairing has a crack. I am posting progress pictures here:

My link



I guess I'm kind of dumb because I did the work inside in my basement shop. It didn't seem so bad, didn't kill too many brain cells I hope. I did turn off the furnace so I wouldn't blow up my house and turned on the bathroom exhaust fan which is close by. Also had the back door open...



I'm learning as I go. now that the inside of the fairing is patched I will be digging out the crack on the outside and filling with bondo. Then sanding and painting. I'm haven't matched the paint yet, either.

Wayne don't worry about being dumb. I'm sure your significant other accepts your motorcycle stupidity. Melody has a rule of nothing stinky. So I walk a thin line. If I had a basement I would have probably tried it.



As for my progress I managed to spot paint the repair last night between 10-11pm. I would go outside of our apartment where it was just a hair over 60 degrees and I hit a few sprays, waited a second for the aerosol mist to blow away and take the cover back in the apartment with me. I got 2 good coats on while Melody was sleeping and I ran out of paint.



This is what it looks like temporarily done.

 

[Blindstitch]

Oh did I mention I got itchy with them sitting in the living room that I woke up early and drilled new mounting holes with a template of the saddlebag I made and then checked it over with the bike. After work I finished up.



Here are my results.