Sanding Glass For Flox Corners

[Schilder71]

Seems like there's a newbie generation of builders (including myself) with those early chapter questions. I searched the archives and couldn't really find the answer I was looking for. When preparing the edge for a floxed corner, (I'm working on the front seatback) after you've cut away the triangular cross-section of foam, the instructions say to rough up the glass edge so that the flox will adhere to it. My question is, do you have to sand, or grind with the Dremel in my case, down through the micro to get to the glass or is sanding off the foam and smoothing out the micro adequate? Because I've been grinding off all the micro which gets pretty touchy right at the edge of the glass becoming very thin. If it's just a matter of technique and being careful not to sand away the glass I'll have to work on that, but if you don't really need to sand away all that micro to get a good bond then that would be a lot easier and save time.

 

Thanks,

 

Dave #976

[dust]

we have a dremel with a pointed drill tip, hard to explain the shape, like a curved letter V that we lightly clean up the area with, don't spend allot of time on it, no foam left and no shiny glass or micro, but basically no glass removed, light touch. Little bit of micro is no problemo, just not chunks.

 

I'm sure it's more than fine, Mike

 

Hope this helps

[Schilder71]

I received some varied replies from the Cozy email list but tend to agree with you Mike which is also echoed by Nat. It appears that each builder has their own tolerance for how much micro they like to sand/grind off. But I believe a little bit of micro is tolerable since a flox corner is one where maximum strength is not required, as specified in chapter 3. I also believe that the corner will be stronger if all the glass is intact even if a thin film of micro is left between the glass and flox. So my main objective will be to keep the glass intact and remove as much micro as possible without killing myself. Carl Denk recommended carbide cutters for the Dremel which I'll give a try. See the attached replies below.

 

Dear Dave,

See below:

do you have

> to sand, or grind with the Dremel in my case, down through the micro to

get

> to the glass

Only need to remove any loose foam and micro.

or is sanding off the foam and smoothing out the micro

> adequate?

Yes. In all cases you should use good judgement.

Best regards,

Nat

>

 

Carl Denk wrote:

 

Yes, the micro should (must) be removed. I usually use a

1/8" dia. carbide cutter in the dremel with a very light

touch and strokes parallel to the glass surface, a sweeping

arc with center say 8" above end of piece, taking off a

little at a time. Actually it goes fairly quick. Usually I

take the foam out with the cutter also.

[Wayne Hicks]

Dear Dave:

 

I tend NOT to use power tools or dremels to get all the way down to bare glass. One slip with the tool, there goes the glass and you've done more harm than good. :-) The flox corner's main purpose is simply a termination method to "anchor" the glass on a corner when a glass overlap can't be used. The flox corner keeps the glass from delaminating at that location.

 

Forgive me for not replying sooner or on the Cozy list, but I think you've gotten adequate replies and good advice.

 

....Wayne Hicks

(remembering 911 today...)

[JTest]

G'day 

 

I see some GUEST is looking at this subject.  Sanding can be done, but I used Peel-Ply on all areas of the build that needed to be joined.  I made it a practice to Peel-Ply almost everything.  It reduced the sanding time for joints or next layups...   Usually when I had to finish a complex or large layup over night or longer.

 

You can buy Peel-Ply in 2" and 4" rolls from your supplier.  Just apply with a wet brush as you would the material.  Be sure to leave 3" or so that you can grip the Peel-Ply after the epoxy had dried.  The Peel-Ply will pull off and the surface should be a matte finish that will accept the next layup.

 

As I said, I Peel-Plied most areas.  If you don't....  You will need to scuff the shinny epoxy so the next layer has something grab to.  

 

Best of Luck with your project.  Your mileage may vary.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff