Fiberglass 101, Part 3: Finishing

Text and photos by Barry C. Forrest.

After the frames are completely cured, you can use a xacto knife or a razor knife to trim the excess from the ends.
I trim to within about 1/8" of the frame and then use 150-220 grit to lightly finish sand to the frame. Here are the results.
Small defects like this pucker on the end can be sealed with CA or you can dab a bit of epoxy on and sand when cured. I prefer thin CA.
Score the fin slots and tabs with a sharp xacto and then go over them again to cut through the glass. Again, you can use the xacto or razor knife.
I use a finger nail file and needle files to clean up the slots to the frame.
The finished product.
The assembled sections.
You can always fill in the texture with auto primer/surfacer or Kilz sealer once you have scuffed with 100-150 grit sandpaper. If you want a super smooth finish ready for paint, finish sand with 400 grit wet and dry with water . DO NOT sand the front section to match the nose cone or you will sand through the fiberglass. The best method to eliminate the lip is to add primer to the nose cone. Tape the shoulder of the nose cone and primer it entirely with a few more coats where it meets the front section. Let it dry completely and install in the front section. Sand lightly with 150-220 grit (with more emphases on the nose) and then primer again. Wet sand with 220-360, finish sand with 400 and you're done! Stand back and admire the work you've done!

Continue to Vacuum Bagging Part 1...