Made a mess bigger

The Flintstones · 10-13-2006, 03:10 PM

Hi All
Okay I messed up, I have a dented top rear from P.O that is at the bathroom vent blower that I tried to replace. The new vent is bigger so I cut the alluminum and inside fiberglass but I cut too big, plus its dented and won't fit flat. Should I cut larger and patch, then recut? That is my thinking. Also how would you fix the fiberglass if its too big of a hole as well?
Any advice is welcome
thanks
James

InsideOut · 10-13-2006, 03:14 PM

Got pictures?

Might help us help you...

Shari

mustang · 10-13-2006, 06:57 PM

I would try to get a larger vent then the hole in the skin so you dont have to patch it otherwise patching is the only way. good Luck

Ganglin · 10-13-2006, 09:10 PM

Looks like someone needs your help...

LI Pets · 10-13-2006, 09:20 PM

What is the size of the fan?

What size hole did you make?

A pic would really help.

The Flintstones · 10-13-2006, 10:45 PM

Here is a picture from the outside where the problem is, uneven roof. Not sure what to do here. Not so concerned with the inside as it is not so bad
any advice is appreciated
james

The Flintstones · 10-13-2006, 10:53 PM

Its pretty dented up on both sides of the seam and around the vent hole, I was thinking of getting a dent puller and trying to pull the dents out then covering with new skin and cutting a new hole???? I think I bit off more than I can chew on this one.
thanks
James

Ganglin · 10-13-2006, 11:17 PM

People are plotting your recovery as you sweat this out. Is the second picture a shot of a temporary cover you have over the external hole..?

The Flintstones · 10-13-2006, 11:23 PM

I'm sweating it out with them, yes its metal tape over the hole.... HELP!
James

Ganglin · 10-13-2006, 11:36 PM

You could take a sheet of aircraft A/S aluminum and rivet it to the the vent base first - the aluminum will polish out later if that is what you want. Make the sheet large enough that it will cover the dent and secure it with Parbond and A/S rivets. You may be able to tuck it under the lower edge so it won't be so noticible? That would require additional rivet removal.

There are several people here than can help you more than I can. Keep asking questions as you need help...!!!

LI Pets · 10-14-2006, 03:44 AM

James,

Not a big deal, can you answer post #5

boatdoc · 10-14-2006, 05:12 AM

Hi jsflint; You sure got yourself in a pickle, let's hope your Airstream will not hate you for it. Let me forewarn you first, I am a perfectionist and anything less the best that can be done, is not good enough for me. Here is what I would do bearing in mind that I do not know what the inner skin arrangement is. I would first use a good quality sharp drill and drill out some rivets [do not let the rivets spin while doing it or you will burn up the fiberglass] in adjacent panels enough to gain access to outer skin. Prop them away very gingerly enough to work on the dent. If the dent is in the area of rivited seam you may need a little more force than just massaging it out. Be sure to support edge of the dent with rubber block. Tap the dent out [do not over do]. Unless you remove the dent, sooner or later heavy bead of sealer may separate and leak may occur. If you access www.mcmastercarr.com in Brunswick, NJ. you will find suitable carbon or plastic materials from which you can cut a frame to make up the difference in a opening. Of course you did not tell us by how much bigger is the opening is over the fan frame. If that difference is considerable you may have to take the next alternative.
If it is nominal then a slightly larger frame out, may not look so bad.
As far as the inner skin goes, you can frame it with thin carbon fiber frame or I can coach you how to fiberglass it in to the size you need. Send me PM and I will help you further. Thanks "Boatdoc"

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Some men just tackle the repair, others sit down with coffee and ponder what and why, then they make three alternative plans to proceed.

The Flintstones · 10-14-2006, 08:01 AM

Bob
The size of the fan is 6inch the hole in the outer skin is 6 1/2 and dented.
I will post some better pictures later as wife took camera this am.
The inner fitting fits snug in the fiberglass hole so I'm not so worried about it.
Yes I have a problem of tackling the repair and pondering afterwards.
thanks
James

LI Pets · 10-14-2006, 08:21 AM

Ok, so there is a 1/2" difference, or 1/4" all around.

As Boatdoc said you need to tap out the dent, try a 1 by 2 piece of wood length ways gently tap it up with a hammer not too hard and keep moving it around the dent. You may need to remove the rivets--not sure from the pics.

Next you need to make something to support between the two skins, a C channel in several pieces, this can also be set inside the hole to help close it up. This is kind of like the frame member you see inside the hole now in your pic. You can use wood but it may not last that long???

If the flange on the new fan won't cover the 1/2" gap? If not you need to make a donut ring about 1"-1 1/2" wide to cover the hole to fit, add vulkem, done.