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Eames Fiberglass Scratch Repair?  

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NULL NULL
(@nhofersbcglobal-net)
Trusted Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 68
01/11/2008 9:32 pm  

I just picked up a red stacker fiberglass chair. It's old and has some points that are scratched up.

Is there anything I can do or use for fiberglass to help minimize the scratches?



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claus (DE)
(@claus-de)
Noble Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 252
01/11/2008 10:27 pm  

This guy here recommends...
This guy here recommends sanding and penetrol for refinishing. Haven't tried it myself yet.
http://www.chairfag.com


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NULL NULL
(@teapotd0meyahoo-com)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 4318
01/11/2008 11:02 pm  

That
Will only help for surface scratches. If the scratches are deep, you would need to fill them in and color match first.


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LuciferSum
(@lucifersum)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 1874
02/11/2008 7:57 pm  

A coat of
A coat of fiberglass polish will help. Worst case scenario is you bring the chair to an auto-body shop and have them do a semi-gloss clearcoat on the whole chair.


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ID Guy
(@id-guy)
Honorable Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 125
03/11/2008 5:05 pm  

Color
How did they do the color originally? Was it in the fiberglass resin or did they mold them and then paint them? I wonder if when filling big gouges if it's better to put the color in the epoxy or to just fill it then paint and clearcoat it?


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LuciferSum
(@lucifersum)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 1874
03/11/2008 7:40 pm  

Both
There were some chairs that were painted, but the majority of them were colored in the resin. There's a wonderful Eames film about the making of the chairs. Fiberglass polish should minimize the whiteness of the scratches. What you most have to worry about is the glass fiber being exposed. Mucho itchy if it is. A clearcoat should trap any of the exposed fibers, and will also provide a bit of a barrier.


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NULL NULL
(@nhofersbcglobal-net)
Trusted Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 68
04/11/2008 8:23 am  

Glass Fibers?
What does that look like? I may not have that happening but I didn't know it was a danger. Prolly not too healthy either.


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Sound & Design
(@fdaboyaol-com)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 1445
04/11/2008 10:13 am  

speaking of itchy...
speaking of itchy fiberglass
Long ago I climbed a swing set made of fiberglass...wearing shorts...


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LuciferSum
(@lucifersum)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 1874
04/11/2008 7:38 pm  

the way
fiberglass chairs are constructed by bonding a mess of glass fiber in a plastic resin. The resin is baked and solidifies giving the chair the form, while the glass fiber gives the chair its strength. When the chairs are pressed into a mould, the interior of the mould has been sprayed with a clear finish called a gel-coat. The gel-coat acts as a barrier - sort of like polyurethane on a wood.
Your scratches look deep enough that they may have gone through the gel coat and disturbed some of the glass fiber.
Quick and dirty solution: clear nail polish
DIY solution: spray on clear polyurethane
Long term solution: professional clear coat
Most instances I've heard of people DIY painting these things don't last very long. The paint peels and chips away fairly quickly because the gel-coat is naturally smooth. Also, painting obscures the swirls of fibers that give the fiberglass its organic character.


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LuciferSum
(@lucifersum)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 1874
04/11/2008 7:54 pm  

Actually
Looking at your photos again I'd try the little bit of clear nailpolish before I did anything drastic or expensive.


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NULL NULL
(@nicholasoneillbarbergmail-com)
Trusted Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 70
19/05/2014 1:16 pm  

Go for the clear nail polish
I used it on orange, mustard, and blue shells. Test it on the bottom and don't go crazy.


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lowlightbw
(@lowlightbw)
Eminent Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 30
21/05/2014 6:52 pm  

penetrol
wetsand by hand and then a light coat of penetrol. Those scratches aren't too bad.


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