Technical > Interior

Centre Console Renovation - DIY

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nuclear_z:
DISCLAIMER
There are probably better ways to do this. Substances used in the creation of this console may harm you, cause you to get high, or most likely do both. Tools used in the creation can be used for body art, though most likely will strip your skin and leave you feeling pretty horrible. DONT USE GEAR YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO!

Ultimately, I succeeded in finishing the centre console, but there was always a chance that I wouldnt have. Do this at your own risk.

Tools Needed

cheap nasty paint brushes
Fiberglass resin, catalyst, mat
BOG, filler, whatever you want to call it
rags
prep-sol (wax and grease remover)
screw drivers
pliers
sand paper
Electric Sander
drill with various bit sizes
Dremel

You may be able to to the job without some of the above tools, such as a dremel, but it certainly makes life easier.


Process
 
1.
Remove the centre console from your car and strip it of everything, including the strip around the back of the console.

You should end up with something like this:




2.
Next thing to do is take up the Dremel :) (You could also get this done with sand paper and a drill if you dont have a dremel...) Drill the ends of the cracks to stop them from spreading any further. You then want to open up the crack a little bit so light comes through all the way and the edges of the crack are tapered. Also, rough the inside of the centre console up around the area of the crack to ensure that the fiberglass has a surface to bind to :)

This will allow the fiberglass when it occurs to will lock the crack closed. This photo is over a later stage but demonstrates why you want to open the crack up...



3.
Fiberglass... This stuff sticks to everything! Make sure you are wearing gloves and have everything of value out of your pockets... HINT: DONT PICK UP YOUR PHONE with resin on your gloves....

Prepsol the areas to be fiberglassed the cut up some mat into small peices to go on the inside and outside of the areas that are cracked.

Fiberglassing is pretty straighforward, the only advice is mix the catalyst in the right amount so the resin doesnt go off to quickly or not at all...





4.
Sanding back.

Once the fiberglass has set its time for sanding. Whilst you could do this by hand, I recommend using an electric sander. Make sure you sand lightly and keep a good eye on whats occuring because the fiberglass resin will be much harder then the surrounding plastic. I used a 60grit paper on a electric sander... If I was doing it by hand I would use made a 120grit.



Next, using a air gun if you have one, blow the whole console off and make sure that there are no dust deposits anywhere. Mix you bog up and smoothly put it on. NOTE: do not use bog once it starts going hard, you'll end up with lots of air pockets and it'll be a mess.

once its gone off, sand it back using 60grit (electric) or 120 grit (hand) until you get close to the bottom, then use a 240grit. Should end up looking like this.





Go over the rest of the console with 240grit paper to rough it up slightly.

5.
Filler Primer Painting :)

The critical thing with painting is making sure that the surface is imaculatly CLEAN! Firstly, blow the hole console off with an air gun, focusing on the areas where you have bogged up as this is where pin wholes will appear. Secondly, using a clean rag prep-sol the whole console, and then with another rag wipe excess prep-sol off...

I then used a clear plastic primer on the console... Once I had waited the requisit 4 hours, I then gave it another blow off, and without touching it sprayed a 3 coats of primer on.




BACK TO SANDING.
You want to use a 240grit sand paper and by hand block the centre console back... It doesnt matter at this stage if you rub through the primer as you will prime it again.



FINAL PRIME :)
Again, blow it off with an air gun and wipe it with prepsol using another rag to wipe excess off. Then you want to spray a fine coat of primer, then as many as you want to build up the orange peel (rough texture).

leave it for the required drying time then spray colour on.

xa1973:
 ;)


You forgot to mention the case of Corona under the tools needed section  :P

 ;D

zzzzed:
nice neat job
One problem that may come up down the track is the fiberglass may separate from the plastic with heat expansion because fiberglass is more brittle than plastic
In a few months i will be fixing my console with plastic welding i will also post up a thred for a different option
Nice workmanship though, i hope you don't take offence  ;)

nuclear_z:

--- Quote from: zzzzed on May 01, 2009, 03:37:07 PM ---nice neat job
One problem that may come up down the track is the fiberglass may separate from the plastic with heat expansion because fiberglass is more brittle than plastic
In a few months i will be fixing my console with plastic welding i will also post up a thred for a different option
Nice workmanship though, i hope you don't take offence  ;)

--- End quote ---

I was actually planning on plastic welding, but didn't have the welder and had glass. Hats why it's glasses inside and out. Plastic weldng would be so much better though.

Very interested in ideas of other people.

Thanks madz :)

nedloh312:
Another tip with the fiberglass is to make sure it doesn't touch your skin because it makes the area it touched itchy as **** and pretty much un-scratch able until it comes out naturally!

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