cutting the exhaust hole

[dombanks]

Can you get any trim that can go around the the edges of the hole you cut for the exhaust?

Ive had a go at cutting the glass fibre and i'm rubbish at it. i masked the area i wanted to cust with 2 layers of tape and i still get a really naff cut. Im useless at using one of those dremel things in a straight line and my jigsaw thing just rips the stuff.

Any ideas before i try to cut a hole in my tub and regret it?

[It Almost Looks Like A Car]

You could try Halfords or other motor supply type place, they sometimes have one that go round the base of gear stick gators.....

Or cut it really slowly, when I cut mine I started by drilling a hole with a blunt drill bit in reverse, then used a bluntish hand held hacksaw really slowly, then used wet and dry sandpaper to smooth it all off. I then, just to tidy it up a bit, I used a black marker pen to colour in the newly cut bit!!!

Good luck!

[StuartMackay]

Dom, buy a diamond cutting wheel for your dremel and get hold of some permagrit files/sanding blocks.

Several layers of masking tape will give you a good straight edge to cut to with the diamond wheel and finish off with the permagrit files.

[Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO]

If your useless with power tools (your words not mine)    why use them, leave em in the box and use hand tools instead, It's much easier, hacksaws, files, sandpaper and a bit of T cut should be all you need  

Edited to correct confusing choice of words    

[dombanks]

thanks guys. all the other bits i've done have been ok and neat but as they are behind bits or no in obvious view it wasnt too bad if it was perfect, just the hole for the exhust is really visible and i know its the kind of thing im not good at and i dont want it to look like a botch job.

i'd prety much decided toleave the the power tools alone and use a hand saw that way i can go really slowly.

ive had a practice on a bit of glass fiber i got from work and cutting a striaght edge with the dremmel thing i borrowed was impossible. well i guess ots just a case of doing it and stop worrying, ill let you all know how i get on.

[Guest]

what blade do you have in your jigsaw?

if its a course cut wood blade it will rip the glass

pop to b& q and get a finer blade and try and make sure the area your cutting flexes as little as possible,

[KerryS]

After covering the area in masking tape and marking out the aperture, I uses a 50mm diameter hole saw in the battery drill to drill out 4 holes that formed the corner radii. Then used a padsaw to join up the 4 straight cuts needed to remove the piece that now resmbles a Maltese cross. I then cleaed up all edges with a file then finally wet n'dry wrapped round an inch square wood off-cut for the straight sides and a finger for the curved bits.

Otherwise, there are chromed rings with straight sides err...contradiction there   from Europa at Tutbury

[Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO]

And for the curved corners of the hole, dont use your finger, cut a bit off the wifes sweeping brush handle, wrap it in sandpaper and away you go, just dont let her catch you

[pistonbroke]

Dont use a jig saw you risk at least scratching or even cracking the surrounding gel coat .

GRP cuts like butter with a fine tooth hacksaw blade .

If you wrap some masking tape around the top 1/3 of the blade it works like a handle and stops tou soiling yer pretty little mits .

File and / or sandpaper to smooth any rough edges .

[dombanks]

thanks again. it would have been a fine tooth "plastic/metal" blade in the jigsw. ive prety much decidd not to use the jigsaw anyway as it not that good and morelikely to go wrong. holes and fine toothed blade sond the best way.

if anyone is near runcorn and wants to earn a crate of stella then your more than welcome to come an do it lol

[pistonbroke]

The problem with runcorn is it takes two days to find your way in and three days to find your way out  

[Boomy]

Not a great pic, but I simply added a gear stick surround to my exhaust hole and bolted it on  I was going to paint it black to match the vents I added just above it, but never got round to it.