When In Mexico, Do The Truffel Shuffle...

Mexico can be a great place, only if you know the rules... You guessed it, this last week my family and I took a road trip with some friends across the border to the land of PEMEX gasoline and where everything seems to be "almost free for you, amigo!" Puerto Penasco (a.k.a. Rocky Point) has some great attractions as well as some that are no-so-great (and painful might I add).

I had been there before a few times (not Rocky Point, but near enough), however, my wife had never been. It was exciting for both of us and our little ones. It started out amazingly wonderful. A storm has just rolled through the weekend before and the air was cool and delightful. The beach, ohhhhhh the BEACH! It was delectable; such a lovely place to lounge around in my bathing suit and sun tan lotion all day long. We built a massive sand castle, of which I will happily take credit for the design and architecture (I cannot take credit for the killer drip castle trimmings done by the one and only KaseyMage). It took a few hours to finish it. But alas, it turned out great. The water filled it's mote properly then slowly the water ate it away, so did the kids...

Day 3, was quite the adventure, however. Up until this point one of the guys we were with kept telling us that he did all this reading about stingrays and to "shuffle your feet in the water" to scare the stingrays away. None of us believed him... Then the inevitable happened. I got stung by a stingray! Imagine someone taking a dull barbeque skewer and jamming it into your foot and leaving it there for a while. That's what a stingray feels like. I thought I was in big trouble since we weren't sure if the stinger was still in there or not. So, we headed down to the local Red Cross. It was great. They cleaned me up, gave me a shot of some pain killer, and sent me on my way for $30. I'd say that's one of the best medical deals I've had in a long time. That's right...NO DEDUCTABLE, NO QUESTIONS. haha. They told me to put it in the hottest water I can stand and then take pain killers every eight hours. And as I walked out the nurse said, don't forget to "shuffle your feet in the water". Haha. We were all shuffling our feet in the water...

I really thought this part of the trip was great. It's not very often you get in a tight pince in a country you're unfamilar with. So the rest of the trip was smooth. We all had a seriously good time the rest of the week. So if you have that urge to cross the boarder and take a dip in the salty seas of Puerto Penasco don't forget to do the Truffel Shuffle.

Tub and General Fiberglass Repair - HowTo

This is a great article for those who are needing tub or other fiberglass repair. I'm sure at some point in my life, I'll be performing this...

How to Repair a Fiberglass Tub or Shower

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Fiberglass showers and bathtubs are durable, easily maintained, and attractive fixtures, but they may still be accidentally damaged. Fortunately for homeowners, there are inexpensive kits available that can be used to make repairs if this happens.

Steps

1. Purchase a suitable kit for your shower (or bath tub). You should make sure your shower or bath tub is fiberglass before going shopping, as these instructions will not give good results on cast iron or other types of fixtures.
   
   • Make sure your shower is fiberglass by tapping it with your knuckle or a wooden spoon or similar item which will not damage the finish. A fiberglass unit will have a soft, hollow, non-metallic sound, and depending on where you tap it, may even seem flexible.
     
   • Choose the appropriate color for the kit you will purchase. Most kits come with colorants (tinting products) to change the color of the product to match common colored fixtures, such as white, off white, or almond.
     
   • Make sure the kit you buy comes complete with everything you need, or purchase these materials and tools seperately. The following is a list of what your kit may contain:
     
     • Polyesther resin
       
     • Hardener (catalyst to harden the resin)
       
     • Fiberglass mesh or mat (for large or structural repairs)
       
     • Colorants
       
     • Sandpaper in assorted grits, from 80 grit (coarse) to 400 or 440 grit (very fine)
       
     • Thickener (to stiffen the resin for vertical applications)
       
     • Protective gloves resistant to the chemicals included in the kit
       
     • A mixing container and stirring tool
       
     
     
   
   
2. Clean the area to be repaired. Cut any jagged or protruding glass fibers around the damaged area, sand it lightly with a medium grit sandpaper to remove wax, oil, soap scum, or other surface contaminants, and rinse with acetone or another solvent to assure proper adhesion of the repair product.
   
3. Determine if the damaged area will require fiberglass cloth reinforcing. If it does not, skip to the step describing mixing and tinting instructions. If the crack is over one fourth of an inch (1/2 cm) wide, or is actually an open hole that the resin mixture will not fill alone, cut a piece of fiberglass mesh or cloth slightly larger than the hole. For large holes or cracks, more than one layer of cloth may be needed to get good results.
   
4. Read the mixing and tinting instructions of the product you have purchased. Since individual products may vary, and measuring the materials you mix is essential, make sure you understand these instructions before proceeding.
   
5. Place a protective material like cardboard or heavy construction paper on the surface you will mix the material on. Place the container you will mix in (usually supplied in the kit you purchased) on this surface.
   
6. Measure the amount of polyesther resin into the mixing container you think you will need for your repair. Most kits have mixing proportions for fractional portions of the resin provided, such as 1/4th of the volume, 1/2, etc., mixed with an equal proportion of hardener.
   
7. Add the colorant from the correct tube that came with the kit. An example would be for almond, mix 5 parts white with 1 part brown, to 20 parts of resin. For basic white, use the white colorant added until the resin is thoroughly opaque. Mix these components thoroughly, and check the color against the fixture you are repairing before adding the hardener.
   
8. Mix thickening material into the resin/colorant mixture until it is a desired consistency for your patch. Vertical surfaces need to be very stiff so the product does not sag, drip, or run. For horizontal repairs the material can be thinner, but it still should be stiff enough that it can be tooled smooth with the applicator.
   
9. Add the hardener according to the kit's instructions. If you cannot find a workable proportion, you may have to make an educated guess as to how much you will need. Generally speaking, too much hardener will only accelerate the process, allowing less working time, and too little will delay the setting time. If you fail to add enough hardener to set the resin, however, it will remain tacky indefinitely. For a ball-park estimate, add 5 drops of hardener to each tablespoon of resin/colorant mixture.
   
10. Mix the repair material thoroughly. The longer you stir the material, the better the results will be, making sure that all of edges and corners are incorporated so that it hardens equally. Remember, though, that once you add the hardener, the reaction that solidifies the resin will begin, so you can only expect 10 to 15 minutes total working time before the resin becomes unusable.
    
11. Using a flat tool like a putty knife or wooden tongue depressor, scoop out some of the mixture and apply it to the damaged area. If you are using fiberglass cloth for your repair, place the piece you have cut over the damage, and press it into the resin repair mixture. Make sure you spread it evenly, and to a level slightly higher than the original surface so it can be sanded down and feathered smooth when you finish. Once the repair material is applied, allow it to harden, typically about 2 hours at room temperature.
    
12. Sand the patch carefully, trying not to scuff the adjacent areas. If you used fiberglass cloth, you may need to trim any fibers that are protruding with a sharp utility knife before sanding. Begin with a fairly coarse grit of sand paper, depending on how much of the patch has to be removed to make it flush with the original surface. Work your way from a coarse or medium grit to a fine, then very fine grit sandpaper, until the repair is smooth. If you need to build up the repair further, mix another application and apply it to the damaged area, then repeat the sanding.
    
13. Mix another batch of resin and colorant to overlay the first patch, without the thickening agent. You can apply this with a small artist's paintbrush, or if it is a small chip or ding, even a cotton swab will do. Smooth this application as much as possible, allow it to harden, then sand it with very fine sandpaper.
    
14. Buff the finished repair with the buffing compound provided in the kit to restore the gloss finish so it matches the original.
    
15. Clean up the area, and admire your handiwork.
    

Tips

• Large cracks or holes will require using fiberglass reinforcing mesh or cloth, which will usually come with the kit you purchase. This may make the repair a little more difficult, and you may even want to seek help from someone who has experience using it.
  
• For large holes in the floor of a tub or shower unit, use an expanding foam product to fill the cavity below the floor. This will help support the floor, preventing future cracks. Use the product according to the directions on the can, and trim or sand off any excess foam that is protruding about the finished surface.
  
• A power rotary tool equipped with a buffing pad will save a lot of time and effort when buffing out the finished repair.
  
• Polyesther resin products are temperature sensitive, so providing a heat source will accelerate the hardening. On the other hand, if you are concerned about having time to complete the repair before the resin solidifies, you can cool it before mixing to extend its working life.
  
• Use disposable tools and mixing containers if possible. Cleaning polyesther resin requires a strong solvent like acetone, and must be done immediately after use, so usually it is not practical to do so.
  
• For very large repairs, a power sander may make the process much easier.
  

Warnings

• Use rubber or plastic gloves (usually provided with the kit) when using cleaning solvents and mixing the polyesther resin.
  
• Make sure you have plenty of ventilation while doing this repair.
  
• Acetone or other solvents are highly combustible, so be sure there are no ignition sources like water heater pilot lights in the immediate area prior to beginning the repair.
  
• Avoid using styrofoam cups or containers for mixing your materials. Acetone and related solvents will dissolve styrofoam and spill the solvents or resins onto your bathroom fixtures and floor.
  

Things You'll Need

• Fiberglass tub/shower repair kit described above
  
• Cleaning solvent, such as acetone
  
• Rubber or plastic gloves
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Fiberglass Something
  
• How to Remove Sticky Residue from Non Slip Items in Bathtub
  
• How to Clean the Non Skid Strip in the Bathtub
  
• How to Troubleshoot Plumbing Problems
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Repair a Fiberglass Tub or Shower. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

a minor technicality

I have, for one reson or another, been able to come to an agreement with myself about blogging. It's my journal of technical information, and since in a blog, yours too. I hope you enjoy thus ramblings.