Firstly, what you need for the project;
1 - Cloth of choice
2 - Clear Resin (Tin with blue stripe, can be got at most marine shops as they do them for canoe repairs)
3 - Hardener (Tin with red stripe, sometimes comes as a kit with the resin, ask first cause it may not.)
4 - Piece your wrapping (obviously!)
5 - Paintbrushes, you'll need a lot cause after the resin sets theres no getting it off the brush, buy cheap ones, ones that are about half inch will be perfect.
6 - Mixing cup (for resin and hardener)
7 - Mixing stick
8 - Good quality scissors
9 - Sandpaper (I use 4 grades, 400, 800, 1200, and 1500 to finish)
10 - Some form of quick drying glue (I find bostik best as it doesnt stick you're fingers to the cloth)
11 - Modelling scalpels (2 types are best, one with a really thin blade for getting into the small awkward places when trimming the cloth.)
The mix for the resin is 5 parts resin to 2 parts hardener. The more hardener you use the quicker it sets, and when it starts to go to a jelly consistency you have very little time before it goes unusable.
So, the walkthrough;
Step 1 - Cut the cloth to an approximate shape of the piece, leave about an inch all round for trimming off later.
Step 2 - Fix the cloth to the piece, apply a small bit of resin to the large areas, but keep slightly back from the edges, makes it easier to stick these with glue later. Stay back about 3 to 5mm. Dab some bostik around the piece just to ensure the cloth gets stuck down initially. The cloth should be firmly fixed after a day or 2.
Step 3 - Cut any areas where there will be holes (for switches, etc.) in the cloth.
Step 4 - Stick down the cloth to the edges of the piece with bostik, make sure and get all the edges all the way around. Applys to the areas where switches are coming through too where you cut the holes in the cloth.
Step 5 - When the edges are stuck down, (should be pretty much immediately), apply a light coat of resin again to the cloth. All over this time, and over-run it over the edges by about 10mm. When this sets it makes it really easy to trim back the cloth to the very edges of the piece.
Step 6 - When this is dry, again about 2 days to be sure it's fully dry and hard, then you can trim back the cloth to the edges of the piece. Use the modelling scalpels for this.
Step 7 - Apply the resin to the piece. Use the 5:2 mix again, apply about 5 coats I would recommend. Dont worry if one coat appears to settle and leaves spaces that the resin didnt stick, the next coat will take care of this, just give a good eye over it to make sure all areas are evenly resined and when happy leave to dry. Check it the next day to make sure its setting properly, it should be pretty hard, but if you press on it you'll leave a fingerprint. To allow it to fully set and cure, leave it for a week at least.
Step 8 - Sand the piece down using the different grades of paper, the lowest grade first and the highest ot finish the piece. When happy with the sanding and that all areas appear blemish free, apply a UV resistant laquer as the resin will turn to a yellowey type colour if not protected.
So, thats it. All thats left is to refit the pieces, which will prob take a bit of adjusting for switches to fit and bits to fit neatly, but keep at it and get them all perfect.
Hope that helps anyone thinking of doing this.
