#4923133
Hello all. I've had my pack under repairs as the "builder" who made it was less then an ace (see feedback index) and while the local prop fellow I hired did a great job repairing a lot of it and fixing some issues there are some things he couldn't fix mostly because he didn't build it and didn't want to damage it because he didn't know how some things were done. Long story short there is a gap at the top of my pack between the shell and the motherboard. It's only present on the right hand (thrower) side and middle. The left sideis good but from the middle of the pack to the right side there's a small gap(I think if the allan screw was higher on the right side it would be fine but because it's mounted lower on that side the gap exists) I've had people suggest gently bending the motherboard with a vice on that side and some say use a clamp and secure the shell to the board and heat both with a hair dryer on hot for 10 min and leave to cool overnight. Shell and motherboard are from Ben of Kent. Has anyone else run into this and done these types of fixes or suggest something else?

-Thanks
User avatar
By RedSpecial
#4923139
Some gap between the shell and the motherboard is normal, the original packs had gaps too.

But the best way to address it is to lay the shell on a flat surface.
Take note of the points where the shell touches the surface and sand them down a little bit at a time until the gap is reduced to a point you're happy with.

I wouldn't recommend heating a straight polyurethane resin shell, any uneven heat can cause hot spots and either warp the resin, weaken it or cause it to crack during cooling.
#4923180
Thanks, sadly the shell and the entire pack was repainted some time ago to repair the issues it had when it was made so sanding isn't something I'm looking to do too much on it. It's a Ben of Kent shell so I'm not even entirely sure if it's resin or fiberglass.
User avatar
By RedSpecial
#4923185
If its a Ben of Kent shell it'll be slush cast resin as he doesn't use fiberglass layup in his shell castings.

How big is the gap?
If it's fairly minimal, 1/8 inch or less it might not be worth the risk of trying to adjust it at all if you can live with it.

Sanding the shell at the edge is the only real fix with minimum impact.
As long as you keep to the edge itself and stay away from the face of the shell, there shouldn't be any damage to your finish.

An alternative would be to fill the gap but that would be far more destructive to the finish.

Or use dense self adhesive foam sheet, stuck to the motherboard to just bridge the gap.

If you don't want to do any of that you could try reshaping the mobo or heating and clamping as has been suggested but I wouldn't risk it unless you just can't live with it the way that it is.

Oustide of the possible issues I mentioned before, getting the resin up to a temperature where it would be slightly pliable would definately damage the finish.
The longer resin goes after its initial cure, the less it can be reworked.
Once its been fully cured for a while its pretty much locked into its cured shape.

Heating it doesn't always guarantee it'll be able to be reshaped,and even if you do manage to and it doesn't weaken it, it could then cause issues elsewhere that you'd have to chase.


#4923334
Thanks for the advice. There's another local GB here who has a Ben of Kent shell with a similar gap so we may get together and use a heat gun but the foam sheet also is an interesting way of doing it, I really would have liked to add another bracket but don't wanna drill another hole in the motherboard either.

For the foam sheet are there any images of that?
User avatar
By Lowberg
#4923451
Hi, This is how I've fixed this problem in the past.
I've found that it's easier to fill in the small problem area than to sand the entire shell flush.
This all depends how how bad it is of course, post a picture if you can!

Image



And just remember if you're worried about drilling an extra hole or having a little bit of a gap don't worry!
They didn't worry on the real ones :)
Image
twmedford23 liked this
#4923508
Thanks. I have pics but apart from FB I can't post them, I don't have a host site or anything, if you have an e-mail or a FB I can send via that way. I had the pack repaired and repainted recently so I really would prefer not to repaint anything I think I may just have to find someone to place a bracket or bolt at the top and keep it tight that way.

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