a little body work,,

jeffw · Post by **jeffw** » March 19, 2008, 6:06 pm

well spent some quality time with the uni last night, sanding, bondo-ing,
really going for the smooth truck look,, it's coming along nice and I would've posted some pics and I will but the camera is loaned out right now,, how do you fellas feel about bondo??? Pros,,Cons,,, it seems to agree with my budget and is really easy to use. turns out I have some extra stuff from the chop shop,, side emblems, ford letters, cab lights, still debating on the hood emblem though,, soon as the camera comes home I'll post pics for yous guys,,cool??

Xcessive · Post by **Xcessive** » March 19, 2008, 6:47 pm

nothing wrong with bondo... some of us dont have the money to do full panel replacements so why not use bondo? Another thing that I'm fond of for smaller dings/ filling in body seams and all that jazz is lead fill. My grandpa taught me how to do it when I was 12 or 13... It's a dieing skill though. most ppl just use spot putty/bondo or similiar products

grump · Post by **grump** » March 19, 2008, 7:37 pm

There's nothing wrong with 'Bondo' if it's used right. If you're filling a very deep dent that you can't get to so you can work it out be sure to use a fiberglass strand reinforced filler as a base for your bondo. They have some really good quality bondo out now. I've been using some called RAGE. It sticks like glue, goes on smooth, and sands really nice. I wouldn't try fixing rust with bondo like I've seen done. It's too much work for such a temperary fix.

ripsnorter · Post by **ripsnorter** » March 19, 2008, 8:51 pm

theres nothing wrong with bondo provided its done properly.

Never fill anything deeper than 1/8" with bondo. If its deeper than that beat it out with a hammer, shrink it etc.. Provided you stick with that simple rule you'll be fine.

And yes, NEVER bondo over rust.

MadMaxetc · Post by **MadMaxetc** » March 19, 2008, 8:53 pm

grump wrote:There's nothing wrong with 'Bondo' if it's used right. If you're filling a very deep dent that you can't get to so you can work it out be sure to use a fiberglass strand reinforced filler as a base for your bondo. They have some really good quality bondo out now. I've been using some called RAGE. It sticks like glue, goes on smooth, and sands really nice. I wouldn't try fixing rust with bondo like I've seen done. It's too much work for such a temperary fix.

So true. Bondo or Filler is ment to smooth out a surface, not repair it.

Use it right and it's good.

Z-MAN · Post by **Z-MAN** » March 19, 2008, 10:42 pm

I play with lead and like it, but I screwed up a lot before halfway getting it down and I am still not a pro. I used a product called All-Metal and it is a filler with metal shavings in it. I like that too, but some people hate it, because it has to be mixed perfect or it won't set. All in all I think fillers have come so far now, that if mixed correctly I think they work.

Z

blackagatha · Post by **blackagatha** » March 25, 2008, 6:37 pm

I smeared bondo all over Aggie a few years ago. I was pretty much disappointed at the porous bubbly appearance after you squirt some primer over it. You look close and you can see a texture variance on every spot I used it. And it's soft. If you hit something that would ordinarily make a tiny paint chip on steel, it takes out a gouge.

I wanna try that RAGE GOLD stuff... A guy at the parts shop told me about it, but I dont think It was available in Tucson. maybe I didnt look hard enough...

mikecarson · Post by **mikecarson** » March 26, 2008, 6:59 am

I like AllMetal, but it's hard to sand.

crewzinforabrewzin · Post by **crewzinforabrewzin** » March 28, 2008, 1:19 am

blackagatha wrote:I smeared bondo all over Aggie a few years ago. I was pretty much disappointed at the porous bubbly appearance after you squirt some primer over it. You look close and you can see a texture variance on every spot I used it. And it's soft. If you hit something that would ordinarily make a tiny paint chip on steel, it takes out a gouge.
.

helps to go back over your bondo after you get it close or to your final sanding with just a light coat of bondo.
a soft flexiable putty knife works best i think,(i like plastic) basicly pressing the filler in to the pinholes leaving as little filler on the surface as possiable to keep the sanding down, dont go back in sandpaper grits.
only leave as much excess bondo as you can sand off with your final grit.
might even try wiping excess off witha rag and laquer thinner while the filler is still workable and not yet starting to set.
make sure to get all the sanding dust outa the pin holes first. shop-vac is gonna be more paint freindly then compressed air be carefull with the air if its got any oil or grime it you may contaminate it causing problems with paint
it may take a couple coats but after you do it a few times you should get the feel for it and know just how to do it with out having to do a bunch more sanding

shawns fords · Post by **shawns fords** » March 28, 2008, 9:03 am

I have always liked bondo for filling small dents. Even the replacement panels I have bought in the past come "pre-dented"

I am doing my front drivers fender right now. at first I sanded it down as much as needed, then pound out the larger dents. you want to get them as close to original shape as possible before filling. and always makse sure the surface to be filled is sanded with a course grit and clean before filling. bonodo will not hold on a fine smooth finish metal. It needs something to adhere too. I cant wait to see your pics. I havent taken any of what I am doing yet, but will try to remember too tonight. This truck has a ding in every square inch of it lol it must have been an old work truck for many many years

ripsnorter · Post by **ripsnorter** » March 28, 2008, 10:44 am

Again, and I can't stress this enough: Never fill anything deeper than 1/8" with bondo. If you do, youre turning into one of those Bondo people that people hate when they buy a car. "look at this guy! he filled this whole fender with bondo!!"

Bondo is meant only to smooth and fill imperfections, not as a dent filler.

Also, Bondo must be sealed before you can paint over it. Take it down to about 180 or so, prime it, sand that down to 220, then go over any imperfections and pinholes with spot putty. Then prime again and sand the primer down to 320 or even 400 (but definately no finer) before you paint.

GDG · Post by **GDG** » March 28, 2008, 5:07 pm

Smoothing small dents..............I guess I won't ask about sculpting a Bondo bedliner. Anyone want to buy five gallons??
Doug

crewzinforabrewzin · Post by **crewzinforabrewzin** » March 29, 2008, 12:14 am

when i was in high school my buddies parents bought him a pretty nice 81 f150 4x4. i hated that truck the moment i saw it. i was a c***y guy then & had to scrimp and save to buy my dads chevy which had seen its better days. my friend was an only child and pretty much spoiled. he had the truck for about a week and was always braggin bout how great it was, showing off one day at luch his new stereo and three 12" subs. those subs they were worth braggin about they realy thumped. thumped so hard about a 2'x2' chunk of his door fell off. made my day lookin at the broken chunks of bodo 3" thick laying in the parking lot

MadMaxetc · Post by **MadMaxetc** » March 29, 2008, 12:18 am

crewzinforabrewzin wrote:when i was in high school my buddies parents bought him a pretty nice 81 f150 4x4. i hated that truck the moment i saw it. i was a c***y guy then & had to scrimp and save to buy my dads chevy which had seen its better days. my friend was an only child and pretty much spoiled. he had the truck for about a week and was always braggin bout how great it was, showing off one day at luch his new stereo and three 12" subs. those subs they were worth braggin about they realy thumped. thumped so hard about a 2'x2' chunk of his door fell off. made my day lookin at the broken chunks of bodo 3" thick laying in the parking lot

that is funny! Some peoples kids

Phil · Post by **Phil** » March 29, 2008, 1:14 am

Its funny but my 68 has been in storage since 85. Any repairs done to it looked really old. I knew it had filler in the door.
Didn't know the rt rear quarter was 5/8" thick in large areas.
It held up really well.

I am reading a LOT of bodywork books and hanging out on Autobody101.com

Also I found out the car is laquer paint. I was told it ALL has to come off

Don't know if I posted these or not:
The white stuff is POR's Metal Ready

Some rust, just for fun

this just bums me out

and what idiot hacks up a good hood like this?

door

Gonna get started on the bottom soon

DEREKBB64 · Post by **DEREKBB64** » March 29, 2008, 1:28 am

blackagatha wrote:I smeared bondo all over Aggie a few years ago. I was pretty much disappointed at the porous bubbly appearance after you squirt some primer over it. You look close and you can see a texture variance on every spot I used it. And it's soft. If you hit something that would ordinarily make a tiny paint chip on steel, it takes out a gouge.

I wanna try that RAGE GOLD stuff... A guy at the parts shop told me about it, but I dont think It was available in Tucson. maybe I didnt look hard enough...

Rage Gold is awsome stuff very easy to work with and sands like a dream.The porus bubbly look can easily be repaired with a very thin coat of polyester putty.It is a two part mix and very thin smooth putty that sets up real fast so work a small area at a time

crewzinforabrewzin · Post by **crewzinforabrewzin** » March 29, 2008, 11:39 am

HEAVYHAULER thanks you made my day. my future body and prep work dont seem so bad. i was an industrial painter for about 5 years. 95% of the paint i sprayed was automotive. though i never acually painted a car (rattle canned my truck in high school) i sprayed more paint in one work week then most body guys spray in a year, 80-100 gallons during a good week. when the time comes to pull the trigger on my slick im not to worried. all that painting and the only prep work i ever did was wiping down with thinner and masking& taping. i wish i could find someone to do my body work, im afraid to do it i want it done rite

ripsnorter · Post by **ripsnorter** » March 29, 2008, 12:12 pm

Prep work is by far the biggest and most important part of painting. The prep work may take you a week, and the actual squirting only takes you a few hours.

One thing that a lot of people forget or dont realize, is paint hides nothing. Paint actually shows everything.

That small little crease that you've smoothed out and is still a tiny bit wavy? That one that you figure "ah well I can only see it because I've got bondo smeared on that part and its standing out. Once its painted I wont be able to tell its there."

Wrong. Paint is like a magnifying glass. Every little flaw shows up like a smacked thumb once its painted. And the nicer the paint job the more it stands out.

Spend your time and money on the prep work. Even when you think you could never possibly find anything else wrong, go over it some more. By the end of it the entire body should be in one smooth coat of primer wet sanded down to 400 grit, not a single unprimered spot showing. It should be clean, all dust blown out of all corners, wiped down with a wax rag to pick up lint (gently so as not to get any of the wax actually on the car) and the entire area around the car clean as well. If you can take an air nozzle and blow it near the car and kick up dust, guess what that paint gun is going to do as well.

One quick and easy way to check if the car is ready for paint is once its finished with the body work and primered and wet sanded, wet the body down a little. Just enough to give the primer a sheen. Now sight down the body and see if you can spot any imperfections. The smooth and shiny primer should give a similiar appearence to what it will look like in paint.