Does anybody *actually* use adhesives instead of welding for rust/body repair?

I've watched a bunch of videos on bodywork, and most of them have a section where they do a patch with adhesive instead of welding.

I've always heard the 'new' adhesives work really well and are effective, but the prep work was interminable!

In this video the guy cut the patch, cut the panel to match the patch, flanged the panel, drilled holes and used fasteners to hold the new metal in place, put in the goop, smoothed it, put in more, on and on.

Does anybody actually use this method on your vintage car? What's the advantage?

 

I almost tried it once but decided to just weld instead, I would be interested in see the results first hand though

 

Ive seen an attempt at it. It was all good for about a month, then it had to be redone. I won that bet.

 

I welded a patch in a 50 yr old fender today...the thought of using bubble gum instead never even crossed my mind.

 

On my first project vehicle (78 Bronco) I used some of that epoxy ****...worked just fine, but I only had the truck for 2 yrs after

 

on BMW's yes, on hot rods, no.

 

seems sacreligious on a hot rod to me.

 

I couldn't imagine using adhesives for a sheet metal repair, what would I do with my welders?

 

ive seen arches bonded on modern cars when fitting a new quarter

wouldnt consider it for a serious repair on a rust patch

 

Yes ............I have used the 3M metal bonding adhesive since it first came on the market. Its not for every application. A place not to use it is where a patch panel overlaps the original panel. Good possibility on a hot day you will see the seam line. The adhesive and steel expand and contract at a different rate.

Advantages are many.........no burning of metal between panels, never any rust in the bond area, water tight seam, no grinding, forever bonded togather.


The prep time and hold in place figuring makes the bonding method take about the same time as welding. I have never seen the adhesive fail. I have seen many welded panels rust to pieces after time here in our harsh michigan climate. Steve

 

The benefit of panel bonder is mostly for late models, trying to weld a paper-thin replacement quarter onto a Kia is going to be tough, but gluing it on guarantees that it won't be warped, also if you had to pull a ton of plastic, wiring, and insulation out of a car before welding, it would take a lot more time, and time is the enemy in a production repair shop.

Personally though, I can't think of a single reason it would be used on an old car.

 

Exactly. It was designed for modern production body repair. Not a "skill" for hot rodding, IMO.

 

I do collision work for a living and we use panel bonding adhesives everyday.

They work great and I bet there are alot of uses for them on old cars.

 

as said. it has applications on some newer cars, mostly alumminum, and is reccomended by bmw and mercedes for some applications, and is required instead of welding in some panel replacement.

as for older steel cars., i was given duramix and some other adheasives to test a few years back. we used them on such things as patch panels and tail gate handle fillers and such.

while they seemed to stick well, you could always detect the repair later, even when forced cured, hence we no longer use it.

id would always reccomend that you weld in a panel unless you are certified m/b tech replacing a rail where it is spec'd to use glue



skull

 

we find uses for it in the shop, but not on body work. On one car where a customer had done his own body and paint, he bonded a patch into the back wall of his cab. It was about a 6 inch square, and any time the temp changed in the shop you could see it in a different way. As has been said, it works great for bonding two separate panels together, but for a patch it can cause other problems.

 

My take on it is that they are generally used on a car that is only expected to last ten years or so, not several decades.

 

I watched friend glue and install a complete rear quarter panel in a 70 GTO convertible. That was three years ago and it still looks like the day he painted it. Did I mention it was black? Car is running lots of HP with a LS2 installed.

 

There are all kinds of applications for the adhesives in hot rods and restoration. However it is NOT for lapped seams on exterior body panels. It's for the inner flanges. That goes for modern repair as well as our old cars. Any modern body shop that's not using it along with resistance welder (weld bonding) is behind the times. Plug welding on a KIA 1/4 works, but it ****s compared to using the technology available.

The two part adhesives and related seam sealers and foams are light years ahead of what we had 20 years ago. I use these products on every thing I work on. My restorations will far out live me.

 

I used 3M glue to fix under floor reinforcements to the new floor. Works a hell of a lot better than trying to weld upside down. Never been an issue

 

I've never used it, but I think there are lots of applications where it would be better than welding. The heat of welding causes more rust problems, and panel warping.
I've got a friend who used to own a body shop. He builds high end non HAMB friendly customs now that have been seen in all the major magazines. This guy is good and can do it all to perfection. When he was building a custom Cadillac a few years ago instead of welding the hood halves together, he used adhesive to eliminate any chance of warping the hood. If he did it, it must have a place.

 

Do you mean duct tape?

 

HaHa..

You might have to DUCK after that comment

.

 

are you refering to JB weld or similar ? you are not specific on what you need . duct tape (200mph) dies with age & heat . ................... steve

 

The panel adheasive works very well.

 

Looks like 3M offers a few metal bonding adhesives:Automix Door Skin Bonding Adhesive, Automix Panel Bonding Adhesive: outer body panels only-steel/aluminum, others. Do not know cost, if not super expensive may work in some situations.

 

I saw the same show on the Speed channel about a year ago . They did that on a pickup with a cab corner . I agree with most that it would work very well on the newer cars that have the plastic panels and cheap thin tin . Can't see a welder working on that thin **** . Just seems like a cheap method for someone in their driveway to fix something that doesn't have a welder .
I will stick with a tried & true method , weld it if you want it to last !

RetroJim

 

I shaved the door handles on a late model truck and tried glueing the patches in....after paint and sitting in the sun you could see the outline of the patch panels....I wetsanded them and buffed and they went away for a week or two. I'm not sold ...and would probably never do it again...new or old car.

 

Yes I actually use the 3M product line on many of my builds and customers cars. Used it to replace a firewall on my 56 F100 and to install a couple of recessed wheel tubs in the bed. Also use the heavy body seam sealer from 3M, super strong and flexible...sets up in 45 minutes. Cost is prohibitive unless you find a deal on it on ebay. Retail pricing is around $45 but it can be found for closer to $20 if you look for it. Only the people who haven't used it or used it incorrectly will badmouth it...

 

Fuzor makes some great bonding adhesives, and has one for every application. I use them at work semi-frequently(I prefer welding, but I'm not the boss). They've worked great for every application I've used them for. I wouldn't recomend them for laps on exterior body panels, but for everything else, they work great and I've never had any problems with them. For stuff like bonding fibergl*** to steel or aluminum to steel it's hard to beat. I even saved my stripped/cracked die grinder with some Fuzor glue

 

I used to teach metal bonding for Fusor and SEM.
If done properly it will withstand anything you throw at it.
Lapped seams are easy if you do it right. Sail panels are easiest.
Read the instructions and go to a clinic at your local paint jobber.