I'm wondering about working with body filler, bondo. I have never used the stuff. Whats the best material and how do I use it? Any help would be great..... I'm looking to fill small trim holes in a body I'm working on.
Weld the holes shut dont fill them with bondo please... moisture will get behind the filler and then you will have big rust problems and your filler/paint will come of in big chunks haha.
you'll want to weld the holes up, you dont want to fill them with bondo. After you have them welded up put on the bondo, put on as much as you need try not to put to much on, after it hardens up use a sanding block with 36 grit sand paper to get it close to being smooth, then use 80 grit sandpaper to smooth it all out. After the bondo you'll want to use glazing putty, and put a thin coat of that over your bondo and after it dries sand it down with 125. I'm no expert but i am sure a pro will jump in and correct anything im wrong about.
Also, you can buy a better product than the "Bondo" brand.Don't buy bondo at WalMart or Autozone,Go to an automotive paint/supplies store and get the good stuff.
Don't use the "Bondo" brand (with a mustang on the lable) filler, instead buy some from a company called evercoat. It must be applied to bare metal that has been scratched up with a grinder. It can be cheese-grated own to shape when its halfway hardend or gone over with a grinder/da sander when its cured , but it must be block sanded by hand to make it straight.
There is a product called all-metal, kinda like a filler. If you don't have a welder/ know how to weld, this would be a great starter project. Just practice on some s**** first.
If you are filling trim holes, weld them first. Don't just use Wally World bondo to fill holes. I use Metal to Metal by evercoat, sand w/ 80 then fill with quality filler like Z-grip or Rage Gold. final sand to 180 then prime with a 2k primer.
Captain Freedom X2- Evercoat is the best catalyzed filler out there, IMO. But steel, welding rod or lead are always better!
I prefer USC fillers. One called Clear Coat is pretty easy to use, and has good results. I do agree with most of the replies on this post, filling the holes with weld is the first right step. Or replacing the bad panel or part with newer steel. Flap discs do a great job on leveling out the welds. I have just tried the metal filler for the first time. Seems to work easier than I expected but does load up the sandpaper a bit. Otherwise its good too. I prefer to apply polyester primers over this bodywork as the next step in protection and fills any small level issues and pinholes etc. I have used Slick Sand, but it really requires a 2.3 needle gun to shoot it proper. Its hard to sand, although I did 320 it. I am trying Upol this time around. I havent had any success with the puttys, although I do prefer Nicstan. Like anything, you can only learn by doing. Consider coating the panel for better blend in. Dont glob it on (like a inch thick) its better to build up the surface than try to make the surface. 2cents
Never fill holes with Bondo ,Weld holes up first .Use bondo or whatever brand your gonna use .Just as guide coats for getting straight ,Follow the directions on the can ,Also This stuff gets hard as a rock ,So If you apply every coat as a finish coat as in spackling you will be fine ,Sand inbetween coats with a block .It is an art and become one with the shape and rolls of the panel ....Thats all the advice I can give you ,Plus one more hint of advice ,After you weld the holes up ,Go to a paint supplier and look for this filler called Half Time .Its good only up to an eighth but sands easy .....
I wouldnt put body filler over weld anyways. I use Rage short haired fiber gl*** so if u have pin hole in ur welds the fiber gl*** is water proof and then sand it down and skim it with body filler or icing but before u put the short haired fiber gl*** u should hit the metal with some 36 grit paper to put some scratches in the metal so the fibergl*** sticks
Bottom line do not have any pin holes. Holes, pinholes, trim holes, will surface. Use of light behind weld will show any holes. Use quality filler, everybody has their pref. What will be yours? Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Please weld up all the holes you can and grind them down . ONLY use body filler as a very thin skim coat to fill in all the ting little holes you can't see ! Take your time and don't over heat the sheet metal . It will warp from too much welding heat . RetroJim
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