Dont throw anything at me this is my first go at it. I went a little shallow on a couple of spots but not by much. Can I slap a little more over that and then sand it again? Man I feel stupid about body work but I've got to learn sometime. I bought a hammer and dolly set so I'm going to give that a try as well. Thanks for any advice. Skullz
Yes you can. Its standard practice when using filler to add many layers, rather than trying to pile it all on at once. Work with your hammer and dolly to reduce the amount of filler you will need. Aim to keep the bondo less than a 1/4 (preferably 1/8) inch. But yea, slow, methodical bodywork is good bodywork... You'll do just fine. Also, long boards and diagonal sanding strokes on the work surface will ensure a flat panel in the end. And make your hammer and dolly your best friend.
If you have a thick dent.Quarter inch ; put a coat of bondo down then slap a coat of tiger hair down .Finish with more layers of bondo. Longboards are the best. Just like spackling a house .Layers and sand.For big flat panels you can use spackling knives.I like using these for obvious reasons .More area and less pinholes. Just a little information hope this helps.John Also buy lots of laquer thinner Keep your tools clean .
There are also different grades of body filler, some are for overall work and others are more of a spot putty that's lighter and sands easier but is only for small, shallow areas. If I mud and block out a large area and I have a few minor low spots, I like to fill those with the lighter stuff, since it's easier to sand without taking too much off of surrounding areas. Personally, I would never suggest putting tiger hair over bondo. Tiger hair, if you're going to use it, needs to be directly on the base metal. Tiger hair is best used only where you need to build up a 1/4 or more. Like, for example, if you had to melt the lead out of a factory seam, and now you want to level it back out without using lead. Tiger hair would be a good choice there, better than filling it with bondo.
Most people bail out of body, paint and electrical work. Its so cool to see someone trying to accomplish a new skill. Its not easy but there is a ton of how to info on the net. Keep reading and keep trying. Expect to make mistakes, you learn from mistakes. I'm still trying to learn metal shrinking... practice, practice, practice. The first body job I did was bad, I mean really bad. The last one I did was flawless show condition body and BC/CC paint on my sons 69 Mustang.
Tiger hair ..also sold as gorilla hair, is a filler thats reinforced with fiberglass strands...it comes in short strand for finer work and long strand for filling really large areas...
One caution about filler over filler, it's easy to sand new low spots in due to different hardness levels. The new fill will be softer and as opposite as it sounds will sand a bit "slower" than whats already there. The problem shows up when you're almost level and it will appear that you need more...not so. What happens is that the previous fill is going down more than the new layer. It lies to ya. Focus on the center of the new fill until it's "right there" then blend in carefully. It will take very little blocking to blend em together.
Bondo over previous bondo that's old is a bitch. a cheese grater would lift whole parts of your new bondo. only way is to skim coat a thin layer and let it cure until real hard, then grind or sand it down. With the internets, learning this stuff has got to be better. you can ask and get good infomation and avoid having to learn the hard way! jim
35 years experience!Don't put bondo over ( un sanded ) bondo low spots. Always rough up the un sanded area with 40 grit or at least 80 grit sandpaper. I have seen over the years when a damaged area that had previously been repaired and the bondo did not stick to the un sanded bondo with results of separation. Like the other guys said don't put it on too thick,spend the extra time repairing the metal the best you can.
tiger hair , kitty hair whatever you call it can be put on the car directly you dont have to put bondo on first, kitty hair isnt as smooth as bondo so you should put bondo on after. the whole putting bondo down kitty hair before comment, is stupid and just a waste of time and materials.
Certainly. Again, and again, and again.. If you sand in between applications, remove sanding dust with tack cloth.
If your low spots are not extreme, you can always prime the area, and use a coat of Final Fill (or similar) to finish it out. Final Fill is the easiest way to block out low spots, waves and other minor imperfections. It is lightweight, and sands very easily. You CAN NOT use it on bare metal though. It really needs to put on over primer to be happy. Also, this is not laquer putty in a tube. This product mixes like regular filler with hardener. It will not shrink over time and show scratches. Good luck with your paint job! Chris
I see alot of guys disagree with filler first .Skim coat of mud Then tiger hair .Heres my reason .Fiberglass doesnt stick to metal .Seperates over long periods of time.Learned that from a professional bodyman. Bob Weston may he rest in peace. My cars haven't cracked in 11 years outside.
In my experiences, (long past ones thankfully!) Duraglass, kitty hair, "long-n-strong", etc. do not stick to metal quite as well as filler products, (i.e. bondo). IMO, since this post has made me think about it, it may be a good idea to put a skim of dough down fefore this kind of glass... But, to answer the first post most direct, (as has been done already, consider this reviw!) sand between coats of filler and keep it as thin as practical and there should be no issues. I am surprised that no one has piped up to say that "real hot rodders don't need filler"...
I'm not sure where some people get their information, but it pains me when I see bullshit being perpetuated on the world wide web and more particularly the HAMB. As it has been said, it is a waste of time and materials to put regular body filler down first. Make sure that you have created a good mechanical tooth on the bare metal by first grinding with 24-40 grit abrasives. Then use fiberglass reinforced filler if needed directly to the bare metal. The fiberglass is waterproof and is espesecially good over welded repairs. You must finish the fiberglass off with standard plastic bodyfiller, because it cannot be finished smooth enough to continue to the next step. Regular body filler is like a sponge and will allow moisture to soak into it. Any time you put additional filler on top of filler, you need to sand that area and blow the dust off of the area. If all of the fillers are used the way they are intended and the manufactures directions are followed your repairs will last for many years to come. In case you're wondering, I teach collision repair for a living.
Yeah, don't use a gallon and a half to fill in the rear quarter panel of your off topic clunker Aerostar van...oh, wait, too late Prep, prep, prep...the true secret to good bondo adhesion
there has been a lot of good advise and opion the old time bondo { just a name}was real stuff !! i have taken 40 year old mud off that was like cocrete stronger than metal the story is to have bare metal . agood mix of plastic and harder !! must be DRY!! water proof and it will stay forever!!to add layers sand inbetween and same story good ratio mix and DRY!! to build a base. been there done that norm
you really don't want the filler very thick... work on the panel with your hammer and dolly and just use a thin coat to level everything....
My model A, I am in the process of doing body work now. I have too pretty much skim the whole body to get it straight. Is that something most people end up doing?I started with a piece of crap for a body and I am paying for it now with filler. I also flush fitted my doors and have noticed the different curves for quaterpanel to the back of the door I am ending up with more filler. Some spots are 3/16 in some areas some you think that is going to be okay. My body had more ripples than a fat girls as*
Make sure you use a can of guide coat, or contrasting color of spray paint on large panels. It will help you locate the lows and help find sand scratches. Makes your life a lot easier Just lightly dust the area and sand till smooth. any place where the guide coat remains is low or a sand scratch or needs more sanding. The longer he sanding board with in reason on the panel your sanding the flatter/smoother the end result.
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