Started putting some filler on the Olds last night. A new experience for me, good thing for my little brother. It's an interesting game, slap it on then sand it all off! Sure makes a mess in the shop, body filler dust is everywhere. I've gained new respect for body men, that long board sure gives a guy a workout! Before.... After... Oh well, back to the shop, still got lots of sanding to do!
Just remember to feather those edges out a ways. That rectangle shaped spot on the trunk looks a little sharp edged
Looks good Jeff!!...Doncha just love the smell of Bondo in the mornin. Hey , when you're sanding make sure you keep the shop door closed.That stuff gets everywhere!If you're not using it already "RAGE" filler from Evercoat is the cats *** for sanding, and it goes on really smooth too....Later...Jethro
Doin' the same thing to my 56 Chevy.Have fun man.Get ready to blow some big filler boogers out in the morning.
Looks good man. Are you sneezing bondo dust yet? I usually work 1 panel at a time as not to get overwhelmd and/or miss ****. But thats me. Use the longboard for as much as you can and one of those flexible sanding blocks on the curved areas. It'll pay off in the end. Good luck. Sanding body filler is like a dirty ******, once you get use to the taste & smell, you'll enjoy it. Billy
Hey Jeff: well it's about time you got started on the ol bod.will it be on the road by next summer so you can come down for a ride in the modified?.took it to the salt last month. it now has a new layer of patina on the already rusty sheet metal , the aluminum knock off hubcaps and engine parts. Bill
Yes, the smell of bondo in the morning! I'm still blowing out bondo boogers! Tman,that was our first coat, there are a few spots we have to go over again before it gets shot in hi solids. Tuck, we're using ECALIBUR(tm), it's from a body supply company up here called White and Peters. Seems to be pretty good stuff. Won't be at the track this weekend, got too much work to do......well I might sneek out on Saturday night if it's nice! Bill, I don't want to jinx myself, but if all goes well I might be on the road next summer. Jethro, how the heck are ya? Things starting to settle down up there?
There is nothing like waking up to crusty bondo dust nose. You will be cleaning that **** out of your garage for years! After I finished my truck last winter I opened up my garage doors and blow the whole thing out with a leaf blower. I'm sure the neighbors loved that! Now that I have my garage almost clean it must be time to start another project!
The magic of the HAMB, to finally hearing of OTHER people having bondo snot, too... This past Summer seems like a blur of pinkish-beige piles of cheese-grated bondo around the truck, in the truckbed, in the beard, the toungue literally numb, and that bondo smell. Hang in there with it!
I slung mud every day for 6 years...I have to say that from the pics, it looks like you have the right idea. Make sure that whatever you're filling does not show thru the final sand. I noticed in the third pic, by where the depression is where the bumper goes, the characteristic line of filler filling in grinder gouges...you need to go back over that area again until it's a feathered oval...if not, when you paint it, you'll see exactly where you had been with that grinder. Most guys who do "show car" type paintwork will, in fact, cover an ENTIRE panel and then block it out. This sounds horrible, given the bad rap that "Bondo" (a trademarked name) has gotten over the years, but in reality, a good quality filler from a paint supply store, in very thin amounts and sanded correctly, will produce results flatter than a steel stamping. The desired "mirror" effect. Just be patient. You may have to do a panel 2 or 3 times (or more) before it's right. My only tip at this point for you is: when trying to guage the "flatness" of an area, DO NOT rub your bare hands on fresh filler. Besides the harmful, potentially paint-lifting effects that human sweat and body oils have on today's topcoats, you'll miss stuff. Use a rag or a CLEAN glove between your hand and the surface. You'll be surprised how waves or low spots show up to you hand with a glove on verus a naked palm...
MercMan, thanks for the advice. We're going to prime and block sand several times. I'm going to try that glove thing. I have a hell of a time telling where the hi and lo spots are when I'm rubbing the body.
You can get cotton "inspection gloves" at your paint store or at a photography store that sells dark room supplies.
Another cool trick is when you get to the point when you want to see if it is straight enough by eye, take a spray bottle filled with wax and grease remover (PPG DX330 is what I use) and spritz the panel evenly. It simulates what it will look like with paint on it. If you get the light right, you can pick up waves that your hand can't feel. Plus when you wipe it off you clean up the dust. Just be sure that you blow dry it real good before you prime or mud again to get the cleaner to evaporate out of the pin holes in your mud work. Old timer with lots of super straight paint work showed be this. Good luck.
born2late is right, I do that too, but usually after prime. It will make flat primer glossy (if only for a minute) and you will see plain as day how straight your bodywork will look with shiny and glossy paint on it. Many a time I ripped right back into my filler work after I saw a wave or depression in the gloss of the wax and grease remover...but I don't like to think about THOSE days... The second tip I thought of, and maybe you already do this (all of you)...after your spread your and it's dried enuf to sand, take some cheap, black .99 LACQUER paint, and "mist" or "fog" the area of filler you're about to sand. As you sand, any low spots show up as dark areas, and any pin holes show up as black dots. When I say mist, I mean hold the can about 12 inches away, and quickly go from side to side horizontally. DO NOT saturate the filler, or you're in for a treat, sanding-wise. Do this all throughout the process, after you prime even, while blocking or wet sanding. It's technically called a "guide coat" by shops, and most places will only "fog" or "mist" some contrasting color on at the blocking/wet sanding primer stage. I always cut a lot of time at the bodywork and filler stage by doing it there. It's WAY more work to try to get something straight after it's in prime, than to get it reletively straight to begin with. When you get to priming, let me know, I'll give everyone some pointers there as well. Remember, use the longest, flattest block for the panel you can, and go in criss-cross strokes. Never back and forth (horizontal) or up and down. Wave city. Unless you're real good, you shouldn't need a D.A. after you've primed. Good luck...looks GREAT so far!
It's looking really good. I can't wait to see her done. Those fastbacks are about the swoopiest designs GM ever made. Thanks for all the tips merc and born.
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