Best way to fill in big "holes" or dents? (bondo?)
#1
777** The Anti-rice
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Best way to fill in big "holes" or dents? (bondo?)
I've been reading up on automovite painting and what not. And when i goto paint my car, i was goign to remove the plastic side strip things , and fill them in. And the question is, what method is best for doign so? I figured apply bondo in thick quantities cant be good (it may crack or something?) so i was wondering what method i should use, or any products.
Any help would be great
Any help would be great
Last edited by DEZERTE; 03-29-04 at 01:06 AM.
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there was a guy who had his filled in with a foam filler then glassed over it... pretty sure thats how he did it... but it looked pretty nice. ima search for his post.. since im at work and have nothing to do lol
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#8
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Originally posted by bingoboy
wow that stuff sounds interesting.
wow that stuff sounds interesting.
The high temp stuff is pretty interesting too...even though you have to cure it...
#10
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"Lab-metal withstands temperatures as high as 350ºF (and as low as -40oF) and when hard, can be painted with lacquer or enamel without danger of bubbling, lifting paint, chipping or peeling." => BIG PROBLEM is not compatible with most auotmotive paints (urathanes) on the market today. The other problem is this material is the consistancy of corn syrup, designed to be poured into a cavity to fill a void. How are you going to apply it to the side of a car?
The problem with using a polyester based filler to fill a 1/4" deep Strip on your dor is the different expansion and contraction rates of the filler vs. the door metal. You will end up with cracks, maybe not next week or even next month; but that much filler WILL ventually crack.
The proper method would be to cut a filler strip and tack it in place. Then go back and "skip" weld the piece in. After that, grind smooth and smooth using your choice of SCHMUNDA / Aerodynamic smoothing compound.
The problem with using a polyester based filler to fill a 1/4" deep Strip on your dor is the different expansion and contraction rates of the filler vs. the door metal. You will end up with cracks, maybe not next week or even next month; but that much filler WILL ventually crack.
The proper method would be to cut a filler strip and tack it in place. Then go back and "skip" weld the piece in. After that, grind smooth and smooth using your choice of SCHMUNDA / Aerodynamic smoothing compound.
#11
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most of the guys above are right... welding is basically the only way to go, you dont want to even try bondo trust me (i work at a body shop) just have to weld on strips of metal and then sand weld spots down... (you dont have to do a steady bead of weld just touch and go along the peremiter of the strip) after that apply a small layer of bondo over it to fill the gaps in and prime and paint.... sounds easy but your in for a job if youve never done this before.. im doing mine but as i said i work at a profesional body shop and have all the tools and materials present for me to use... good luck whatever you do
#12
777** The Anti-rice
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hmm, alright thanks for the input guys. ill probably have to do some welding then to get it done properly. Oh well, I guess I needed to buy welding equipment anyways!
ty all, much appriciation
ty all, much appriciation
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Just do it the right way the first time and forget about it. You have to weld and cut. trust me i work in a bodyshop and i seen alot of car civic the most where ppl would pack it full of weird **** and then it would crack or chip. Also know a person the filled up his dripp rails and it looked good sitting there after he did it but as soon as he start the car and went off his drive it all cracked and was fucked. Weld it and foget!
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Another thought. You could rivet in the metal instead of welding, and leave a small gap between the rivet height and the door, and slap some body filler or some semi liquid fiberglassing stuff.
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Originally posted by TheGreatLouisianaRoadkill
i dont know much about welding but would you still be able to weld it on the front and rear bumbers? if that what would you do for that?
i dont know much about welding but would you still be able to weld it on the front and rear bumbers? if that what would you do for that?
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Originally posted by Josepi
Can't weld metal to something that's not metal (front and rear bumper covers).
Can't weld metal to something that's not metal (front and rear bumper covers).
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Originally posted by TheGreatLouisianaRoadkill
thats what i was thinking. so how would you fill in those spots after removing the side molding?
thats what i was thinking. so how would you fill in those spots after removing the side molding?
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Anything you use to "fill" the hole will crack in a few months. Using Bondo/body filler in an area that big is a sure way to make the job look like crap.
I've seen FCs where people have done this, and I had to walk away and shake my head in disgust. You can certainly make it look perfect....for about 3 months.
Cutting and welding is not as bad as you think if you can do it yourself. But it's probably a good 8 hours of labour for a body shop. It's fairly straightforward to cut a strip of the right size, then tack weld at alternating ends until you have a continuous bead (don't go from one end to the other...hello warpage). Then grind, and use body filler to even it out. If you're good, you don't even need the filler.
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Cutting and welding is not as bad as you think if you can do it yourself. But it's probably a good 8 hours of labour for a body shop. It's fairly straightforward to cut a strip of the right size, then tack weld at alternating ends until you have a continuous bead (don't go from one end to the other...hello warpage). Then grind, and use body filler to even it out. If you're good, you don't even need the filler.
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If bondo is done right, it can look great and not crack. But again, that's if it's done right. I've seen my dad put a large amount of bondo on a car and i've never seen it crack, then i give it a try and it cracks the next day. At least with welding the metal won't crack.
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Dang your pretty good at photoshop man, but if you look close enough you can tell. But at least it gives you the image you wanting to see. NICE! Maybe next time do the bumpers too.
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I was gonna do the front bumper, but I tried it once and screwed it up cause I didn't follow the shadows.. then I just never got around to trying it again.