badjuju342
02-25-2006, 08:11 AM
So you going to try that body repair or paint prep yourself? Here's a few ideas on how to get started.
1.Evaluate if the body panel in question is worth fixing or needs to be replaced. You might think you'd save a few bucks by repairing it but you might find that you can save a lot of time by finding a straight one at the junkyard. This is especially true in the case of rust.
2. Speaking of rust , you need to get all of it out of there and not just cover it up . Some coatings like POR-15 will kill a small amount of rust but visible body panels need to repaired completely.
3. Body filler , less is better. A thin coating on a small wrinkle is ok but trying to fill in a 2 inch dent is going to crack in a very short time. Also, be sparing with hardener in body filler , excessive amounts will attack fesh, clean metal and compound your problem.
4. Sanding blocks are your friends. It's just about impossible to smooth down paint by mere hand sanding it and "digging" in the paint with your hand compounds the problem . A sanding block over a wide area will yield much better results.
5. Primer seal it first ! Just using regular primer will not effectively seal the area . A good sealer will keep the metal body panel protected much better. This isn't a critical process on plastic or fiberglass. Also , use a uniform color of primer as it can affect the hue of the final paint and cause a mismatch.
6. Guide coat it. After you think it's smooth enough for the final paint color , use a light dusting of black paint then block sand . This will reveal any high or low spots in the body panel. A good guide coat will have a light "freckled" appearance.
7. Always remove all trim /components in an area to be repaired , this will result in a much more professional result.
8. When applying paint/ primer , multiple light thin coats are better than fewer heavy coats and reduce the chance or runs or sags.
9. Sanding , you need to get to all areas and don't leave any shiny areas , you'll get much better adhesion of the new paint. Use the proper grit of sandpaper for the job .
10 . If you're not sure on how to do it , get help. It can look so easy and produce very disappointing results.
This is just a basic guide and our two very capable mods here can elaborate much more on proper techniques.
1.Evaluate if the body panel in question is worth fixing or needs to be replaced. You might think you'd save a few bucks by repairing it but you might find that you can save a lot of time by finding a straight one at the junkyard. This is especially true in the case of rust.
2. Speaking of rust , you need to get all of it out of there and not just cover it up . Some coatings like POR-15 will kill a small amount of rust but visible body panels need to repaired completely.
3. Body filler , less is better. A thin coating on a small wrinkle is ok but trying to fill in a 2 inch dent is going to crack in a very short time. Also, be sparing with hardener in body filler , excessive amounts will attack fesh, clean metal and compound your problem.
4. Sanding blocks are your friends. It's just about impossible to smooth down paint by mere hand sanding it and "digging" in the paint with your hand compounds the problem . A sanding block over a wide area will yield much better results.
5. Primer seal it first ! Just using regular primer will not effectively seal the area . A good sealer will keep the metal body panel protected much better. This isn't a critical process on plastic or fiberglass. Also , use a uniform color of primer as it can affect the hue of the final paint and cause a mismatch.
6. Guide coat it. After you think it's smooth enough for the final paint color , use a light dusting of black paint then block sand . This will reveal any high or low spots in the body panel. A good guide coat will have a light "freckled" appearance.
7. Always remove all trim /components in an area to be repaired , this will result in a much more professional result.
8. When applying paint/ primer , multiple light thin coats are better than fewer heavy coats and reduce the chance or runs or sags.
9. Sanding , you need to get to all areas and don't leave any shiny areas , you'll get much better adhesion of the new paint. Use the proper grit of sandpaper for the job .
10 . If you're not sure on how to do it , get help. It can look so easy and produce very disappointing results.
This is just a basic guide and our two very capable mods here can elaborate much more on proper techniques.