Thread: body filler question

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Originally Posted by atichargr

okay I have gotten a lot of opinions , and that is exactly what I am looking for. so I thank all of you for your suggestions and comments....so what I gather from this is use a metal to metal or a short hair fiberglass filler then a "evercoat skim" coat? am I correct?? I just want this to turn out right... I am a perfectionest so to say and I want things right and to last....so once again thankyou and am I on the right track with the metal to metal or fiberglass with a skim coat after??

thanks,
simon

NO i would not go that way if you used metal to metal there is no need of ground glass for a top coat.i work at a shops were we only used metal base filler and use them to fare but did not feather well. you can go to a filler like gold .zgrip. platinum .rage. but if you go glass work it up to allmost fare and then go to filler .i have used the ground glass as well as metal base fillers they sand a bit better but i still think the hook up is better from glass to a light body filler. i have used both like i said the first ever made was ppg alum a lead. i have used all the other s. for the money durglass/marglass is the best bang for the buck .the trick is to get it on smooth file it before its kick all the way off so there not so much work sanding it

Simon. The important thing is to get the panel welded in solid and the metal worked so that it is rigid. If it looks like you will have quite a bit of filling to do, use the fiberglass reinforced filler for your initial coats. The final coat, in my opinion, should be regular filler that covers the entire area. I use extra resin in this final coat of filler to help with eliminating pin holes and to make it easier to spread evenly. Try to finish this final coat with 80 grit and 180 grit paper. If you work it too long with 40 grit, you will leave heavy scratches that will have to be fillled with primer that may shrink later.

Doesn't any one use plain old Bondo? cheaper?not as strong?

Originally Posted by suprstock

Doesn't any one use plain old Bondo? cheaper?not as strong?

bondo was a product trade name . you still can buy it ? all the shops i worker in never used it they were marson or evercoat body fillers

We have just started getting Rage Gold in the U.K. and its a brilliant product i must say.

Originally Posted by FMXhellraiser

I like Rage Gold for filler. I hear mixed comments on glass filler or kitty hair (Tiger Hair). Some say it gives problems but I myself never experienced a problem with it. Again I use Rage Gold but I dont use much filler when doing cars so I dont need high build up. For glaze I use Evercoat glazes or Dolphin glaze is cheap and great stuff that will lay out and fill in any pin holes or imperfections. You have to find what works best for you though because again, paint and body work are all based on oppinions. Every body man and painter will tell you something different 90% of the time. I know some that hate Rage Gold and prefer cheaper stuff and I know some who use Metal 2 Metal all the time.

Just make sure that every area of metal is solid and no pin holes. The filler is like a sponge and will suck in water from the back side ! Which in turn will bubble down the road ! Using kitty hair to plug holes is a big no no ! It will also bubble later on !

i welded every thing solid alot of the time and made many steel patch panles or put in better body panles on .i did body work in mi and did more then my share of rust work here .but if some thing is so bad you can not weld it or find better .then you can use mar glass . and if you can get from the back to lay up glass mat it will not last for ever but it will hold up for a very long time .i have seen this and i have done this on steel that look like toast were you blast it very lite and lay mat from the back as well as the out side .long as there no big holes smaller then 1/4 it works did this to a 40 olds were the fenders were to thin to weld solid so did all rust repair .work all dents out then cleaned them and glass the fenders inside and out .so you making a glass fender using the old fender for form . not the best way ? well better then driving a car with no fenders .as for packing holes with mar glass or chop strand glass you have to beat in around the rust hole some what.. in push the glass in and working around the hole fill filled so your not sand all of it off .yes this is used car lot fix .but i can tell you i have fix stuff this way that lasted longer then some guys best rust work i work at shops were not every car was a show car .or nice alot of plug in go stuff was if i was doing a blend in a body panle would fix the rust for free .i could not blend in to rust even if welded solid i like to use the west system and bush all welds joints to seal them from the damp far better then under coating

Originally Posted by roadster32

We have just started getting Rage Gold in the U.K. and its a brilliant product i must say.

I agree..that's my preferred filler, I keep a can of Duraglass for large job,(better yet, big areas on panels stretched too far that should be replaced but aren't) and I traditionally used Rage but my boss cut that out and we use Evercoat Z-Grip, his reasoning that most of it ends up on the floor and ithis is half the price.....it's a decent product just pinholes like mad if temps go up....also I always used a skim of Metal Glazde to finish before priming..I miss it but we quit getting it and now use a material called TopCoat, made by Crest I think? getting used to it but stil prefer metalGlaze......

Your boss will realize in the end that skipping on body filler will just cost him more labor time in the end. I use Z-Grip once in a while on cheaper cars or parts like inner fenders, radiator supports, etc but man Rage is MUCH better. Metal glaze and Dolphin Glaze are my two favorites as well. Can't beat them.

I don't know.... Rage does work better and pinholes aren't as big a problem.... Have never put the pencil to it to see how the numbers work out.... I use Rage Gold on my own stuff, but then I don't really care if the product is a few bucks more....

As competitive as bidding is in a high volume production environment (and no, I don't miss it a bit!), I'm not sure the extra $$$$ for Rage would be a + on the ledger..... and in production work, the bottom line is really the only thing that counts....

I've also been known to mix a little bit of metal glaze with my Z-Grip before adding the hardner...bye bye pinholes---if you cut back a bit on the hardner... But again, not a process that would be cost effective in production work.... Pennies per application is a lot of $$$$$ at the end of the year!!!!!!

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

back in the day as the kids say we work the glass filler to fair then got out the feather fill

listen this is good advice. I've been following what they said. in the 3rd week of bodywork and the glass reinforced filler is excellant. Dave's right though sanding it will give you popeye forarms

Dave your right pennies add up over a years time and add up to big $$$. If you take pride in your work and want it to last years and charge high dollar for high dollar work then I believe it's best to use the best materials you can or that at least are easiest for you to do the work. Either way, Z-Grip is still a nice filler and works just fine.

Oh, ok Shawn...Heck I thought you was talking production shop collision repair stuff.... Heck, ain't nothing but Evercoat short strand glass filler and Rage Gold in my garage!!!!!!!!

z grip is ok sticks abit better on new steel but for old cars i like the gold and platinum abit better but back 25 years ago we did not have them as for hold out for fillers i have body work that is holding up just fine for over 20 years . if you us the less is the best with filler and primers and no spot putty then it will last a very long time

Pat we all know you hand hammer your metal so smooth that you don't need to stinking filler!