Difficult Body Filler Work: Shaping a Wheel Well Arch & Large Areas of "Bondo" 

I'm sure you do just fine but I appreciate that. Have a good weekend :)

Thanks Randy.

My boss used to have mud dispensers on the wall - I'd empty that sucker in half a day on some jobs like a 1978 2 door Lincoln Town Car quarter panel that side swiped a tree. Had to make a homemade jumbo spreader out of cardboard! Don't worry about it going through filler. You get better and better as you go. Just keep at it - it's good times anyway.

That was pretty funny. You're welcome Alan - have a good weekend :)

I say give it a try. You can always ask questions as you go- I answer comments and ?s 1-2 times a day :) Get a cheap truck and give it a whirl :)

Amen

Thank you very much - glad you like them :)

Glad you enjoyed it RR - I actually had a small collection of old radios like you fix up - had a whole box that I was finding at garage sales and such - quite a few tube ones. Those old tube ones are real cool :)

That's exactly why I prime in front of people - glad you recognized that. Have a great week RC.

Thanks Rage - I appreciate the support my friend :)

Thanks 👍 - that was funny :)

Let me know how your project goes Tim - feel free to always ask ?s. Thanks for the support BTW - Jerry

Glad you enjoyed it - you're welcome :)

I appreciate that Moparnut. Have a good weekend :)

Thanks Dolla 😊

Thanks for the support Aly Jan - glad you liked it. Have a good week :)

Thanks Michael - always good to hear from you. Have a good weekend :)

Thanks Tony :)

You're welcome David - glad you like the videos - have a good week :)

You're welcome Patrick - good luck on your project - let me know how it goes :)

Thanks 👍

You're welcome Bill - have a great week :)

Thanks - have a good weekend :)

Thanks Rod - have a good end of the week :)

Not camera magic - just a lot of messing up over the years and finally finding a process that works for me :) Every body man does it a bit different but I found this to be fool proof most of the time. Have a great weekend my friend.

It's fun if you don't have too much sanding to do - that's where the grater comes in. Thanks for always supporting the channel PSG - I appreciate it - have a great week :)

Keep at it my friend - you'll get better and better 💪

When your bodywork is sub par just bury it with a few coats of thick feather fill primer surfacer and block sand. That was my go to cure when I couldn't get something right. You can always make adjustments with some 2K putty, filler, or simple lacquer type glazing putty.www.amazon.com/Bondo-Brand-Company-651-Glazingspot/dp/B002Q1AHP4/ref=asc_df_B002Q1AHP4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=

Thanks RK - It'll be a great looking truck when you finish it. Have a great weekend :)

Thanks Jim - I wasn't real sure how it would look once primed so I didn't take a chance and hit it with a few heavy coats of feather fill. I think it'll turn out real nice

Thanks Rick - you may like this one - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xbzGX4hW9qo.html

Absolutely - without any worries at all.. On these super hot days you can use quite a bit less. Try 1/2 the amount and if it hardens too slow try a bit more.

Thanks 41 - have a good weekend :)

Interesting... which way are you going to go? Might want stick with laying the base then the clear. That way you likely have less issues with the metallic flakes and mottling. Spray your base a bit on the dry side to get those metallic flakes arranged right - like crop dusting. Let it dry for about and hour and spray your clear.

A general rule of thumb is to run a bead of hardener across the diameter of the pile of filler. For example if you have a glob/pile of bondo that's 4" round then run a 4" bead of hardener across it and your good. More for cold weather - less for hot summer days. Hope that helps :)

@@LakesideAutobody that's very helpful. I just started a new job fixing used cars for a large dealership chain that buys and sells used cars. I had a lot of paint prep experience but never did any body work. My trainer suggested that I use a lot of hardener to keep production going. I'll try your rule of thumb and see if it works. I can always work on other cars while I'm waiting for the first one to cure

That was Auto Body Master 19/gal. I'll give that USC a try - thanks for that info Mike - have a good weekend :)

Good question. Never tried it before but after thinking about it for a few, maybe you could heat it with a blow drier or heat gun real hot but not messing up the paint then cool it quickly with a cold water from the hose or wet rag. It may change the structure of the metal or molecules just enough to cure it. I doubt it but it might be worth a try. Thanks for watching the channel my friend :)

Thanks Superglide - got to get over to your channel - been real busy lately :)

@@LakesideAutobody busy is good 👍

Hi C A - nice to hear from you. These videos will explain it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IRgtWiKA7UY.html - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H8SprtjSw4I.html You basically get as creative and close as you can with a homemade patch - bending it a bit here and there - cutting reliefs to allow the metal to do things that it wont do, etc. Then knock it down and fill it creating the exact body line with filler. Don't listen to the nonsense that filler will crack, shrink, fall out, etc. Jerry

@@LakesideAutobody Perfect Jerry, thanks! What would be your max thickness for filler?

You're welcome Husky. It depends a lot on the shop (price). For a dent like that you may get 2-3 hours as a worker. So if a shop gets 80/hr for labor that would be like 240 for the body work. Then you have to include materials and paint time. I never wrote estimates - I was just the worker. Paint jobs weren't cheap though. Have a great weekend Husky.

Glad to hear it - it's a game changer for sure :)

When your body work is shaky but you have it close, bury it with a few heavy coats of feather fill - it's like spreading a thin layer of bondo over your work - giving you plenty of material to block sand. Then you can see exactly where you've gone wrong. You can use 2k putty or even lacquer putty to fix any low spots or irregularities. I've been meaning to do a video on that. maybe in a week or two I'll get one out called - "What to do when your body work is just not right"

@@LakesideAutobody it was pretty crunchy behind the door and a bit into the wheel well. I did a Lot of pulling and hammering, did a patch panel, fiberglass filler, ect. I do have a bit of polyester primer so after my next round of sanding tomorrow, i'll hit the 2 problem areas and go from there 👍

@@BearBudgetTurbine Give it a good heavy dose then a super light coat of spray bomb black as a guide coat. Not sure but maybe this video may help a bit - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--66tf0tpeqo.html Let me know how it goes for you.

@@LakesideAutobody I did rewatch that video. I found that I was sanding off too much and wrecking my line, sanding over the tape,ect.. So I carefully taped it up again and really focused on the form and used a lighter hand. Really watched the tapeline, and this time it turned out good. The wheelwell area has multiple planes and was tricky. But now I've also got that shaping up. Little more sanding, some primer, more sanding and I think I got it. (Finally) So I'm gonna credit your video for helping me get over this little hurdle. Now I've got some reconstructed body lines that I can live with. Pretty important when you put all this time into a car. And I would say critical to the paint job looking right👍👍

@@BearBudgetTurbine I'm proud of you! Nice job sticking with it. One tip is to put the tape down where you have some room to sand the filler - sort of hard to explain on the video but I think I'll really break that down one day. Feel free to always ask questions as you go - I get to them every day :)

Thanks my friend - I use the least expensive stuff I can find. Right now that's Auto Body Master Light Weight Filler from a local auto parts store called Auto Value. $19/gal

@@LakesideAutobody What are your thoughts about using a fiberglass filler? I'm no body man but my ex father in law used to do body work and paint and back in the late 80s probably through the 90s he liked using a product called Swiss Glass. He said that it was waterproof and strong but I never got a chance to really work with it.

@@bodeine454 It is water proof and strong but harder to sand so I sort of stay away from it. I do use it in situations like this though: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rPTaeH056ng.html It's good to have around the shop if you feel it can help in certain situations - it's a judgement thing I guess. Jerry

@@LakesideAutobody Good to know, thanks for the input.

You're welcome. Yes I changed to 80 before priming. I hit it with that shorter board w/ 80 grit on it :)

Your supposed to finish it with a 320 before prime

You should have about 3-5 minutes before it starts to stiffen up. Use less and less hardener until it takes TOO long to harden - then start to add more. You'll find the perfect mixture that way :)

That's one good poem - you must have done well in your writing classes - big words too "sinewy" - had to look it up! It's been so hot and muggy - can't remember a time when it was just hot day after day - no break - out comes the tank top.

Yes - you won't have any problems. Just have to find a brand that's cheap and that you like. I'll be honest, I buy the cheap stuff at a Dollar General store usually - just for small bare metal spots, etc.

@@LakesideAutobody Excellent, We have a Dollar General store two miles from the house, I’ll check it out, Thanks Jerry!

One more tip - when you mix up a batch of lacquer primer you can keep it in the cup - lacquer primer doesn't harden in the cup. At a shop I worked at I used to keep a gun filled with primer ready to go at all times. Yes it wasn't a pretty sight but at least I wasn't cleaning a gun all the time. When it didn't spray right I'd remove the air cap and fluid tip - give them a quick cleaning and was ready to go. Just stir the primer around a bit and you're good.

@@LakesideAutobody That’s great to know as I have an old NAPA spray gun that I haven’t used in years and this will be great for a primer gun.

I don't but my dad used to and had no issues doing it. He'd use lacquer thinner when he needed a consistency like glazing or spot putty.

@@LakesideAutobody When I watch you apply your body filler is always looks so pliable; maybe I,ll lighten up on the hardner; thank,s buddy, PATRICK 70 CHEVY C-10 BOTH REAR FENDERS"!! STAY SAFE!!!

@@patrickpeterman8736 You stay safe too my friend :)

I used lacquer primer surfacer - just 'cause it's cheap and I'm used to it - works fine for me too. You can used any type of primer that you like though over the top of this. Jerry

Excellent! Now you're learning. Happened to me lots of times. Catch the filler early with the cheese grater. Sand with super sharp, new 36 - 40 grit paper. Fill your low spots and hit it with the cheese grater so that you only bring down the "new filler" older filler won't get cheese grated (too hard) thus no edges created. If lots of low spots spread filler over the whole area again - therefore less chances for waves and uneven sanding between old hard filler and new easy to sand filler. Great to hear - keep at it - you'll soon overcome those minor details. Ask tons of ?s - Jerry :)

@@LakesideAutobody thanks for good advice. I was thinking today. There is a way to make filler softer and easier to spread? Maybe add some oil or something ?

@@user-lj5zw9jx8b What brand of filler do you use? Is it a new can or old and dried up?

@@LakesideAutobody is new. I am in Europe. We have different brands here. I used to work with Motip. Easy to spread and sand but sometimes it cracks without reason. Now i use what I found at body shops but is not easy to sand

@@user-lj5zw9jx8b This is an older video but it shows how to take down any filler no matter how hard it is to sand - fast :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fnfoVf4fKoc.html

Thanks - have a good weekend :)

Yes - just before. Like when you can still stick your finger nail in it a bit. If it loads up the grater then it's too early. If it won't shave anything off it's too late.

I don't - sorry. But I do have an email - it's listed under the "About" tab on the home page. Jerry

Usually not with filler. Matter of fact I never saw anyone use a guide coat with filler when I worked. Primer yes - filler no.

I don't like them at all. Not stiff enough and doesn't dig in as well. Thanks for the idea though - have a good weekend :)

If you mix it right and it isn't hardening up on you it should go on pretty smooth no matter what brand - I always use the cheapest I can find 👍

Hey Moparnut - have a good weekend:)

I'm in Michigan but right now I've got work lined up through the winter. Not sure why but I've been super busy lately.

I have a video on mixing filler coming up so it should really help out. Use less hardener and you'll be fine.

@@LakesideAutobody cool I will check it out when you post it, I think it has something to do with the intense florida heat and humidity i live in, even with very little hardener you only get 2 min max to apply the mixed filler but when the temp drops below around 40-50 degrees outside it seems to give a bit more work time.

@@briang4470 Glad to hear someone has that problem here in Fl. Can't believe how little hardner I use and it still pops before I can apply it all, and it all isn't that much. Not near the amount Jerry has mixed up.

@@lschneider6109 yep, all the other local amateur and professional body men I have talked too all agree that it's just the temp and humidity. The stuff turns rock hard before it's all on but around winter time when its below 40 degrees the amount of work time increases significantly and isnt too bad to work with but it's only cold for 2-3 months of the year and usually wont be doing body work during those months lol.

I usually have it on - must have been talking or forgot. Thanks for that my friend :)

@@LakesideAutobody I was being sarcastic and was really thanking you for not going on for 20 minutes telling us what we already know.

@@stevieb9104 Cool - thanks again though and you're welcome. I get some crazy negative comments now and again so I'm never know what's a joke and what's not. Appreciate your humor Sevie B 😁