I want to put an order in so I can start some of the basic body work on my 56 Customline and get rid of the terrible fake patina on the car now. Keep in mind this is no show car and more of a rat rod type of build so my body work does not need to be perfect, but the current state of the body smoothness and previous work leaves a bit to be desired. I already have an random orbital sander and a Dewalt rotary buffer tool that I can order stuff for if suggested, but initially I was planning to order this stuff so I can sand the primer, clear and 4 different colors off the body now and start smoothing it a bit. I have never done this type of work before so it is new to me, I went and bought a cheap HF spray gun since I hear they work decent for my intended purpose and I still need to go get a pair of saw horses so I can remove some of the parts and lay them on that. Also, I am undecided on the color but I know it will be a matte or flat color for the time being with a contrasting roof color, any suggestions for paint to achieve this after I get the other stuff sanded and smoothed?
Personally I wouldn't bother with the 3M sanding sponges between the durablocks and anything else you can find that you can wrap sanding paper around you will probably not end up using them for much. A quart of filler is not going to get you far if you have no experience using it (the filler should come with hardener so you shouldn't have to buy extra). I would also suggest not buying the cheapest filler. It will be much harder to use and will make an already miserable job that much worse.
Get yourself a halfway decent compressor, and make sure you drain it frequently. Don't use Bondo. There are about a million different better fillers on the market that won't break the bank. Durablocks are OK for some situations, but I prefer stiff longboards and short boards. Get a basic hammer and dolly set if you're trying to fill dents. Watch a few youtube vids. The less filler you use, the better. That mask isn't something I'd trust my life and lungs with. What kind of paint are you using? Read up on isocynates. Whatever paint you do use, use the whole system. I like PPG products.
K13 is absolutely correct. Spend the extra money on a quality body filler, sands down much faster and easier.
The bondo in the cart is 3M brand, I thought that was supposed to be pretty good? I will change it to a larger quantity though and keep that in mind about the sanding sponges. So that is #2 saying that brand is no good. Any suggestions for alternate brands? I do have a good size compressor at home that I have been using for the past 15 years. I will make sure I drain it more often though as I hardly ever do. I was planning on buying a hammer and dolly set for that exact purpose actually. I was thinking I can probably find those pretty cheap at Harbor Freight too. I can always swing by the local paint shop and see what they suggest for paints, but I was hoping to go in there armed with at least a little knowledge. I look online and the articles are endless! haha
Check out Evercoat. Napa brand Martin Senour filler is decent too. A lot of guys like 'Rage Gold' but I don't have experience with it. Join the Alliance. Eastwood Company is a member and you get 10% off. Eastwood tools are better than HF. They have everything you need, and stuff you didn't think you needed! Also, ditch the orbital and get a Dual-Action (DA) sander. I find the orbitals spin too fast and can really cut into what you're doing if you're not careful. DA has some adjustment. Orbital is great for stripping though. '3M' is like any other company-they cover all markets for maximum profits. "Bondo" is a house hold name, even though it's crap.
While it is true that Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (aka: 3M) now owns the Bondo brand, it is still one of the lowest quality body fillers on the market. They did improve the quality when they acquired the brand, but I will stand by my remarks that the best place to use Bondo is the inside of a dumpster. It will give you fits, and make your work look very unprofessional. I would go with Evercoat Rage, or Rage Gold. Either will make your work look much better, and you much happier.
I painted this with paint from NAPA, the ACME brand Finish 1. Two coats primer, 2 coats white sealer, two coats Acrylic Enamel. It laid down smooth with very little orange peel. I would recommend it. Even though I took a lot of care to clean the center bay of my shop, I still have some little dust specs here and there, and a few small runs. I will sand it with 2000 to remove the dust and buff it, after substantial drying time.
My neighbor loaned me this and I was very happy with it do not know why some rated it low probably because this kind of tool uses a lot of air http://www.harborfreight.com/air-inline-sander-62528.html I got the sand paper for it and my D-A also body filler here: https://www.mapquest.com/us/arizona/business-glendale/sherwin-williams-auto-finishes-23765326 I used the Evercoat Z-Grip filler and it worked really well.
Since you're in Phoenix, you might be able to get away with a bit less "paint" than the guys up north...since we don't have to deal with humidity all the time. I stripped my 55 chevy to bare steel and then primed with a urethane primer (2K type), and drove it that way for 14 years, no issues with rust. and when it was time to paint it, I just scrubbed it clean, finished the bodywork, more primer and sanding, and painted it with acrylic enamel. That was 6 years ago, still looks fine. So, my recommendation for paint (for what you plan to do now) would be a urethane primer in the color of your choice. You might also look into using paint stripper to remove the existing finish, then just hand sand it when you're done stripping. It takes work, but not a lot of money to do it this way. I've done several of mine. no compressor needed, either. But you will need a compressor to spray the paint on. rage gold or something similar is good stuff. I seem to get another gallon when it's time to work on the next car.
I cant help but thinking that the shopping list isn't so much for doing body work, as for hiding the lack of bodywork. Step one should be to get the metal as close to where you want it as possible.
Like squirrel said, use paint stripper for most of it, it ends up Being faster and cheaper over sanding discs. Just make sure to wear good gloves! Get "The Key to Metal Bumping" Eastwood has it for $15. Read that. Then get a decent set of hammers and dollies, not the Harbor Freight stuff. Balance is key here, your hammer swinging hand will thank you. Then go to pick-a-part and get a door or a fender from something old, no later than about mid 70's... Whack that sheet metal with a hammer, throw bricks at it, and spend some time bumping those dents out. You'll get the hang of it pretty quick, then you can get to work on your car.
Here's a couple of links for paint. If you want a factory color, this one has charts for most factory colors as well as custom colors: http://www.tcpglobal.com/ If you don't care about a certain color as much, just want good cheap paint, I have used these guy's enamels before with good results: https://www.paintforcars.com/ The second one might not be the quality of say PPG, but I've had pretty good luck with them.
Anybody familiar with "Tiger Hair" filler? Cat's ass, I'm told. Really. One slow day, I called ace Campbell, Ca. bodyman and top chopper extraordinaire George Hoffman at his shop. Putting on my best Eartha Kitt voice, I asked, "Hellooo...Do you sell 'Bondo'?" George halted for a couple seconds, then: "Yeah, I guess I could sell some..." I gave him the voice again. "Well, how much would a gallon be?---" Then, before he could answer, I added: "Installed..." He knew who it was...Almost jumped thru the phone. Then much laughter.
That is the long fiberglass strand stuff. I have only ever used Everglass, the short haired stuff. The old guys who taught me swore by using fiberglass reinforced filler over welds. Still not exactly sure why.
I've used everglass a little bit, where I probably should have done more metal replacement.... Does that mean it's a shortcut?
I'm using ever coat gold right now and like it. really liked rage too but for the price difference... find a local paint Store and get friendly. our office Reilly even stock dupont stuff (speedier than what I use but open late and on Sundays in a pinch) Sent from my SM-G920R4 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Great information in here and I appreciate all the tips. By the way it sounds you may actually be saving me some money up front. Sounds like I should just sand the body as it sits and throw some primer on there to get it all one color then do the body work as time permits here and there. I always grew up knowing body filler was a short cut to a quality repair and should be used minimally so the idea of learning to shape the metal sounds like what I need to spend some time doing. But I will be sure to stay away from "bondo" and order the better stuff.
I have been told to use the fiberglass reinforced filler over welds as its supposed to be waterproof in case there is a pin hole or two in the weld, no idea if it actually makes a difference but its how I do all of mine.
A lot of people here suggest using a Epoxy primer on bare metal and then go do filler work and then high build primer and a sealer before paint. Here is a great thread on primers. this may help you have a little knowledge when you go to start purchasing primers. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/difference-in-primers.992953/ I have been told the fiberglass reinforced fillers are good over weld seams to prevent cracking. Good Luck!
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