I recently found out that body filler on a cold day is a no no. I use some rage gold on a few spots weather was about 45-50 degrees. Friend mine said wait for months before I paint or I'll have shrinkage issies. Is there anything I can do to avoid this?
You are going to have to keep everything relatively warm. No way around it. Take small parts off and go in or build a windbreak around the area and use a small electric heater.
You could use a heat lamp(s) to warm the panels. Examples , filler on a quarter panel place the heat lamp inside the trunk focused at the area you are working on or secure the heat lamp pointed at the panel say at a fender or door. Inside if you can get at it or outside if you cannot.
My issue is I already filled the areas that needed it but the weather was cold when I did it. I did it last Saturday and weather wasn't been over 50 degrees
Filler will shrink and ruin your nice work.I have gotten panels perfect,and looked at them two weeks later only to cry.If a guy took his time in summer weather you would put the filler on,and let it sit 10 days then work it.It has solvents in it that will dry over time.Come back to it ,and work it post shrinkage.
As long as you have catalysed it with the right amount of hardener you will be fine. Properly catalyzed filler does not shrink under catalysed filler will because it is not fully hardened and never will be.. My fear would be that you over catalysed it to get it to kick in a reasonable amount of time in such cold weather and have made it brittle which has the potential to crack down the road. Can you post a picture of what you have done?
I went easy on the hardner. Few spots I let it dry over night. One area was dry in about 2 hours were I was able to sand it. The areas I did are thin coats.
Bondo shouldn’t need hours to cure. Why risk it for such small areas? Grind them out and wait for higher temps.
First of all that does not look like Rage Gold (not that it really matters but without knowing what the product actually is I can't really give you advise on whether it looks like it is under catalyzed). If anything, depending on product, it is under catalyzed which can lead to it moving forever. At this point unless you filled giant dents under those patches it is as cured as it is going to get after 5 days and heat is not going to make it any better. As a rule of thumb on a puddle of filler (that is at room temperature) that has self leveled you should use the following amounts of hardener. A 2" diameter puddle run a ribbon of hardener halfway across, a 4" run the ribbon all the way across, a 6" all the way across and an 8" one and a half times. This is pretty darn close to the proper 50:1 or 2% hardener you need to properly catalyze filler. Any large deviations from this can lead to problems. About 99% of all filler issues are improper catalyzation. My other concern, looking at those pictures, is it doesn't look like you have sanded the primer before applying which is also not good. If you didn't sand under it, regardless of the catalyzation, take it off and start again. I know I sound like a broken record and probably like a dick every time I say this on here but this is why you should always read the Product Information Sheet before using a product.
Timely thread. I’m getting to the point of prepping my roadster body and frame for paint and of course the weather has turned for the worse. I’m no body man but I’ve always done my own work unless someone better volunteers. I can warm the victim and the immediate work area. Would a kitchen scale make mixing more accurate? The puddle and ribbon method above is helpful, anybody have any other mixing tricks or tips to contribute? Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'm thinking some of the brands from the paint stores have different catalysts for different temps just as paint does. I've known guys who shoved cars off to the side for weeks after laying on and doing the primary sanding on filler to let the filler fully cure and shrink even when the temp was right. How much effect it actually had I don't know though.
The temperature probably is not the problem. Might not have been mixed right. If the imperfections are dents, do as K13 suggested. If you are just covering small imperfections, a fill glaze may have been what you needed to use. But there again, do what K13 suggested since the filler is on. You will need to get a nice feathered edge and that is not going to happen with soft filler. Sticky filler is not uncommon. We all have learned the lesson.
I’m in the middle of bonding land myself. I am using rage ultra. I use a hair dryer to warm the surface before application. I get the shop up to 68-70 degrees before I apply it and keep it that warm form a few hours at least. The mixing ratio already described is what Evercoat recommends. So far so good Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I've been doing body and paint professionally for over 25 years. Never had an issue in 40 degree days or 115 degree days. Pretty much have used rage or rage extreme my whole career. Correct amount of hardener is the key. I've never measured the ratio, just a ribbon of harderner across a blob of filler. You will learn with experience. Heat lamp would help, I do use them in the winter. Also, use quality primer and prime and block it a few times. On your first prime, load it up and let it sit a while before blocking it.
I will see if I can put together a quick Body Filler 101 thing this weekend. I was thinking of doing one if we ever had another tech week but they seem to have gone the way of the Dodo bird. The ribbons method has been tested with a scale extensively and is remarkably accurate. You would really have to be super picky with a scale to get a lot closer and this method is well within the acceptable margins. The only filler on the market with different speed hardeners is Evercoat's Quantum but it is a completely different technology and uses a 10:1 mix ratio so 5 times the amount of hardener than is used with traditional fillers.
you guys gonna giggle, but when filler counts(applied to something cool) I use a scale. you are always consistent on a scale. you tend to add more hardener in the winter and less in the summer. My filler training has taught me this is incorrect. I started weighing fillers with fiberglass and this has never failed. I have to do this with spray-able fillers like polyesters. Surface temp is important, I dont like messing with any fillers or paint/primers under 60 degrees. My teaching job has changed my approach on just about everything. I look up the tech sheet on every product I use now. There are some mistakes I made in the past that this simple step would have solved. Here is the tech sheet for Rage Gold http://www.evercoat.com/images/ePIM/original/TDS_100112_RAGE_GOLD_2_2015_EN.pdf
If you are concerned about keeping it warm. Go buy an IR lamp preheat the panel with it, apply filler wait a hour and sand. Also can be used for primer as well. But if doing a large area you may need several for it to cure properly on cool/cold days. If you go the IR route contact the manufacturer and see what they reccomend since every brand is different.
I would look into Icing for this type of work, not cheap, But sand's/feather's boobies! Hardens quick!
I truly don't mean to sound like an ass, but are you doing work in a heated garage? Body work is something you don't do in a cold, damp environment. Like Anthony said, it's the surface temp of the car you're working on, not the ambient temp of the environment. When you turn the heat on in the shop, you've gotta let the metal warm up. Cold surface plus the heat generated by the catalyst effect on the filler can create condensation.
Heat lamps are ok but if mixed correctly the product will work in the temp range it’s designed for. A heater that moves air across the surface would be better in this situation. Less likely for any condensation. Also make sure the hardener is still good. If it’s separated and has tiny lumps or looks seedy, it’s junk.
You have to be very careful adding heat as you can cook the styrene out of the filler. Also hardeners do separate it does not mean they have gone bad. You should always knead the tube before you use them and always stir your filler before using. Sent from my SM-G950W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
When i was in trade school for auto body and paint 30 years ago the teachers always repeated not to attempt auto body , priming and painting in a cold environment. The rule of thumb was the temperature had to be at least warm enough for just a t-shirt and anything colder than that was asking for trouble. And that doesn’t mean I only recommend wearing just a t-shirt when doing autobody you should also wear pants.
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