Hello, I'm sorta new to this, but I've seen that any questions someone might have are posted on this forum. I'm sorta new to the auto industry, I started working at a rust repair shop and mainly I'm used to Welding patches of sheet metal after cutting out the rust, or kitty hair when you wanted it done fast and cheap, but they also have a can of lab metal at the shop that I've been wanting to try. Was wondering if maybe someone has used it, if body filler sticks to it when scratched with 80. I've seen talks about metal to metal and all metal but I'm not sure if it's the same as lab metal. Thanks.
I inherited a small can with some powder coating supplies to be used on flaws before coating. When i opened the can it was dried out. I ordered a fresh can & it was not much better. I never used it so I don't know if it will adhere to bare metal. All Metal is good, but not as good as a real metal patch.
I had clients with machine shops I did wiring for before I retired. They did a lot of machining on shafts for various electric motors, and ship shafts. It wasn't at all unusual to see small pores in welded up shafts filled with Lab Metal before or during the lathe turning process. Since these weren't critical to structure, it was simply used to make things "pretty" so no tiny defects showed. In the case of sheet metal, I'm not sure Lab Metal would be a good choice for rust holes. It might be OK for tiny rust pits as long as they were cleaned well, and not apt to rust or corrode again. But so would All metal filler, and it's designed to go on car sheet metal. Rust holes should be cut out and new metal replaced in it. So other fillers shouldn't be used to fill holes.
Total hack work. Any "shop" or person that would do this type work and charge for it should have their balls cut off.
The problem I see is a small rust hole on the outside is hiding a lot more rust on the inside of the panel.