Bodywork Basics

[redrooster]

I had a set of tube fenders made with plate steel on top and on the side to resemble the factory look. They are welded tube and 14 gauge steel. I am looking for a Bondo-like product to skim coat the fenders and slick them out. The welds have been ground down and the fenders were then sanded. I need something easy to spread thin.
Anybody know what I'm talking about?

 

[88Wrangles]

Any kind of plastic filler should work. I can't think of any brand names off the top of my head...but I'll think about it.

 

[redrooster]

It needs to go on thin and spread easy.

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Um Red I hate to say this but you might want to look at some vintage restoration shops and see if there still do lead work instead of Bond.
Most Bond type products are a plastic type body filler that sets up hard and brittle. This will make a poor float on a jeeps fender due to the fact there is a lot of flex.
An old time lead body filler will do two things here...one marry the two plates together a little better by weeping some lead in-between the two plates and it will stand up to some abuse and flex.

 

[88Wrangles]

It needs to go on thin and spread easy.

Yep, you usually use some type of "plastic filler" to smoothe out any and all imperfections. You can make it extremely thin. Keep in mind anything you use will have to be sanded.

You can use lead to fill in around the weld if there are any holes or cracks there...but why not just put another weld over it and then sand it down? Lead is used to fill in dents and other bigger low spots, then sanded down smoothe.

Sounds to me like you're trying to smoothe out "wavy" spots on the sheet metal, right? If so, some kind of plastic filler will be exactly what you want.

 

[88Wrangles]

By the way, get a good brand and plastic filler will not be hard and brittle. It will usually last longer and keep it's form longer than the car will!!

And another thing, working with lead is something that takes a LONG time to learn...trust me. And there's very few people that even do it because it takes so long, is dangerous, and is tough work. All that means it will be spendy to have someone else do it!!

 

[happy024]

I agree with 88. The leading is old school and there arn't that many shops that do it anymore. And I bet if you where to into a hot rod shop and ask they whould probubly ask you why would you want to go through that much trouble any money on a Jeep fender. Like 88 said If your filling spots on the sheet metal go with a good filler. But if your fillling the seam between the sheet metal and tube, just rent a welder for the weekend and fill it, grind it, and sand it. In the long run it will be stronger and cleaner. And you did the work yourself to save money

my 2 cents

 

[redrooster]

It doesn't need any filling between the seams. Most of it was TIG welded and ground back down with a flap wheel.
The sheet steel had some light rust pits that need to be filled and there are also some grinder marks that need to be smoothed over.
What I'm looking for is basically what some OEM's used to coat Jeeps and Landcruisers. I know the Landcruiser FJ40's were almost entirely skim coated to cover spot welds and small imperfections in the sheet metal. You would never know unless you have had the pleasure of stripping one to bare metal.
I have a DA sander, grinders and all the necessary stuff. I feel pretty confident I can make them look good, I just need to start with the right product.
I don't think the fenders will ever get smashed hard enough to break plastic filler loose especially since my tires are so far outside the fenders. Bondo will work fine, I'm just looking for something that will spread more like Joint Compound than Bondo.

 

[jps4jeep]

If your gonna wheel it, it's gonna take a beating, and bondo is not what you want on there. I would just fill with welds and grind them down till they are flush and smooth, use a 1.5" air grinder with some fine grit pads, you'll get a baby a$$ smooth finish eventually.

 

[redrooster]

Have you seen my Jeep??? It's gonna get wheeled alright. I'm not scared of beating the crap out of it, but it's gotta look good initially.
The fenders will not flex or give like factory fenders. They are rock solid. I don't think bumping them on trees will be enough to knock a plastic filler out. I think I will go down to the local body shop supply place and see what is up.
A grinder will only get you so close until you start cutting into material that you don't want removed. Then it is hard to get everything else slicked out. It has been ground with a flapper wheel then hit with 60 grit on a DA sander. They are close now, but not quite there.

 

[Craig]

I'd just try calling around to a bunch of autobody shops and see what they recommend. That's what I did when I did some bodywork on the jeep a few years back. If you only need a small amount some shops will even sell it to you.

 

[NiteDog]

If you stopped sanding at 60 grit, I hate to say you are no where near done. Your local automotive paint supply shop will have various type of fillers to use. No matter what you spread on it you will need to sand again before primer and paint.

I have got hours in welding, grinding, filling and sanding this tailgate and fuel hole on the old YJ to make them flat.

 

[redrooster]

Let me clarify, I went from grinder disc to 120 grit flapper wheel to 60 grit on a DA sander. All of this was only to smooth out the welds. I haven't used any filler or started finish sanding yet.

 

[redrooster]

Nite Dog,
I was going to give you some style points on the tailgate and gas filler job, then I noticed the set of Pirelli Scorpions and had to revoke the scoring. Please tell me those are just shop roller tires.

 

[LBR]

Hi redrooster - I have used a primer-surfacer in the past for this type of minor filling. This surfacer is sprayed on with a paint gun exactly like regular primer. What sets it aside from primer is it is a "thick" layer instead of a "thin" layer like primer. Lay on 2-3 layers of this exactly like you would any automotive primer. The beauty is that you have a thick layer of surfacer to sand off with a long board or whatever. Those 60 grit scratches will be filled with surfacer, spray on a guide coat (rattle-can black), and long-board it off. If a few scratches are still present, spread on some putty or filler and sand most of it back off, or 2-3 more coats of surfacer again. This is all just basic bodyprep work, but the surfacer will fill lottsa scratches where the primer won't. LBR

 

[redrooster]

I went to the body shop supply place and found just the thing I wanted. It's a product called Piranha Putty. It's made for skin coating. It is a polyester filler instead of plastic filler like Bondo, but it uses the same hardener. It's made to go on thinner than 1/8" and used to fill pits, scratches, etc in bondo or steel. It comes in a squeeze tube like Goop hand cleaner.
I'll try it out this weekend.

 

[88Wrangles]

I just want to clarify that what I was talking about is not Bondo. Plastic filler can be used for skin coating too.

 

[redrooster]

Plastic or Polyester, whatever you call it, is the bomb! I got one fender skin coated and primed this weekend. It looks really good. The Piranha Putty goes on easily like spreading joint compound. I used 120 grit on a palm sander for the flat surfaces and then hand sanded the round edges. It took some time, but the results were great. It is sure to improve the aerodynamics of my CJ.
Now for the other fender and a set of CJ half doors I'm making. The doors should be really interesting. Nothing like sawing a perfectly good set of hard doors in half.