using bondo

[00 Silver 6]

a couple quick questions... not for my car, but for a friends 93 s-10 blazer. he has a good amount of rust on his car, and this weekend we were gonna bondo it... is this something best left to professionals? i dont know whats involved with it, but it cant be too hard to figure out. any tips or advice? anyone actually do this before?

[Shodown]

Re: using bondo

I worked for a body shop for a couple of years. How bad is the rust? Does he care what the Blazer will look like? What kind of bondo, skim coat or body putty?

If it is rusted REALLY bad, then sand the area with 220 grit sand paper and apply some body putty, sand that down with more 220, primer it and call it good. It will look like crap, but it at least slows the progression of the rust. This is pending if he cares how it looks.

If he wants it to look good, yes, leave it to professionals.

There is different types of bondo too. Skim coat bondo covers in fine scratches and small areas, body putty is much thicker and is the primary coat to fill in large scratches and scuffs. Skim coat is then applied after the body putty for a smoother texture with less sanding.

Bondo kits come with 2 containers: small tube of activator (blue color) and large container (grey usually) of the body compound. They need to be mixed at about a 8:1 ratio. 8 parts compound and 1 part activator. This doesnt need measured, that is just the textbook figure. For a blob of compound that is about the size of your palm, use about a dime size amount of activator. Mix that together (it gets warm) and you have about 2-3 minutes workable time with it before it starts to set up and get hard.
If you do it yourself, you only need a VERY SMALL amount of activator.

That should be good to get you started, but remember, if he wants it to look good, take it to a body shop. Body work is a fine skill that takes a long time learn and master. But, if he doesnt care what it will look like, just want to stop rust then good luck with the project. :)

[silver6_maro]

Re: using bondo

if its a large rust spot, you may want to consider sand blasting it too, because otherwise you will paint it, and a couple weeks later it will start rusting again..

Listen to ^^^shodown, sounds like he knows what he talking about, but ive done it many times too- and if you have no clue, take it to the pros

[00 Silver 6]

Re: using bondo

his rust is pretty bad, its eaten through a good inch and a half of his lower doors and wheel wells

[$*Blake*$]

Re: using bondo

tell him to sell it and get a camaro :D

[ChronoGN]

Re: using bondo

If the rust is that bad, you don't want to just bondo over it. You gotta cut the whole rusted out part out and weld a new sheet metal in there bended best as you can so it goes with the body of the car. Then grind the welds and the panel and bondo over it. Then comes the time conduming part, which is sanding. You just keep sanding and bondo-ing it till it looks right and doesnt have any high or low spots because they will show up when you paint them. You gotta get it perfect. Then primer and paint then clear coat.

[Shodown]

Re: using bondo

If the rust is that bad, you don't want to just bondo over it. You gotta cut the whole rusted out part out and weld a new sheet metal in there bended best as you can so it goes with the body of the car. Then grind the welds and the panel and bondo over it. Then comes the time conduming part, which is sanding. You just keep sanding and bondo-ing it till it looks right and doesnt have any high or low spots because they will show up when you paint them. You gotta get it perfect. Then primer and paint then clear coat.

Thats why say take it to a shop. Getting bondo perfectly even is really tough.

[ChronoGN]

Re: using bondo

Thats why say take it to a shop. Getting bondo perfectly even is really tough.

Yeah, but its alot cheaper if you do it yourself. Its not that hard. its just really time consuming. Especially if all you have is sanding blocks and sand papers. Also, theres some tricks you can use if you are not good at spotting those high and low spots(takes experience to spot every little body defects). Like spray paint over the part you are bondoing and lightly sand it with a low grit paper and straight flat sanding block. If the paint doesnt come off evenly through the surface, theres a high/low spot. So, bondo over it and do it again.