Help with body work

[series60]

My 73 C-20 project truck is nearing completion of it's mechanical repairs and is now ready for the body work.
My question is what is the best way to fill in the holes in the body work left after removal of old side moldings.

Also which tools should one use to finish sand the body work. I prefer to use air tools but need some info on which ones are best for finish work.

TIA,
Bill

[80stepsideguy]

To fill in the holes i use a mig welder..023 wire is good for the thickness of the body sheetmetal.To sand down the paint to prep it for primer i use a dina brade d/a sander.It fits in the palm of your hand and is lightweight and dies the job pretty nicely.To do some small dings and dents a small air grinder is the best for that.
If you need any more info i`ll help you out in anyway i can.
thanks
pat

[series60]

Thanks Pat.
I have done some bondo work in the past but was never satified with the end result. If I do buy a mig should I go
110 or 220 volt and what else in a mig should I be looking for. I've stick welded around the house for 30 years but never used a mig. I have been looking at a few but really don't know anything about them.

[80stepsideguy]

I used 110 and 220 and havent noticed much of a difference. I think its about the size of the welder I got a lincoln 220 and it works real good I also used a craftsman 110  and that was pretty good as well..I can give you  some tips on filler work.I like to use a paint stick,its the straightest thing.Heres how it works ok.1st get your filler on let it sit and cheese grade it.If you got a board file put some 36 grit on it and board file it down till all the cheese grade marks are somewhat gone.Then take a can of black spray bomb aresol paint and guide coat the filler.Take the paint sticka nd some 80 grit and fold the sandpaper around the paint stick till its formed to the stick.Iprefer using long board 80 grit sandpaper cause its easier to trim the excess and use the entire paint stick,anyway hold the stick 2 inches from each end and make sure its flat and sand in a criss cross pattern till you cant see anymore black.If you got low spots recoat and resand ,but dont cheese grade that was for the 1st coat.After you repeat the 2nd time then i would recommend using USC icing polleyster glazing putty.It`ll help from the sand scratch swelling and shrinking,I put a nice skim coat on it knock it down with the paint stick w/ 80 grit and once it feels nice spray bomb it again and put 120 grit paper on the stick and sand in a criss cross pattern till the black is gone again and you got a very nice straight filler job.
thanks
pat

Edited by: 80stepsideguy at: 6/28/05 1:42 am

[Blazin]

A mig will fill the holes but you should fill several at a time so as not to overheat the metal and warp it. weld a lilttle bit on each one then go back and start over welding on the oposite side as the last time you hit that hole. There are five basic air tools you will need.  A blow gun I like one with a long nozle reaches across the roof good and you can shove it into cracks and crevices, a grinder that will take 24/36 grit 5" to 7" discs, a mud hog basicly a slow speed DA that takes 8" self stick or hook and loop 36 grit sand paper, an air file or air board, common grits for these are 36 and 80 about 2.5" wide x 24ish" long. I perfer self stick or hook and loop over dry back paper for the air file. and a DA sander 5 3/4" 6" ish paper, most common grits are 80, 180, 220, 320, and 400. As for hand tools a good quality body hammer and dolly set a long hand board and a few short sanding blocks. as 80 step side said paint sticks work well for smaller detail areas as do 1/2" and 3/4" copper pipe for sanding into a conture. I always get the rapair area as strait as possible with hammer and dolly, then grind it down to bare metal. keep the grinder moving as heat will distort the metal, not allot of presure. Grind out well beond the affected area as body filler over paint is a no no. when the repair is done you should have a filler spot with 2" to 6" of bare metal and then 3/4" to 2" of factory primer / sealer and then your original paint. I try to use no more than three coats of filler to acheive a strait panel. I use short strand fiberglass filler for my first coat as it is more water resistant and stonger than boddy filler. I spread it as even as posible, large area a large spreader, small area smaller speader. I shape that with the grinder, blow it off real good between every coat of filler. then spread the filler as a finish, I don't use a cheese grater just a personal preference. Depending on the job a shape it a little with the grinder and/or I take the mud hog and knock it down snading at a 45 degree angle to the horizontal or center line of the body panel, once it has a shape I use the air board with 36 grit and sand at the 45 angle to the panel, start at one corner of the repair and work to the oposit then go the other direction alternating back and forth from all four corners. If it needs another coat I stick with the air board to sand it, once it is flat and strait I jump to 80 grit on the board and then the long hand board. The smaller blocks are for smaller repairs that you do all by hand or for up close to things on the edge of a bigger repair. once you like it you use 80 and 180 DA paper and the DA to remove all grinder and 36 / 80 grit scratches from the surounding paint. I prime it with a self etching rust inhibitive primer, then an epoxy based primer, then a high build urethane primer. The urethane primer fills exceptionally well and can be block sanded to acheive a seamless repair.

[DnStClr]

Wow. no wonder you body guys make the big bucks..
                                 

[CruzinHigh]

These guys have some great tips for the bodywork, thats for sure.   I use a Lincoln 110V welder with great results for minor bodyworking.

Are you going to paint it too?  If so, then the list of tools just goes on...   I am just now nearing completion of a project that sounds similar to what you are about to begin.  Here's some pics if you are interested.

photobucket.com/albums/y135/Highpsi/

I would be glad to help out in any way if you need any tips or have questions.

One last thing.  I would highly reccommend this website:

www.autobodystore.com/

Visit the message board there.  Read.. Learn..  It's amazing the wealth of bodyworking and painting know how there is at that site, the talent that frequents the board is awesome.  I don't know how I would have made it by without Len Stuart and the guys at that site!

Good luck with your project!

-Mike-

Edited by: CruzinHigh at: 6/29/05 8:45 pm

[80stepsideguy]

I actually got the idea of the paint stick from a car vhs tape and took it from there w/ the black guide coat and sanding process.I use to be a bodyman for about 10 years and stopped cause it was boring me so i do it now as a hobby and just paint military aircraft parts/planes. I learned another trick as well i`ll share with you.When you got a damaged part and it was right in the middle of a body line heres how to fix it.Take a roll of tape and run it down from the point where the body line is good and run it acrossthe damaged part your fixing and to the point where its fine.Make sure its down tight, now spread your filler across where your fixing and make sure you dont go over the tape depending how small of a roll you used ,i recommend nothing smaller then a 1 inch width .Let the filler tack up some and then remove the tape and sand it down and then repeat the process on the opposite side you just spread.This works wonders and you dont get the fustration of trying to do it free hand.I did this technique on the body line part of a rear stepside fender on my 80 after i stripped it down and found alot of filler in it ,after i did this you cant tell where the damage was.
thanks
pat

[Blazin]

I use guide coat as well but only on finish sanding primer. Another body line tape trick is when you are final saning your fudge with 80 grit, get it almost knocked down, and then take a piece of masking tape and span the repair from good metal to good metal staying on one side or the othre of the body line with the edge of your tape, stick it down good, take a pencil and draw a dark line to simulate the line, pull the tape and then sand up to it at a 45 degree angle to the line. Sand in bothe directions and on both sides of the line, slowly the line disapeers and you are left with a nice body line in the filler.

[series60]

To all who offered their expertise a big thank you. It's clear to me body work is an art and takes the talents aquired from many years experience. My ole 73 C-20 may never look showroom new again but with all the advice and help offered here she will age gracefully and remain a great working trunk.

Thanks again

Bill  

[aprice]

i remember why now i dont like body work lol, thank God there are guys/gals that do

[80stepsideguy]

Bodywork is like painting its a skill that takes time to perfect. I went to a vocational school when i was in high school and worked in body shops for around 10 years after that till i just made it a hobby and not a full time career.

thanks
pat

[Blazin]

I agree it is a skill to be learned but to be exceptional at it you have to be born with it / natural ability.I know lots of good body men and they don't compare to the ones that have paint in there veins.