Bondopocalypse II

[bradleyheathhays]

Just finishing up this Bondorific patch job on my rocker panel (and opposite side rear panel section) and need advice

on how to finish things up. I believe I've read that bondo can be spread as thin as you want as long as it has good

mechanical adhesion, but I'm wondering as I do these last steps if I might could use something else meant for filing

in more nuanced scratches and little valleys.


Basically I've got both panels shaped about like I want (exposing some sheet metal along the way) and now I just

need to fill in the 36 grit sanding marks on the bondo, cover the exposed aluminum, sand up to 800? grit, then go at it

with color coats and then clear.


2 questions are...


- What should I use to fill in the bondo scratches and cover the exposed aluminum? body panels?...possibly some kind

of high build primer?


- What's the minimum grit you need to sand (the primer?) up to before applying the color and clear coats? I've been

told anywhere between 400-800. For the bonding between the color and clear coats I'll be timing them to take advantage

of chemical adhesion.


note: Since this picture was taken I've added another skim coat of bondo to fill in those small bondo divots, but I should

have those same 36 grit scratches after I sand it back down again.

 

[lawsoncl]

What did you end up doing to repair the hole? Last post I saw you mentioned pop riveting in some aluminum as a backer. Unless you fixed the structural issue, I think that bondo is going to crack and fall out as soon as the frame flexes.

You're way past the point of needing 36-grit. You should have a final skim coat and drop down to at least 100-grit imo. The most common cause of those divots is getting air bubbles mixed into your bondo. I try to mix more gently like folding dough on a board and not stirring it like paint in a can.

 

[gm54210]

Look for glazing/spot putty. Comes in a tube and is a bit thicker than toothpaste. I use it after an initial prime coat.

 

[Anak]

Look for glazing/spot putty. Comes in a tube and is a bit thicker than toothpaste. I use it after an initial prime coat.

+1

Old timers may know it as "Green Magic".

Goes on very thin and sands nicer than Bondo.