Body/Paint work

[jerrysta]

Does anyone know of a good body and paint book that teaches and explains some of the basics of paint and body work?

[TraceZ]

I dont know about a book, but between my bodyguy and the folks at the local Body Shop Supply store I've learned a ton.

What do you want to learn about?

working metal?

filling composites (SMC) and fibergalss?

filling metal?

sanding, sealing, priming and prep?

paint application?

Wet sanding and buffing?

one thing to keep in mind is that different materials require different repairs. For example... a bumper cover, a door made of SMC and a metal hood or quarter would require 3 completely different repair techniques as well as different materials to make the repair. If you use the wrong material or skip a step (like sealing any exposed SMC with a special sealer) the result will be less than optimal. It might look good at first, but after a year of the materials heating and cooling, expanding and contracting you will see the repair through the paint. Repair materials are designed to expand and contrct at the same rate as the material they are bonded to, so it is critical you get the correct filler. Another quick example is any flexable parts like bumper covers or our 4th gen fenders require a special repair material and a flex agent gets added into the paint so it does not crack when the panel is slightly distorted.

If you tell us what repair you need to make we might be able to give you specific guadance. I've learned what I know by simple observation and lots of questions. I'd feel comfortable doing some work myself now, but not paint.

[jerrysta]

Well, I've got the rust on the rear wheel well and lip like many of us have. I had it repaired once but it is coming back now after a couple of years. That panel is metal. I guess I just would like to know about basic repairs on all of the material types. I also would like to know about paint application/mixing.

I know that there is a lot of science involved in body work and I want to learn more about some of the basic repairs that a backyard mechanic would be able to handle.

[TraceZ]

Can you post a close up picture of the rust?

[Steel2686]

I dont know about a book, but between my bodyguy and the folks at the local Body Shop Supply store I've learned a ton.

Sorry.... I thought you said bodyguard.

[FroSSty]

Usually the problem in those areas is that the rust is actually coming from the inside out. So the only way to truly stop it is to cut it out and replace the metal...You must treat it as if it were cancer...The only way to stop the spread of rust is to cut it all out...Believe me, this is a pita, especially around that lip.

[jerrysta]

Darn pics are too large, and at work I have no kind of program to crop it.

Right now there is really only rust on the inside lip. The outside is bubbling up where there will be a pretty big area of rust after a while. I am trying to nip it in the bud. I would like to be able to repair this issue in the future if it comes up again.

[TraceZ]

Darn pics are too large, and at work I have no kind of program to crop it.

Right now there is really only rust on the inside lip. The outside is bubbling up where there will be a pretty big area of rust after a while. I am trying to nip it in the bud. I would like to be able to repair this issue in the future if it comes up again.

I'm just guessing at the severity...

You'll need to get a better idea of the severity by grinding away the paint and getting a look at what is under it. Use a grinding wheel and remove everything down to bare metal. Make sure you go plenty deep to get it all, even the little pock marks. When the grinding job is complete there should be no sign there was ever any rust there.

Next, you need to look at the remaining metal and decide if it is rusted to thin, or if it is rusting from the backside as well. If it is really thin, or rusted all the way through you will need to make a patch panel and weld it in. If the metal is still plenty thick and the rust is indeed gone you will be able to use some filler to smooth it over and get ready for paint.

The key here is to be 100% sure you removed *all* the rust with the grinder. If you miss any, even the smallest amount you can be sure it will return in a few years. All you can really do is cross your fingers and hope it is only on the surface, otherwise you'll be welding in new metal.

I suggest you consider doing the initial work yourself. Grind it clean and see what you think. Then, after you decide on a course of action you can take it to the body shop for completion.

It is possible to remove all the rust so it will not return. Just imagine how many fully restored cars on the roads today were one rust buckets, and you dont see the rust coming back on those. That is because it was all removed.

[jerrysta]

What would I use to repair the holes in my front bumper from the license plate bracket? I believe the nose is plastic. Not sure though. And for spider webbing (somone backed into the nose ) and the paint webbed out.

Is that a situation where you snad it down past the clear and then repaint?

[TraceZ]

What would I use to repair the holes in my front bumper from the license plate bracket? I believe the nose is plastic. Not sure though. And for spider webbing (somone backed into the nose ) and the paint webbed out.

Is that a situation where you snad it down past the clear and then repaint?

It needs to be blasted or stripped with a chemical. All the paint needs to be removed. If you re-paint over any of the existing paint the spider webs will come back through quickly. The problem with blasting is that it leaves a somewhat rough surface that needs to be primed/sanded several times to make smoth and be ready for paint. To have a professional blast it, prime it and sand it several times can often time equal the cost of a new bumper cover, so I'd recommend removing the nose from the car and using a chemical stripper on it. Make sure you have plenty of ventilation and get a stripper that is good for use on bumper covers.

As for filling the holes, there is a special filler compound made specifically for flexable parts.

[jerrysta]

Do you know what the chemical is called?

Also, I want to learn how to best prep and apply paint to panels as well. That's why I asked if there was a good book anyone knew of, because I don't want to irritate you guys with many questions.

For instance, I know that just mixing the paint is a very specific procedure. Then timelines for curing.....
proper sanding techniques.....
basic repairs.....
basic welding......
doing custom work like airbrush or vinyls (there is money in this)

Maybe I should just go to school.

[TraceZ]

Do you know what the chemical is called?

Also, I want to learn how to best prep and apply paint to panels as well. That's why I asked if there was a good book anyone knew of, because I don't want to irritate you guys with many questions.

For instance, I know that just mixing the paint is a very specific procedure. Then timelines for curing.....
proper sanding techniques.....
basic repairs.....
basic welding......
doing custom work like airbrush or vinyls (there is money in this)

Maybe I should just go to school.

I dont recall what the name of the chemical is. We used it once to strip the flexable bumper cover on a pickup truck. We just painted it on and wiped off the paint after a while. That was years ago... To get the stuff I called the body shop supply and told them what I was doing, they supplied the right can of fluid.