Sprayable Body Filler

[rubadub]

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Just want to pass on what I have read on different forums.

For us amateurs like myself, if the pros see a mistake here, please feel free to correct me.

I will mention three sprayable body fillers here, there are more.

1. Featherfill by evercoat

2. Slicksand by evercoat, slicksand kind of replaced featherfill as far popularity

3. Z-chrome by Clausen

Sprayable body filler is also called, Polyester Primer Surfacer.

Its a two part, Or 2k, as in two componets, it has a hardener or catalyst, or something mixed with it. Its not a single component, as in one part.

They all have a resin and talc in them, so there not waterproof, only waterproof if sealed under and over by another product.

So we have sprayable body filler, versus the body filler in a can that we call mud or bondo, that also has a hardener in a little tube that we squeeze out in a ribbon, and mix it in with a putty knife or spreader.

Why use a sprayable body filler.

If you have several dents along the side of your car, you fill them with bondo, its hard to get the panels straight by working each dent.

So we have all the dents filled and sanded, go out the next morning, and feel along the side of the car, and it still feels a little wavy.

Another thing that comes into play, you might have a little shrinkage with the bondo areas. Anyway we'll spray some 2k urethane, like maybe some k-38 or whatever you like, a couple coats, then we'll sand that off, but somewhere along the line, we will cut through the k-38 and see bondo.

So respray some more k-38 and sand again, then hopefully we won't sand through to bondo again, but its a pretty good bet we will.

This is where sprayable body filler comes into the program. We'll spray the whole side of the car, and this will be a lot thicker them the k-38 we just sprayed, gives us some working room, get a longer sanding block out, and your not going to break through to the bondo underneath as easy.

You will see the different colored bondo under the sprayable filler if you do sand through it.

Because the sprayable filler is so much thicker, you can cross hatch sand with a block to get those panels straight.

So sprayable filler is just bondo out of a spray can, only layed out more evenly on those body panels.

If you use sprayable body filler, you will need a larger nozzle for your spray gun, get the one they call for, or it could get nasty.

I use z-chrome sprayable body filler, but I'm sure some of these others are just as good or maybe better, I've only used one brand.

When your spraying it, you will need to kind of shake the spray gun around every so often, because the filler will separate in the paint cup and kind of settle to the bottom.

A little on just body filler here, or mud or bondo. We here rage or rage gold mentioned quite a bit, then you hear everglass, duraglass and metal to metal, all of these are bondo.

They all have resin and talc in them, so if it has talc in it, like metal to metal, I just went out to the shop and read it right off the can, its not waterproof like they say. None of it is if it has talc in it.

To the point here, when you put bondo on top of bare metal, there is a chance for condensation to get in between the two, thats why over the last couple of years, for the most part, you hear epoxy this and epoxy that.

Bondo over freshly ground metal will really stick, and might last forever, but cars are subject to temperature change, so why not get the extra protection of an epoxy under the bondo.

I have also read that some of these cars are on there second restoration, I'm guessing here, but if epoxy would have been used, would they have to redo these cars again.

Anyway, one way to go here.

First bare metal, then spray epoxy, then bondo, then sprayable filler, then either more epoxy or a k-38 or some two part urethane primer, should take care of the protection on a car body.

I looked at evercoats tech sheet on spraying epoxy under metal to metal, and they don't mention it, so I don't know whats going on with that, in fact I haven't looked to see if they recommend it under there other body fillers, you can read up on it yourself if you decide on evercoat products, I personnaly haven't noticed anything wrong with them, evercoat, I'm sure is as good or better then others.

Whatever product you buy, get the tech sheet from the counter guy, or have him print one out.

I mentioned everglass and duraglass.

Both of them are bondo, like rage and whatever, but these two have fiberglass mixed in it. If you have welded areas, take it to bare metal, then epoxy, then duraglas, then rage etc.

The fiberglass will hang in there better on the welded joints, so I've read.

This is all pretty basic stuff, if you want more stuff like this, let me know.

Rob

[Bad94]

I redid a 1970 Vette, stripped it and slicksanded it with 3 coats. and Sanded it with 180 on a long block, then recoated with a 2k primer, 3 coats. Then sanded with 400-500 grit wet. And that car is straight as you can get a fiberglass vette.

I have alot of hours in sanding but it all paid off when the car was done.


I have used slicksand on a few projects and i love it, I have a Sata K gun with a 3.1 tip.

[bucks69]

Hey Rob Awesome detailed job as usual.

[rubadub]

Thank you bucks69.

Rob

[68protouring454]

theres no reason you cannot get your bodyfiller workperfect, with that said polyester primer is best when all panels are installed and aligned and you block in between the panels, making it ultra straight, i would shy away from the lesser quality polyesters, and if its breaking up in the fup, somethings wrong. i use standox and only spray 1/2 quart at a time, it uses mek for the hardner.
and burn thrus will not happen if your body work is good, and be happy you did burn thru as it will tell you there is a low spot right next to the high.
also pull and hammer and dolly all dents, to where there as stright as possible, when you have a dent there is always a eye brow or high spot where its been pushed out, if you just fill the dent you will chase it around because you have to fill a larger area to get it all built up.