I spoke with John on how he filled the holes in my fender. He had the fender off (he does not have a welder and he experimented while I was away) and grinded the outside and backside of the holes down to bare metal and applied one coat of Rust Bullet to the backside. Using duct tape on the front of the holes helps the Rust Bullet fill the hole. After the first coat dried, he laid a piece of fiberglass fiber behind each hole and brushed Rust Bullet over the glass (saturated) and let it dry. He then applied body filler on the outside of the fender and shaped it. I don't know what happens, but Rust Bullet with fiberglass makes an almost metal like surface and bonds better than using fiberglass and resin. I thought the results were so good that I opted not to take the fender to my dad's shop and weld them up...mostly for curiosity and research sake. We used Rust Bullet and pieces of fiberglass to repair a few small holes in the drip rails. It worked great. Those drip rails are perfect.
From Rust Bullet ( http://www.rustbullet.com ). They let you purchase with PayPal. They have several sizes available.
OK, I am getting started on SERIOUS body work and need definitions... Welding = arc with rod, wire feed, or just torch and lead or soft compound (more of a solder)? Fiberglass = fiber filled bondo, or true fiberglass and resin? I restored (notice "restore" is all small letters!) a 1983 chevy luv pickup, which of course rusted on the show room floor, and had thinner steel than my Bic disposable razor! When I was done with a year or two of bondo, and applied my first layer of paint. It looked like crap. Literally, like someone took handfulls of pink crap and threw them at the truck, and I painted over it. NOT good. I want this one to look better. I have pretty good skills with rebuilding surfboards with fiberglass and resin, so I tend to use more of that, and can get a "glass-smooth" finish when done, but I hear that it doesn't flex as much as bondo and will crack, despite mixing the MEKP cold and letting it cure over a few hours to keep it pliable. So before I begin to make a further mess of a decent car (despite the multiple colors that I currently sport!), I want a near-show car when done...ie. I want to do it RIGHT. At this point, with the failure of the Luv Truck, I am saving to have a Professional do the body and paint, but would love to learn the secret to do it myself. I have painted centrifigual vacuum pumps that you could drive a jeep through, and did a pretty good job, but cast iron and Maverick panels are two different monsters. Should I mess with this or pay the price for someone to straighten it out and do it professionally? If so (Rick and fan2488) who is reputable in the Houston area for giving a wobbly Maverick some straight lines? I originally wanted high gloss black, but the more I look ath the car and it's flaws, the more I think a duller color will hide the blemishes. Jamie. I am very sorry, but I think I might have jacked your thread (and written a novel that would shame War and Peace! Please, anyone who wants to respond to my thread-jack, do a PM so Jamie can have his thread back
Don't worry about it Scott. No such thing as jacking or getting off topic in one of my threads as far as I'm concerned as long as it's constructive. That Rust Bullet looks like real good stuff to me. I was highly impressed with how the drip rails came out on Terry's car. You can't even tell the holes were ever there in the fenders.
definitions as far as body work goes welding= used to attach metal panels and fill small holes Fiberglass= fiber filled putty (not bondo), can be used to fill holes, fill large dents, fill in welded areas, applied directly to the metal. Usally sanded with a ruff sand paper 60 grit or so. resin and cloth used to make panels or scoops or watever. Fiberglass materials do not absorb water. bondo/ body filler = used to smooth out panels , not as a filler as the name implies. Applied over fiberglass putty or on small dents, best used only up to a 1/4 inch thick. usally sanded smooth 220 grit range. MUST be primed before painting, to usually takes a few coats then sanded to paintable smoothness depending on paint used. Bondo absorbs water must be sealed from water, primer on the top side and solid material underneath Hope that helps
Thanks for clearing up some of those definitions. I always called cloth/resin "fiberglass" and didn't know what the fiberfilled putty was called.
