I have a subscription to a mag called "Auto Restorer". It has great articles on restoring and repairing vehicles and the best thing is that the articles are written by those that accually do that. As we don't always get a car that doesn't need any work, this info can be very valueable. The hints and tips there can be very helpful and save you $$ in some cases. I think this product may be just one of those good finds. This is from the November '05 edition. A professional restorer named Larry Lyles wrote a review of a product for patching all kinds of metal items called "Lab-Metal Repair Compound". This product is pre-mixed and has a strong aluminum content. It goes on like Bondo, but without having to mix anything with it like hardener. It can be filed and sanded easily and is supposed to be much stronger because of it's high metal content and cures without shrinking like putty does. This could be a great substitute to having to weld trim holes, etc. It's heat resistant to 425 degrees F and they make another compound of the same product that withstands 1000 F. He used it himself to patch a pot metal rear fender extention and the pictured results are impressive. He also made a piece of metal out of the compound, drilled it and tapped it to accept a bolt. It worked. This product can be used to repair and replace items that need to accept a fastener. It comes in various size cans or a calking tube. The 24oz. can sells for $29.95 and the 48 oz. for $49.40 off the company's web site. The product is available in a lot of places and locations can be gotten through their site also. If there's a Fastenal branch near you, they all carry it. The product is made by... Alvin Products 350 Merrimac Street Lawrence, Ma. 01843 978-975-4580 www.AlvinProducts.com If you want to check out the magazine, and I'd recommend you should... www.autorestorermagazine.com
great info.Wes, i might try a can and see what it does. if 1/2 of this is true it will be a great product...thanks...for the heads up...frank...
Hmmm,, good info,, I got to get some of this stuff and try and fix the exhaust manifold on my model A. Dan
They only way I can see this kind stuff or any other filler material working when it comes to filling holes, is to counter sink the hole first before you fill. Then at least you will have a decent thickness layer on the front surface to help prevent it from cracking.
I didn't see it in the Eastwood catalog, but that doesn't mean that it's not there. The can says it's paintable. Dennis does have a good point about hole filling. The can suggests using layers for filling significant holes. This stuff is not supposed to shrink or crack like Bondo or other plastic based fillers do. I just stopped at a Fastenal branch here and bought a pint and a quart of the thinner/prep they sell for it. Turns out you should buy the thinner to prep the metal and help keep the remaining Lab-Metal in the can from hardening or to thin it out for using as a coating. Both together ran me just under $25. I have to patch holes on the '87 police car as it had a permanently mounted lightbar on the roof. I'm going to gave this stuff a shot. The pro that tested it for the mag was pretty impressed. The guys that write articles for this mag get paid nothing from companies for the tests and experiences they write about, so I give them a lot of creedence. Most all of them are not much different from you guys or I, we just do it as amateurs or pros and pass on our experience. If the weather cooperates, I'm going to patch the roof on Wednesday. Stay tuned for more......
wes, i checked with two (2) places here in town that carry it. they will have to order it...there was almost $2-$5 a can diff. in there prices .thanks again and let us know how yours works...frank...
Hmmmm ... another possible solution for patching trim holes without welding. I watched the video and it appears the product is pretty thin ... like the consistency of pudding. It looks like it may drop through a hole in sheetmetal unless some sort of backing is used. The PC-7 I am using is a two part epoxy and has the consistency of thick cookie dough when mixed so no backing is required.
The problem is if you sand the filler down flush with the metal. It wont fall out because the back layer will remain bonded. But the edges around the hole only have about .03 of an inch of metal to bond to. Since the 2 materials will expand & contract at different rates, eventually you will get a round crack showing you right where the hole is.
Well, here's the verdict from what I tried. The product is good, but there's limitations. The guy in the article used a thicker metal item to fix and it works well for that. For thinner metal like body panels, it leaves something to be desired, unless you shure up the hole from the back side. This product seems to need a decent surface area to bond well. The gauge of body sheet seems just too shallow for it to work and not fall out. I tried several times and the result was the same. Small holes in body sheet did fill well, but not larger ones. Anything wider that about 1/4" diameter just doesn't seem to work. Another thing that wasn't told was that you need to buy the thinner/solvent that they make also. After the can is opened for the first time, you need to pour a small amount of solvent back in the can to keep it from getting hard even in the sealed can. This means that the caulking tubes must be used and discarded making them a waste of money unless you need the whole contents for the job at hand. Working time is short not unlike Bondo. The surface needs to be completely clean and that's what they recommend the solvent for also. This stuff can be thinned enough to be used a skim filler and sands well. For minor dents and stuff, this may be a good alternative because it doesn't shrink. It won't work for cracks in body metal at edges. I tried that also. Out comes the MIG for that after all. If I was fixing a quarter extention of a thicker metal, this may be the way to go. Otherwise, I have to say that you may have to make up your minds yourself if you want to try this product for other applications. I didn't try it to reproduce female threaded parts like he did. It may be good for that or to remake a locating pin.
