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.

 

[The Cobbler]

spot putty is what you want I think
aluminum?

 

[zendriver]

spot putty is what you want I think
aluminum?

this ^^

 

[Wrench97]

Skim coat it with bondo then use 120 grit with a d/a sander then 220 grit.
Spot putty is old school now it shrinks up under newer paints.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

Not exactly sure what you are filling, but take your body filler (I hate the word Bondo unless you are actually using Bondo ) to 80 grit. Then use a finishing glaze (Icing is what I use but Dolphin glaze, Half Time, etc are just a few others) and take that to 180 grit. Then a 2K primer filler followed by sanding the primer with 400-600. Then base/clear.

 

[unslow1]

I use a glaze.

 

[dnschmidt]

NEVER USE LACQUER SPOT PUTTY!!! It shrinks. Use polyester glaze as suggested above. I finish Body Filler (I use Rage Ultra) with 80, 180 then 320 prior to 2K urethane surfacer. Sand the surfacer with P400. To get better coverage out of your basecoat I recommend using a sealer of a similar color to the basecoat. Most paint systems will give you a recommended tint for the sealer to aid in basecoat coverage. Under most circumstances you don't need to sand the sealer but if you do use P600 followed by base and clear.