Question for the bodywork guys...

[ekgguy]

I am ready to start the bodywork on my truck. I have a couple of questions. My truck is already mostly in primer.

1. What is the best way to get down to bare metal without gouging the metal?

2. Once I have it down to metal and have pulled the dents and bodyworked it, what primer do I use? What is etching primer?

The guy next door to me is moving and he gave me a couple of gallons of Eastwood Low-Voc DTM Epoxy Primer and the reducer to go with it. Can I use that?

3. I will be welding in some patch panels, filling in the stakebed holes and the original gas tank hole. Do I need to do something different on the places that are welded vs. what is bodyworked?

Thanks in advance.

[sshuttlesworth24]

im new to body work myself... approaching a year now of True Experience.

im sure if i get something wrong i will be corrected.

if you are trying to get to bare metal you can use two methods....

sanding or use a chemical paint stripper.
Use a DA sander if you decide to sand and go at it with 80grit. 36/40 grit will be faster but it is coarser and will leave deeper scratches in the metal. you can use 36/40 then follow up with 80 (which if you do use you'll have to do anyways.)

one of the more popular paint stripper that is used is aircraft stripper. i believe you can purchase at lowes/home depot. apply it to area with a paint brush and it bubbles the paint right off... follow behind with sanding.

Etching primer is used to protect the metal from rust from my understanding. I think the type of primer you use should be based on your choice of base/clear system you plan to go with. 2k Urethane is the industry standard in collision and most automotive body shops if not all.

as far as patch repair... after you have welding and ground your welds down with a die grinder treat them as you would the rest of the car that is bare metal.

hope this works... if i got something wrong someone will correct me...

[ekgguy]

Probably should add that I will be wrapping the truck and not painting it. According to the reps at 3M, as long as the truck has a an epoxy sealer on it the wrap will stick fine, so my final step will be the sealer... then the wrap.

[aod92]

look into having it media blasted. A little pricey but a huge time saver.

[Jurassic-1]

There are several ways to get to steel. Media blast is best. If you are doing it yourself and have a compressor you can use an 8" DA sander it is orbital. If you can you can use 80 grit paper if it is not rough enough use 40 grit and follow with 80. If you wanted Chem stripper is good but messy ans requires sanding after it is stripped. Once it is to steel use a 2 component metal etch primer It will have 1/2 product and the other 1/2 will be an acid based reducer. You can prime the entire truck and go back to the body work needed. This protects it from flash rusting. Note apply 3 coats if you plan on not priming over it for a bit. If it sits 24 hours or more you must dry sand with 320 before priming over it. You can do all body work then use a good 2K primer on top of it. Note do not leave it out in the rain with the etch primer too long . It will be ok for a short time if you primed it heavy.

[57taskforce]

I'll add by saying use the etch most specifically over any bare metal you create. Normal primer doesn't stick well to bare metal. The etch chemically bonds to the metal giving it a much better adhesion, and base for you top coats.

[hugger6933]

Ok I am gonna speak against a couple other replies on this thread, you need to strip with a mechanical means IE sanding. The stripper should be left to the pros and that stuff is bad news as it will leak out on to fresh primer if your luck and paint if your not. With that said I say start with 80 then go 180 or 220 grit then spray 2 to 3 coats of EPOXY type primer. I have sprayed possibly hundreds gallons of both and while I used the etch primer that was late 80' early 90's. I love the epoxy over [instead of] etch primer. Now once the epoxy is down you can fill your dents [you pull the bigger ones before epoxy. Then after that you need 2 to 3 coats of high build primer I use Omni it is lots less money than it bigger brother PPG.

[alexhershey]

I agree with the mechanical means. If you do not completely and thoroughly clean after using aircraft stripper it will come back to bite you in the ass. Like hugger said, start with 80 and go from there. Start small so as to not bite off more than you can chew. Definitely pull the big dents before primer...go heavier rather than lighter with the primer and then you will have the millage to block out the smaller dings and such. Patience is your greatest tool in body work for sure.

[hotrodder]

In the thought of the primer question Medallion Corp. makes a primer called DTM. It has both the etch and 2k ingredients. The DTM stands for direct to metal. It is made by Rubberseal. Should be available at most Autobody supply stores. Good product and fairly inexpensive considering the cost of supplies these days.

[ekgguy]

Thanks all... i was figuring on the mechanical, just wasnt sure what grit to start with and the type of primer to use. Everything my neighbor gave me is epoxy and for direct to metal. I am still doing my research on it.

[19673ontree]

Every vehicle I strip to bare metal I use 36 grit on a pad with a drill or grinder then put epoxy primer coat on then do your bodywork and use a good sandable primer that uses a hardener , I cut two fenders in half and made one for my 67 camaro stripped it with 36 grit coared it with epoxy DP50 then bondoed it that was 13 years ago

[19673ontree]

On the back of the cab on my 67 c10 I painted in 07 I did not have the money to buy epoxy and so I bondoed up some dents and they bubbled out last yr

[sshuttlesworth24]

somebody elaborate on epoxy vs 2k primer....

can you still use urethane clear with epoxy primer?

[19673ontree]

You still use your sandalble 2K primer and base clear you put the epoxy over the bare metal , this makes it last 10 times longer ,,,,,

[hugger6933]

You use the epoxy over the bare metal. The epoxy primer has no fill properties whatsoever, that is why you spray the 2k[as some call it] or what I [and most of the industry] call the high build primer. The 2K designation just means that it is a two part[IE primer and activator or hardner]. But all i mentioned is compatible with base coat clear coat type paints. Jim