Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step

[jlsanborn]

Way to forge ahead Vic. I'm equally disappointed as I was hoping the POR15 was going to be such a hit that I'd grab some for my DD Silverado and follow your footsteps. Oh well, the silver looks sharp and your custom center caps are going to finish them off nicely. Do you have rubber for them yet? What sizes are you thinking of using?

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

Way to forge ahead Vic. I'm equally disappointed as I was hoping the POR15 was going to be such a hit that I'd grab some for my DD Silverado and follow your footsteps. Oh well, the silver looks sharp and your custom center caps are going to finish them off nicely. Do you have rubber for them yet? What sizes are you thinking of using?

Thanks, John, I'd have rather used the Glisten PC ...just wasn't meant to be I guess. I bought the rolling stock last fall but dismounted them after deciding I didn't like how they looked next to the powder coat on the wheels. They're BFG 235/60's on the 8" front rims and 275/60's on the 9.5" rears. Tuesday is shaping up as a good day to get them remounted and balanced. Been a long time since the chassis was mobile. No telling what's accumulated under it.

[Vic1947]

Hammered away on sheetmetal some more over the weekend. Had several low crown areas that needed to come down before applying filler. Once I got started, it was a bit like "Whack-A-Mole" as one area settled down, another popped up. Started out using the spot shrinker, but had to get out Bertha with the SS shrinking disc. Using a little t-handle puller and flat hammer leveled out the last of the high spots. So, let the real mess begin ...Bondo Bob's Body Boutique is open for bidness.

[67cheby]

great work on the sheet metal !

[jlsanborn]

SS Shrinking disk? What in the world.. how can that thing shrink metal??? Glad to see you at this stage!

[swamp rat]

I see your putting the bondo on bare metal, i hope its ok to put it over enamel based primer too? I was afraid my work was gonna rust and i have been side tracked a bit.

On another note i did buy a shrinking disk for my 4" grinder but never used it yet, i may have to give it a try soon on some scrap to learn how it works...

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

SS Shrinking disk? What in the world.. how can that thing shrink metal??? Glad to see you at this stage!

Hey John. For a large, low crown area, these are hard to beat. Press it gently against the work area and trigger the sander. Move steadily around the perimeter of the crown and work your way to the middle. Small spots with a high crown may turn blue (which I try to avoid as much as possible). As the area begins to shine and darken slightly, release the trigger, wait for the disc to stop spinning and remove. At this point, I use a damp terry cloth towel to quench the heated area. Once it is cool, I use the straightedge (or a pattern buck) to check the surface. Repeat as needed.

On the plus side, it removes virtually zero material, although after repeated use, a small amount of buildup will occur on the disc. I then use a DA to dress the disc. It also handles large areas much more effectively. Downside to this tool is that if you're overzealous, it can affect the heat treat on modern sheetmetal causing it to become brittle. If you see blue steel, you're overdoing it. The guy I bought mine from no longer maintains a website (or has changed the domain name.) Ea$twood, Autobody Toolmart and others carry similar discs, though.

[Low Elco]

Did yours come from Sunchaser? Can't wait to see the Mud Mastery!

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

I see your putting the bondo on bare metal, i hope its ok to put it over enamel based primer too? I was afraid my work was gonna rust and i have been side tracked a bit.

On another note i did buy a shrinking disk for my 4" grinder but never used it yet, i may have to give it a try soon on some scrap to learn how it works...

Yep, I've done bondo over bare metal for years, Mike. Nowadays, they recommend applying it over epoxy primer, but in most cases, you end up with bare spots anyway after sanding. It's not practical to keep priming between layers of filler to keep from laying it over bare metal. If circumstances permit, I'll epoxy primer first, then do filler, but if it doesn't work out that way, the reverse order has always worked for me. A good coat of epoxy will form a moisture barrier at any stage, so I endeavor to apply it before shooting 2K primer surfacer.

My shrinking disc is meant for a 7" sander that runs above 6000 rpm. Some smaller sanders and most all pneumatics don't have the HP to run it. If your disc is smaller, it should work great. If you didn't get instructions on using the disc, I can post a link to the ones that came with mine.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Yep, I've done bondo over bare metal for years, Mike. Nowadays, they recommend applying it over epoxy primer, but in most cases, you end up with bare spots anyway after sanding. It's not practical to keep priming between layers of filler to keep from laying it over bare metal. If circumstances permit, I'll epoxy primer first, then do filler, but if it doesn't work out that way, the reverse order has always worked for me. A good coat of epoxy will form a moisture barrier at any stage, so I endeavor to apply it before shooting 2K primer surfacer.

My shrinking disc is meant for a 7" sander that runs above 6000 rpm. Some smaller sanders and most all pneumatics don't have the HP to run it. If your disc is smaller, it should work great. If you didn't get instructions on using the disc, I can post a link to the ones that came with mine.

Do you recommend skuffing the primer with a certain grit or possibly a red Scotchbrite pad? I'm getting close to applying bondo too.

I'd gladly take that link when you have time, no rush.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Did yours come from Sunchaser? Can't wait to see the Mud Mastery!

Nope, got mine from a guy named John Kelly in Moclips, WA a long time ago. His website is now defunct and I don't know if he's making them anymore.

Kathy is out making a mud run as we speak. I'm running low and she was headed in the right direction so I added one more stop to her list. Plan to blow the bed apart and do some epoxy priming tomorrow. Supposed to be nice out.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Do you recommend skuffing the primer with a certain grit or possibly a red Scotchbrite pad? I'm getting close to applying bondo too.

I'd gladly take that link when you have time, no rush.

If the primer has cured more than seven days, you should scuff it with the Scotchbrite pad before spreading any bondo.

Links to shrinker instructions attached. Sorry for quality, due to filesize limits, 100dpi was all I could do.

[swamp rat]

Thanks Vic for the links.

Trying to get an answer in the body thread but so far no replies, I was sold a tube of Bondo brand glazing and spot putty at the paint store, trying to figure out how thick it maximum for filling the voids on my bedside around the filler welds ect? Should i get a regular can of Bondo? this stuff say's fills pin holes, scratches and hairline cracks.

http://www.shop3m.com/bondo-glazing-...F414csiCdS5icQ

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Thanks Vic for the links.

Trying to get an answer in the body thread but so far no replies, I was sold a tube of Bondo brand glazing and spot putty at the paint store, trying to figure out how thick it maximum for filling the voids on my bedside around the filler welds ect? Should i get a regular can of Bondo? this stuff say's fills pin holes, scratches and hairline cracks.

9 times out of 10, glazing / spot putty is meant to go on in very thin (< 1/16") coats. For all practical purposes, it's nothing more than super thick lacquer primer. Despite what it may say on the tube, I promise you, it will shrink. Bondo (or someone) makes a spot filler called Putty Cote that has ultra fine plastic media and extra resin. Quite a bit soupier than regular Bondo and uses MEKP hardener like the base filler to catalyze. So you mix it up like your base filler but it goes on thin and fills gaps, voids and etc. Better solution in my experience.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

9 times out of 10, glazing / spot putty is meant to go on in very thin (< 1/16") coats. For all practical purposes, it's nothing more than super thick lacquer primer. Despite what it may say on the tube, I promise you, it will shrink. Bondo (or someone) makes a spot filler called Putty Cote that has ultra fine plastic media and extra resin. Quite a bit soupier than regular Bondo and uses MEKP hardener like the base filler to catalyze. So you mix it up like your base filler but it goes on thin and fills gaps, voids and etc. Better solution in my experience.

I'm pretty sure i have some spots that are 1/16 void, if i cant find this Putty coat at the paint supply store downtown then should i just use a can of bondo like i can find at the auto parts store? Sorry for the questions.

http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/dyna...e-p-17610.aspx

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

I'm pretty sure i have some spots that are 1/16 void, if i cant find this Putty coat at the paint supply store downtown then should i just use a can of bondo like i can find at the auto parts store? Sorry for the questions.

Absolutely. Paint store would probably be a better choice since their inventory usually turns over more often than auto parts. Fresh plastic filler will be a little runny, which is what you need. The older it gets, the thicker the consistency and the larger the voids it leaves when it sets up. Just mix up a small amount and squeegee it over the area with the hiccups. Try to avoid going back over it too much because as it sets up, overworking it will introduce the porosity you don't want. I like the Putty Cote, but if you can't find it locally and don't want to wait for it to come from Toolmart, then regular filler will work in a pinch.

[jeh]

Just got caught back up on your progress Vic, looks like you're coming right along on the ole' girl.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by 67cheby

great work on the sheet metal !

Originally Posted by jeh

Just got caught back up on your progress Vic, looks like you're coming right along on the ole' girl.

Thanks, guys! I had to lay off for awhile doing some extra-curricular machine work, but I have a few days this week to devote to nothing but "truck time". I'll be back doing some buddy work next week, but then the coast looks clear. Me and Mr. Board Sander will have a putty party. I did manage to get the tires remounted on the rims today so the chassis will be down on all fours tomorrow morning. WooHoo!

[Low Elco]

Can't wait to see it back on the ground! Standing by for All The Mud Tricks You Can Stand!

Rat, I lay a skim coat of mud over the metalwork/lumps and bumps (literally, standard Bondo, I have a gallon I'm trying to get through), block it down with 80 until I'm close, then knock the 80 scratch down to 150 and hit it with Slick Sand/G2 primer from Evercoat. Get it from Toolmart/your Paint Store. Goes on thick and is great for 150 blocking down waves and filling pinholes and low spots in your filler. Then you can block it out from there. Sorry to jump in, Vic, just my .02.

[mcbassin]

Oh Vic you are bringing back some pleasant memories from last summer/fall. Your metal work looks fabulous. I like the metal shrinking wheel. I had to use a propane torch on mine, but I will own one of those wheels.

I'm with you on mudding to bare metal.. I would add, try to Stay completely away from that red spot filler made by Bondo co. etc., it will shrink way more than the primer over time. It can cause serious issues down the road. I really like the Dolphin glaze made by U-Pol, for minor surface imperfections. I have really liked the Evercoat rage extreme for my filler too.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

...lay a skim coat of mud over the metalwork/lumps and bumps (literally, standard Bondo, I have a gallon I'm trying to get through), block it down with 80 until I'm close, then knock the 80 scratch down to 150 and hit it with Slick Sand/G2 primer from Evercoat. Get it from Toolmart/your Paint Store. Goes on thick and is great for 150 blocking down waves and filling pinholes and low spots in your filler. Then you can block it out from there.

Originally Posted by mcbassin

... I would add, try to stay completely away from that red spot filler made by Bondo co. etc., it will shrink way more than the primer over time. It can cause serious issues down the road. I really like the Dolphin glaze made by U-Pol, for minor surface imperfections. I have really liked the Evercoat rage extreme for my filler too.

X2 for the above suggestions. When it comes to the step right before primer surfacer, you can't be too careful. I learned a long time ago that the lacquer glazing putty is bad mojo. It will rear its ugly head at the worst possible time.

So this morning, I scrubbed the ozone induced film off the tires and cleaned off the handprints left by the tire guys, then mounted the rolling stock back on all four corners. This afternoon with the outside temp around 70, I mixed up a load of epoxy primer and squirted a few pieces top and bottom. This should be enough to get me into bondo mode. Also, now that the hood and riser are sealed, I can finally glue them together without worrying about condensation wreaking havoc at a later date.

[sduckworth13]

Very nice work Vic. I'm looking forward to seeing how the hood scoop looks when you get it put on.

[mcbassin]

Really nice progress.

[Low Elco]

Hooray! Hooray! Epoxy day!

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by sduckworth13

Very nice work Vic. I'm looking forward to seeing how the hood scoop looks when you get it put on.

Getting close, Scott. It's glued on and waiting for the adhesive to set. I prepped the areas around the edges with an 80 grit DA and then laid down a couple of beads of pookey around the perimeter. Tooled them down with an acid brush then weighted and clamped the edges of the panel. I'd marked the centerlines of the riser panel and the hood and traced an outline of the final position before mating the wet parts. Where the adhesive oozed out, I smoothed it down with a brush to make sure there were no small voids at the edge. I'll remove the weights and clamps in the morning and survey the results.