When you own a classic, often times your doing the repairs yourself. Here are a few tips and tricks of the trade. The following is a patchwork of tips. Hope one of the bullets aids you with your repairs.
Dents
When dealing with dents, use adequate light. Reflect the light down the body panel in question. Never discount using your hands to check the body. Speed is the key. Slow down.What will you need? Hammers and dollies, sandpaper, of course, and paint. Reminder: watch how much filler you put on; never want more than 1/8 inch of filler on a repair.
Guide Coats
The two main styles: powder and a light mist coat of paint. Guide coats work by depositing a thin layer of either dust or paint across the surface of the primer. Essentially what they do is help you identify low spots as you sand down to a smooth, even, primer coat. Often used in conjunction with wet sanding, as the constant flow of water keeps the panel clean, and the paper from piling up with sanding residue.
Sanding
This may seem obvious, but don’t use a bare hand to sand. Use a sanding block, sponge, or something to support your sandpaper. Sanding with a bare hand will create shallow groves from your fingers pressing harder than your palm. A sanding block will ensure that your job goes smoothly. Use a light touch as that is all that is needed. The sandpaper does the job.
Straight Edge
Perfect for roughing in some body work with a dolly and hammer. Often, a 2-foot strip of steel or aluminum with a straight edge is the best choice. When you are working down a wide dent, the straight edge allows you to spot lows easily. Tip of the trade: run some masking tape the length of the edge to protect against scratches in the paint outside the working area.
DIY Welding Clamp
Sheet metal screw. Perfect for panel replacement. (1) Get your panel in place, (2) drill a pilot hole and run a screw through. This holds the panels in place while you weld. Once finished, a small spot weld will fill that hole in.
Buffing/Polishing Trim
Use some spare pieces of wood to hold the small trim pieces. Or screw the trim to the wood provided. Either way, create a handle. This helps combat the potential warping due to the heat generating by buffing/polishing.
When you’re in Sand Springs and Need Auto Body Repairs Remember Battman Collision Repair. Visit our website, call us (918)245-8200 or email us markbattenfield@cox.net. Hopefully, our blog gives you assistance with your future projects, and we are your one stop shop for Auto Body Tips From The Ole’ Timers. This information is borrowed from Speedway Motors.
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