Thread: Body cutting.

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The welding is done.

I ground down most of the weld. I have some warpage, all of it inward. Over two areas, one 4 inches long and another 2 inches long the bead and adjacent areas are about 1/4" below grade as it were...

Do I try to pull this out with the risk of maybe going above grade?

Or do I just fill it with bondo?

I have been told I need to drill holes for "thick" bondo to grab like plaster board. Is 1/4" thick? Are holes suggested?

Thanks again for your comments.

It's best to ping and ding the seams as near to the correct contour as possible before putting any filler on. For this you should use a body hammer (hammers) and dowell. If the metal becomes "oil canned" a shrinking hammer or the old heat and ping method will make if flat and firm again. Before you apply any filler, the area where the filler will be has to be stripped of paint and about a 36 grit finish to get good adhesion of the filler to the metal. Evercoat makes a product called "Metal to Metal", recomend using a 2" wide layer of it over all the welded areas. Sand it with 80 grit when it's dry, then start with a good quality lightweight filler.

This body panel is a double panel I do not have access to the rear of it. This means to pull the quarter inch out I have to drill and slide hammer.... Is that what I need to do? Do I then weld the drilled holes?

What do I run the sandpaper with?

I think you should, an inch is a little bit much for filler. I use sanding blocks, have 3 different lengths of them. The longer the sanding board you use, the less likely you are to leave highs and lows in the surface. I usually hit the filler with 36 grit first to knock down the high spots, then 80 grit. Might want to check with an auto body supply store, they can show you all the different kinds of sanding blocks. If you don't have an body shop supply store nearby, then a parts store that handles body shop supplies should be able to help you out.