Thread: Filling Holes

Tweet

The chrome strip running down the center of my Caddy has been removed. What is the best way to fill the little holes? There are 30 little hole running down the center of both sides. Each hole is less than a centimeter wide. I don't have access to a welder either.

Fiberglass Repair Kit and Bondo?

Thanks

What about lead, bondo always seems to pop out of little holes like that, but then again i could be doing it wrong

Best way is to weld em closed, bar none IMO. You'll never have to worry about bondo popping out. Of course you need a welder, which you dont have, thats what friends are for...borrowing stuff. Ive heard lead works well too, but i have never done it before so cant say how well it works.

Just bondo thru the holes is a big no...no...See the silver dollar size rust holes starting,those were the same size holes you have on the front,the back tells the story.A really cheezy way ,but better than bondo,is to run some screws into the holes with red locktite on them .Leave the head of the screw far enuff away from the body to cut the excess off flush with the panels.You could even get really tricky and dip the ends of the screws into some sort of rust preventer to help with the rust behind the panel.Best way is to weld them holes up and get to the back of the panel to seal it.

Trouble with bondo also is that when you slam your hood, it pops out. Welding them up first is really the permanent solution.

Don

yes i have leaded .find some way to weld them lead is tricky but can be done . but i will tell you if you want to try get a big heavy duty soldering gun 200watts you will need to make them low so the lead as some place to hold on to. tap in with a punch.DO NOT GO NUTS. you need to tin the spots with the iron move it around with a small bit of lead till it is wet looking and then add lead if it drop thru it to hot . i would use solid solder wire and solder paste make sure you wash it all off. but you can wast every body panel if you do it wrong with a torch or a mig.weld them with a mig is the only right way.IMO

got to weld them. If you have no welder see if a body shop will weld them for you then you can gring and finish

get a piece of brass to back them with, weld the holes shut with a tig. Seam seal or sand, prime, and paint the back side to prevent a rust spot happening later....

i have fixed many holes with no backer but this is not a job for someone thats never done it. a grinder should be used very carefully to much heat will warp the $iht out of it .find a body shop thats good and pay them .tig will do the job but you want to get on and off fast so IMO the mig works very good for this. watch all glass in the car and trim the hot sparks will ruin it and you could burn the car down to

thanks for all the responses.

I can see that welding is really the way to go. So, is it necessary to take the panels and weld a backing?

i lead repair holes a few times sometimes several times a week, but we use silver solder, it is expensive. and the iron cost would be some what affordable, but ya it is tricky. because you have to beat the hole area into a small dent and fill it, or when you finish leveling it smooth. there will be nothing to hold it on top the hole. some might eventually vibrate loose and gravity will prevail and they will fall inside. then there is the issue with the flux, or euclean acid that is applied to make it stick. it is a rust inhibiter and if you cant wash it off the back side they will rust quickly. try to work in a welder in the end it will save a lot of headaches and time.

Originally Posted by ectoplasm

thanks for all the responses.

I can see that welding is really the way to go. So, is it necessary to take the panels and weld a backing?

if the holes are bigger than 3/16 make backers . you want to hop around keep the heat down.the back will rust lik dave S said so you want to seam sealer or use epoxies for sealing the back. any way you go .so you need to put some thing on the back or spray undercoating on the back side and call it good the best way is the epoxies like the west system put it on with a acid brush and you may want to add a thickener to it. keep it from runing. this will make it air / water tight or just cheap fiber glass resin works ok to i have did seams this way and hold up very good

Originally Posted by ectoplasm

thanks for all the responses.

I can see that welding is really the way to go. So, is it necessary to take the panels and weld a backing?

No, grind each hole back & front ,"angle die grinder works great" use a piece of brass or copper " I use a 6 inch piece of 1 1/4 copper tube with one end hammered flat and folded over" ....press that against one side of the hole and weld the other side...the weld will not stick to the copper or brass and it keeps the weld from blowing out the hole. I like to do the weld from the back side when possible,use caution as the brass or copper gets very hot very quick. A quick dressing with a grinder and its ready for some mud & primer..Mig welder is the only way to go unless ya got a tig.......

I smashed a piece of copper tubing down for a backer,it works great and much less mess than a free hand deal.I tried this after about 20 of them with no backer and was a 100 times better and faster.They are right ,that the side you put the copper on looks better than the welded side!!The copper acts as a heat sink too,soo you get less warpage.
If you just can not borrow or use a welder ,the screws with red locktite from the back and then grind flush ,will be better than just slapin bondo in there and you will live much longer than smeltin lead down to use.

Welding is the only CORRECT way to do it. No welder then get some Fuzor. Stuff is VERY strong and would be better than bondo but later can still come out. Get Fuzor for metal not wood or fiberglass. There are different kinds that is why I said to get the one for Metal. They use this stuff to put body panels together now instead of welding and same with big rigs, they put big rig bodies together with this stuff...