How to Do Automotive Bodywork

Almost anyone who owns a car needs automotive bodywork done at some point. Bringing your car to a body shop can be very expensive, and often take days or even weeks to complete. But most of the cost in bodywork is actually in the labor charges. Learn how to do automotive bodywork yourself to significantly reduce your costs.

Things You'll Need

• Bondo
• Dent puller
• Hand sander

Instructions

1. Use a dent puller on large dents to straighten the metal. Drill into the metal of the car in various places in the dent; usually 3 to 5 holes will work. Insert the dent puller and gently pull the tool until the dent looks more smooth. It will probably not look perfect.

2. Sand the entire area with a small grinder and rough sandpaper disk. Grind away the paint in the dent and the surrounding area.

3. Apply Bondo over the holes made from the drill and also over the low-lying areas in the dent. Allow the Bondo to dry completely.

4. Sand the Bondo with a hand sander/file with 80-grit sandpaper. Sand until the Bondo feels smooth, but don't sand so much that the dent can be felt again. The Bondo is to fill the holes and make the entire area level with the rest of the car again.

5. Use 600-grit sandpaper over the entire Bondo area again. This makes the scratches in the Bondo less apparent.

6. Apply body filler directly over the Bondo. Allow it to dry completely and then sand over it using 1,000-grit sandpaper.

7. Wipe the entire area with a dirt and grease remover. It is now ready for primer and paint.

Tips & Warnings

• Harmful particles are released when sanding Bondo and body filler. Wear a face mask when working with these products.