How to Create Perfect Auto Body Work
After all of the major body work is done, you'll need to do the finish work on your classic, this is what creates the smooth as glass look in your paint work, there is quite a few ways of going about getting the perfect finish on your body work.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Sanding Blocks
- Water
- Metal Glaze
- Spray-able Body Filler
- Primer
- A Primer Spray Gun
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1
Make sure that all of the major body work is complete, and the car is ready for finish body work, in other words, no dents, creases, or anything like that on the car.
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2
Our very next step will be to give the car a once over, look at all of the body work, and make sure that it doesn't need some help in a certain area, you don't want to discover this after you have the finish work started, so it pays to be 100% sure.
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After you have inspected the body work, and it all looks good, we can move on to the finish body work stage, this in my opinion is one of the most important steps for the outcome of your paint work, now that we have that done let's go.
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4
You'll need to get a long sanding board maybe 12-16 inches long, and load it with 80 grit sand paper, once you have it loaded with the 80 grit sand paper, you'll need to go over the rough body work to remove the 40 grit sand paper scratches from it.
As you do this you'll need to pay close attention to your work, you don't want to sand to far and make a high spot appear in your work, after you have sanded the entire body work area of the car, you'll need to mask the car up, we'll be spraying feather fill on it.
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5
Feather fill is a high build spray-able body filler, you'll want to spray three coats on the car, wait about fifteen minutes between coats of feather fill for flash time, after you have sprayed the last coat of feather fill on the car, you'll need to give it some dry time.
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You'll need to follow the factory recommended dry to sand times to the letter for the best results, after you have let the feather fill dry according to manufactures recommendations, you can then sand it, first I'd go over it very lightly with 80 grit paper on a long board.
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7
After the 80 grit sanding is completed, you'll need to guide coat the entire car, guide coat is a sort of black satin paint that is designed to help you see the high, and the low spots in your body work, this will help you make sure that it's perfect.
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Next you'll be moving to 180 grit sand paper on the long board, we use a long board because it will make the car appear smoother, the longer the sanding board the better.
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9
After you have sanded the entire car with 180 grit sand paper, and there is no more guide coat left on the car, your ready for primer, but that is a different article, after this stage, you'll need to inspect the car one last time to make sure it's right, and your done.
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10
Mask the car, and spray the primer to it, spray at least three coats, starting first on any bare metal showing through, make 100% sure that you give at lease 15 minutes flash time between coats of primer.
After putting three coats of primer on the bare metal areas first, you should put at least three coats over the entire car, this is the final step in the process, the next step is the sanding the primer, but that is another article.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Always make sure that you pay close attention to your work.
Don't rush the process, take your time.
Have an idea of what the finished product should look like.
All use the longest hand sanding board you can.
Always use guide coat to make sure that the surface is smooth.
When spraying primer, or filler, make sure that you lay it on smoothly.
Always follow the manufactures recommendations on their products.
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