How to Fix Rust Holes on a Car With Bondo
Bondo is a plastic filler that is used to smooth out and mask inconsistencies or damage in metal. Bondo is not used on it's own to repair holes because it has no structural strength and will quickly fail. Any holes that are present due to rust must be patched with sheet metal using a mig welder. The bondo is then used to mask the metal repair. Bondo is fairly easy to work with, will last a long time, and be unnoticeable, if applied correctly.
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Things You'll Need
- Safety glasses
- Grinder
- Sheet metal
- Tin snips
- Mig welder
- Welding mask
- Welding gloves
- Rags
- Acetone
- Bondo
- Putty knife
- 400-grit sandpaper
- 1200-grit sandpaper
- Sanding block
Instructions
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1
Put on safety glasses. Grind away all the visible rust until you have clean, bare metal.
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2
Lay a piece of sheet metal over the hole and trace the hole onto the sheet metal. Cut the sheet metal patch using tin snips.
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3
Put on a welding helmet and gloves and tack-weld the patch in place using a mig welder. Once the patch is in place, carefully mig-weld the entire seam so there no holes remain in the metal.
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4
Grind the weld seam smooth using a grinder. Once the weld is completely smooth, wipe the area clean using a rag and acetone.
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5
Place the necessary amount of Bondo on a scrap piece of cardboard and add the recommended amount of catalyst to it. Thoroughly mix in the catalyst with a putty knife. When the Bondo is one consistent color, begin applying it over the repair using the putty knife. Get it as smooth as possible and let it harden.
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6
Sand the Bondo smooth using 400 grit sandpaper followed by 1200-grit on a sanding block. For large repairs a long sanding block should be used.
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References
- Photo Credit alte karre image by Daniel Fuhr from Fotolia.com
