Mixing Metal Body Filler: Car Restoration Tips

"Hi, I'm Doug I work with 20 great guys in Saint Louis at Doug Jenkins Custom Hot Rods and we are going to do some work for you today on Expert Village. Alex has the metal work done and the pieces are all ready now for the next step on the Miata. That is to seal the welds that where done and to get the body exactly the right shape. For that you use a small amount of body filler. The body filler that Alex is using is gray in color. If you remember from a earlier clip the filler that came off the vehicle was a pink color. This is a metal base filler it does not absorb water. This is water proof filler, it seals up the welds, it water proofs the steel. It is not effected by water. Anytime you weld a car there is opportunities for water to get to the welded area this filler is immune to that, water infiltration. The blue goop that you saw Alex put on top of the silver is a harder, this is a 2 part system and it requires a catalyst to harden it. There is a variety of different hardeners for different situations. Alex has chose to use a cream hardener on this one. It is important when you are mixing the filler not to mix it on a pour surface. A lot of guys would have the top off of a box or grab a box and mix it on there but the resin from the filler can be absorbed in the poorest surface and it would give you a less desirable application."