Car Parts and Accessories

Rubbing down

After the last layer has set properly (half an hour to an hour, depending on the temperature) rub down the filler until it is approximately contoured to the surrounding bodywork but still slightly proud.

At this stage power tools can be used but avoid bringing the edge of sanding discs into contact with the filler as this can cause quite deep grooves in a fraction of a second.

Next, rub the filler down with a medium grade emery paper until it starts to blend in with the surrounding metal. Periodically, look along the section of bodywork being repaired while running water over the repair. This will show up any errors in its contours.

If there are any indentations that go below the level of the surrounding bodywork, the whole area will have to be cleaned and dried and then built up with a further application of filler.

Wash down the dent with clean water from time to time, but don’t use the water that you have washed the emery paper in.

As the contours of the repair begin to match the contours of the surrounding metal, change to a finer grade of emery paper and wash the area periodically until it blends exactly with the surrounding bodywork. Then use an extra fine grade of paper to rub the filler and surrounding paintwork until the textures over the whole of the area match.

Pin holes

If, due to insufficient mixing of the filler in the early stages, small pin holes start to appear, the only effective way to deal with them is to use a petroleum-base stopper. The normal filler is not very effective on tiny holes.

To apply the petroleum-base stopper, start by cleaning the area that is being worked on. Using a piece of card or a spreader with a flexible edge, wipe a small quantity of the petroleum stopper across the area containing the pin holes, and press firmly so that the only stopper left on the repair area is that deposited into the pin holes.

The petroleum-base stopper does not cure like the normal filler cures. In fact it relies on evaporation of the petroleum base into the air. This means that even though it may seem to have set on the outside, the inside may not have. So note how long it has taken to set on the outside and allow twice as long for the inside. Otherwise, when you have finished spraying, the petrol vapour trapped inside will start to evaporate and cause blistering.

If you have had to deal with pin holes in this way, you will have to use an extra fine emery paper to give the repaired area a gentle rub down. Then wash with clean water. Finally, prepare the surface for spraying.

Small holes with diameters of ₄ inch and less can be repaired just by using filler. The method used is to tap the edge of the hole inward using the tip of a file or the edge of a screwdriver, so that the outer rim of the small hole is in fact turned into a dent. Apply the filler in very small quantities around the edge of the hole and so reduce its diameter. When this has set, put a small piece of filler in the centre. This acts as a plug. Then build the whole area up until it is proud of the surrounding metalwork, rub down and spray.

Large holes

Large holes are cleaned and bridged with glass fibre. Then they are filled, rubbed down and sprayed, again using the same techniques as with the dent.

When using perforated metals such as zinc to bridge a hole instead of glass fibre, the only difference is the initial application of filler to the back of the hole to bond the perforated metal to it.

Scratches

Filler is also extremely useful for dealing with scratches.

If the scratch has only penetrated the first layer of paint, it can be blended quite successfully into the surrounding paintwork by using an extra fine grade of emery paper and then respraying. However, if you attempt to do this with a deep scratch, particularly if it has penetrated to such a depth that part of the metal has been removed, a great deal of rubbing down is involved. After it has been resprayed, there is always the chance that a slight hollow will be evident.

The simplest and quickest method is to fill the scratch with filler. First look for any signs of rust on the scratched metal and if there are any, apply a chemical rust remover. When this is dry, wash it off thoroughly, using clean water. Use a rag dipped in white spirit to remove any trace of polish from the surrounding paintwork and mix a small quantity of filler, laying it firmly into the scratch with the spreader.

When applying the filler, do not move the spreader along the length of the scratch as the scratch will not fill up properly. Instead, move the spreader at right angles so that the scratch acts like a trough and traps the filler which passes across it. Some fillers appear almost transparent when used in very thin layers so don’t be surprised when you can still see the metal in the scratch. When the filler has thoroughly hardened, run the tip of your finger gently across the scratch and you should feel only the slightest indentation.

Using an extra fine grade of emery paper (about 400 grade), gently rub down the area of the scratch and the surrounding paintwork until there is no sign of an indentation when you run your finger across the repaired area. Then wash the area down thoroughly with clean water, mask and spray.

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