Paint Removal

[deftone]

Might be a stupid question....but I think I have some filler in the body of my '69 under the crappy respray. Is there a way to remove the paint to check out how much filler is there except for blasting it? I wont be doing the bodywork for a while anyway, I just want to know what Im dealing with so I can plan better.

[Danno]

I'm not sure i follow. are you taking it down to the metal in the spot with filler?

[deftone]

Im just trying to work out how much filler is actually there. If I could do that without taking the paint off right now that would work too. The little filler I can see on the edge of the panel is crumbling, so it will need replaced either way

[Danno]

unless you can see the back of the panel, you don't know if there is a deep dent or not, you can get a good magnet and make some guesses based on how well it seems to stick to certain spots. Bondo used to fill "low spots" is gonna be hard to tell unless you just start sanding the heck out of it.

[bradartigue]

Might be a stupid question....but I think I have some filler in the body of my '69 under the crappy respray. Is there a way to remove the paint to check out how much filler is there except for blasting it? I wont be doing the bodywork for a while anyway, I just want to know what Im dealing with so I can plan better.

Sure, go buy some "Aircraft Paint Remover" or "Aircraft Remover" (a stupid name) from Auto Zone. Don't get the spray, get the brush-on. It will take your paint right off. Might take a few applications but it works pretty quick. Once you use it though you will have to remove all of the bondo underneath, the stuff makes the bondo junk.

[Danno]

the problem with bondo is that if you have a feathered edge already peeling, the whole thing will be going soon. Bondo will absorb moisture in the air and then you have all the things that go with that moisture. expanding at different rates than the body panel it's on. freezing, etc. once there is any exposure to the outside with bondo the whole thing is a failure. This goes for rock chips, or people that try to patch rusted holes with bondo on the fenders, but then leave the back side of the fender unsealed/painted.

So, my advice is to try to seal up that spot where you can see bondo. Maybe even use a sprayable automotive clear if you are scared to play with colors. then when it's time to paint, just start going nuts with the block and sandpaper and you'll see all the bondo used in the past.

[spidernut]

Here's what I did on one of my old Fords.....take a very small diameter drill (the duller the better) and drill through the paint into the bondo and stop when you hit the metal. You don't want to drill through the metal for obvious reasons.

Mark where the drill bit stopped and remove the drill from the hole. You'll only have a very small hole in the paint that can be filled with glazing compound and it will only take a very small amount of paint to touch it up.

My Ford had about 4 inches of Bondo on the rear fender. I removed it with a chisel because it was sooooo thick. I had less than 1/8 when it was done.

[81SPIDERMATT]

magnet

[baltobernie]

Auction pros use instruments like this:
http://www.ndtt.com/filler-detective-au ... ector.html
These devices can be fooled by mixing metal filings into the Bondo, but you're not talking about a Bugatti here