Last Thursday I was pulling a dent on a 2018 Civic rear quarter and my cheap stud welder started acting up. The gun kept sticking and popping, ended up blowing a hole right through the metal. Had to patch it with a new piece and rework the whole area. Cost me an extra 3 hours and a lot of cussing. Anyone else had bad luck with budget dent pullers?
I had this old Harbor Freight purple gun I used for years (like 6 years maybe) and I thought it was fine. Then I dropped $400 on a used Iwata from a guy retiring in Austin and man, what a difference. The first panel I sprayed with it laid down so smooth I almost cried. No more orange peel, no more fighting with the gun to get a decent pattern. The old gun was just wasting my time and clear coat, honestly. I figure the Iwata paid for itself after like 3 jobs with how much less material I used. Has anyone else made a big jump in gun quality and felt stupid for waiting so long?
I laughed it off for 6 months until I finally tried it on a Ford F-150 tailgate and he was dead right - way less mess and got the contour perfect in one pass. Anyone else find old school hand work beats power tools for certain steps?
Bought a cheap 3 cup set off Amazon to save on cleanup time between jobs. First one cracked at the threads after one use, second ones seals leaked everywhere. I scrubbed Tack Cloth off the floor for an hour. Saved my old metal cups from a junk pile, guess I'll stick with those. Anybody else get burned by cheap paint gear?
I used to think you could spray basecoat a little cold as long as you let it flash off longer. Had this older painter named Hank tell me I was wrong last winter when I was fighting with some silver metallic. I told him my way worked fine for years. Then I had a hood come out with some tiger striping that would not buff out. Had to strip it and start over. Hank said I should keep the booth at 70 minimum from the moment I start mixing to the last coat. I figured he was just being stubborn but I tried it his way on the next silver car. Came out perfect first try, no striping at all. Has anyone else had a specific temp that works best for metallics or is it more about the reducer you pick?
Spent half a day replacing broken clips on a 2018 Ford F-150 in Phoenix last summer after snapping nearly every one prying them off, and the next job I tried his advice and only broke two out of thirty, so has anyone else had better luck with heat vs brute force on these things?
He said 'it's all the same stuff' but that off-brand body filler took forever to kick and left pinholes everywhere. Anyone else deal with a shop pushing bargain materials?
I spent years swearing by solvent-based paint, thought waterborne was just hype for the EPA. Then I had a 2018 Honda Accord in that pearl white that kept coming out looking off with my old system. Finally borrowed a buddy's waterborne setup for a door repaint, and the color match was dead on first try. The blend job around the fender was way smoother than anything I got with solvent too. I'm not fully converted yet but man it made that job easier. Any of you guys make the switch and never look back?
Last month I picked up a cheap set of plastic spreaders from Harbor Freight to try on a dent repair. They just didnt flex right and left these weird ridges I had to sand out later. Got a set of the red dura-block ones for like 12 bucks more and holy cow the difference is night and day. Anyone else notice how much the spreader material affects your final finish?
I swear I heard this little tapping noise every time I hit a bump in a customer's 2018 Civic. Took the whole door panel off, checked the window regulator, the speaker, even the wiring harness. Nothing. Finally gave up and tipped the panel upside down to shake it out... and a single peanut M&M rolled out. Must have been sitting in there for months. Has anyone else found something ridiculous rattling around in a car?
Went to Precision Body off Elm last Tuesday. Needed a quote on a door ding. Guy walks me around the lot, talks about their new paint booth. Real smooth. Then he drops the per-hour rate. $90. For basic pull and fill. I've been doing this 12 years. $75 is standard around here. Told him I'll handle it myself. Am I wrong or are shops jacking rates just because?
I always figured my hand was good enough to check panel temps before painting. Then I missed a cold spot on a 2018 Ford F-150 fender last month and got a tiny solvent pop. One cheap gun later and I havent had the issue since. Anyone else resist a tool for way too long only to admit it actually saves time?
I just finished my 200th paint job since opening two years ago and realized I've been doing clear coat thickness totally wrong for the first 50 cars. Anybody else have a skill that took way too many tries to dial in?
I was stubborn using my old orbital sander for years on stuff like this but after 3 panels on that Civic my wrist was killing me. Switched to a DA from Ingersoll Rand and cut my block time in half on the same job. Has anyone else noticed how much smoother the finish lays down with a DA versus a regular orbital?
The previous shop had just piled on bondo over rust and old lacquer instead of doing it right, and now I gotta ask, has anyone else run into a car that had more filler than metal under the hood?
Been doing this for about 8 years now and always just used regular primer and prayed the welds wouldnt burn it all off. Had a 2018 F150 come in last week with some rust on the rear uniside rail, and the shop foreman Tim handed me a can of 3M weld-thru. Figured id try it just to shut him up. Man the difference is night and day. No bubbling around the welds, no fighting to get the panel to sit flat. Saved me like an hour of grinding and re-priming that one spot. Has anyone else had a specific product change how they do a common repair?
I was about to order a new rear bumper cover for a 2019 Accord last week, but decided to try plastic welding the crack first. Picked up a cheap hot stapler kit off Amazon for around 40 bucks, followed a YouTube tutorial from a shop in Ohio. I used stainless steel staples and melted them into the backside of the crack, then filled the front with a plastic filler rod. The repair held up fine after I sanded and painted it, and the customer was happy. Has anyone else had luck with those cheaper welders or do you stick with the name brand ones?
I was at a shop closing down in Detroit and they had a old Binks spray gun for $50. The guy said it just needed a new needle and seal kit. But then I saw a brand new HF knockoff for $40 and figured why mess with old stuff. I grabbed the Binks because my dad always swore by them back in the 80s. Took me three tries to get the seal kit right but now it lays down paint like butter. Has anyone else found a hidden gem at a closing shop or did I just get lucky?
Stopped by Garcia’s Auto Body in Phoenix last Tuesday and this guy knocked out a seamless blend on a 2022 Ford Explorer hood without a single peel, has anyone else seen that kind of clean work and felt like you were way behind on your own skills?
An old timer at my shop told me to double the hardener in my filler when it's under 50 degrees out. I tried it last Saturday on a fender repair and it kicked off way too fast, like within 3 minutes I couldn't even spread it. Ended up having to grind it all out and start over on Sunday morning. Temperature was 47 degrees in the bay and I should have just brought the filler inside to warm up instead. Has anyone else gotten bad advice about cold weather body work that messed them up?
Picked up a no-name HVLP gun off Amazon for around $80 last spring. First job with it went fine, but by the third panel the clear coat started orange peeling like crazy. Turned out the air cap was warped from the heat. Had to drop $120 on a proper Devilbiss gun to redo that bumper. Now I tell every new guy in our shop near Edmonton to just skip the budget stuff. Anyone else learn this lesson the hard way?
I was working on a 2014 Ford Fusion in my shop near Atlanta. The customer wanted a new hood and hinges after a minor front-end hit. But those factory hinge bolts... they were seized up something terrible. I spent 3 hours trying to get the driver side bolt out with heat and PB Blaster. Finally had to drill it out and re-tap the hole. Has anyone else run into these Fusion hinges being a total pain? Any tips for next time?
Last Tuesday I was working on a rear quarter panel on a 2016 Civic (you know, the usual rust repair) and my coworker Dave walked over and asked why my paper was loading up every 30 seconds. I told him that's just how it goes with 80 grit. He looked at me like I had three heads and handed me a block with some fresh 80 and told me to wet it just a little. I swear to god the difference was insane. The filler cut way smoother and my paper lasted like 4 times longer. All this time I thought dry sanding was faster but I was just burning through pads and leaving deeper scratches. Has anyone else been doing this wrong or am I the only one who never learned this in school?
I was smoothing out some filler on a 2018 Civic in Omaha and got too aggressive with 80 grit, now I have a paper-thin spot near the handle. Anyone else have a trick for saving a panel after you've sanded too deep?