Body lines and filler

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:52 am
Hi,

I'm working on a 1968 Camaro. When I got the car, the doors looked like they were in good shape. After sending it off to the blaster, one of the doors had a lot of poorly repaired damage. In particular, the some of the damage was around the sharp body line that runs down the middle of the door.

I hammered and dolly'd it out to the best of my abilities. It was tough because I was going over the previous attempt of "rough 'em in, smooth 'em out". Where it is now, it won't take more than an 1/8 of an inch of filler in the worst spots.

Now I'm finishing it off with filler and I'm having trouble keeping the body line down the middle of the door straight and sharp. I know that the "right" answer is to go back to metalwork and get the door line perfect in the metal. But like I said, I had already gotten it to the best of my ability and I am where I am.

Any tips and tricks for this? Whoever did the door previously was able to make it look good and that metal was in much worse shape than it is now.


Thanks,
Sal



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PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 11:42 am
I use masking tape along the line, put the filler on the other side of the line sand flat remove tape and move it to the other side of the line apply filler to that side and sand, back and forth until it perfect

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 2:40 pm
I use a guide coat for that, usually the dry type.
It helps a lot.
JC.

(It's not custom painting-it's custom sanding)

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 10:47 pm
A metal straightedge (such as a carpenters square) can help to determine where a body line needs more work.
"If you can't move it, paint it." - U.S. Army



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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:08 am
Another method I copied from another forum for checking progress with two inch tape
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Body line.jpg
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 1:18 pm
Thanks for all the suggestions!

I like the idea of laying tape over the body line to check progress. I find it very hard to see the edge when it is composed of various layers of paint and filler that have been sanded together.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 1:57 pm
I use a metal straight edge and carefully mark the center of the body line for its entire length with a pencil.

Next I lay a strip of 1" wide automotive masking tape along one edge of the pencil line. Sometimes I will put two layers if the body line needs a lot of work.

Apply your filler onto the top edge of the tape and over the opposite side of the line. I like to use at least a 3" wide applicator for the first go around.

Use a non-flexing sanding block and 80 grit paper to lightly sand the filler when cured. You are not trying to make the body line perfect at this point just getting the filler tapered and flattened.

When you start to see the edge of tape, stop and apply another coat of filler and repeat the sanding process. This is a good time to use the guide coat as mentioned above and 180 grit paper to sand with.

Once satisfied with that side you remove the tape. Apply fresh tape on top of the filler right up to the center line edge. Repeat the filler application and sanding process.

I used this method on the right quarter panel below. It was a Goodmark panel (which I will never buy again) and the body line ran down hill from the scoops by the door to the side marker light. It was supposed to be centered on the side marker light but was at least 3/4" low.
Right Rear Quarter.JPG
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



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PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2019 11:45 am
May be a good time for some university education, Ring Brothers University that is. They do some great work and have cars at sema. There are some tips here on filling and sanding, and the videos are streaming.
https://youtu.be/Zzn9dHh0fFg

Here is an example of their work, check the panel gaps and how straight the body is, I didn't see any waves.
https://youtu.be/IERdq9vIqQ8

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