Blocking and bodywork

[plumkrazee70]

I am going to be putting the dart into epoxy, within the next week and I want to get all my supplies ready.

I am planning on using the following grits

80 grit for rough filler work
180 for finish filler work

Final bock before sealer: 400

What grit should I use for blocking the high build?

Also, anyone ever order from here? 80 Grit Stick It File Board Roll | Rich Tool Systems

 

[roccodart440]

400 grit wet is what I used to block my high build

 

[barbee6043]

I claim not to be a bodyman but I have used that brand paper, works well for me. Yes I agree I would block hi fill primer with 400. I yo are applying epoxy primer, and applying filler over that ( what most people do now I bet), use the best quality filler you can afford. I t will work better.

 

[MobileCustoms]

One simple thing to keep in mind: The coarser the sandpaper, the straighter the cut. Don't be afraid to start blocking your body filler with 36 grit to rough it in quickly.

I like to block my high build primer with 180 grit dry to get it close, then finish it off with 320 dry. Use a dark guide coat! You can make your own. I usually just take the last little bit of high build primer that's left in my gun and add a little bit of black color (basecoat, enamel or even spray can stuff) right into the mixed up primer. Then I add more reducer to make it nice and thin, like water almost. Spray a light mist of that over your fresh primer and then your guide coat is ready to go.
Good luck!

 

[Dartnut]

One simple thing to keep in mind: The coarser the sandpaper, the straighter the cut. Don't be afraid to start blocking your body filler with 36 grit to rough it in quickly.
View attachment 1715186676 View attachment 1715186677
View attachment 1715186678 View attachment 1715186679 I like to block my high build primer with 180 grit dry to get it close, then finish it off with 320 dry. Use a dark guide coat! You can make your own. I usually just take the last little bit of high build primer that's left in my gun and add a little bit of black color (basecoat, enamel or even spray can stuff) right into the mixed up primer. Then I add more reducer to make it nice and thin, like water almost. Spray a light mist of that over your fresh primer and then your guide coat is ready to go.
Good luck!

Awesome looking car and great advice!

 

[plumkrazee70]

One simple thing to keep in mind: The coarser the sandpaper, the straighter the cut. Don't be afraid to start blocking your body filler with 36 grit to rough it in quickly.
View attachment 1715186676 View attachment 1715186677
View attachment 1715186678 View attachment 1715186679 I like to block my high build primer with 180 grit dry to get it close, then finish it off with 320 dry. Use a dark guide coat! You can make your own. I usually just take the last little bit of high build primer that's left in my gun and add a little bit of black color (basecoat, enamel or even spray can stuff) right into the mixed up primer. Then I add more reducer to make it nice and thin, like water almost. Spray a light mist of that over your fresh primer and then your guide coat is ready to go.
Good luck!

Thanks!! I am for sure going to be using a guide coat. Any thoughts about the paper linked?

 

[barbee6043]

Yes you will start to level filler with 36-40 grit, sometimes even cheese grater, and it will leave filler rough, anyplace it hits anything but filler, 36 grit it will leave scratches in the METAL. Those scratches in turn will have to sanded with 180 to get rid of. So yes, 40 to 180 on filler, then hi build primer, you looking to make a smooth surface to seal and topcoat. The hi bld primer will only do so much, so scratches need to be gone before that primer. There is a polyester primer that is almost like spraying body filler, it will cover some sins but who needs 1/4 in thick primer!! LOL
Since I am no bodyman, old and woreout and don't have a $3000 compressor, I figure when I make a mistake, I can simply correct it. So can you! Let the process of dirty hard work, become as fun as you can make it!!!!!

 

[sireland67]

A tip I can give is over heavy scratches, 36-80 just mix a little bondo and spread it on thin over the scratches.
This will prevent sand-scratch swelling.

 

[MobileCustoms]

Any thoughts about the paper linked?

No experience with that brand. I did use a lot of paper from Orielly's (MasterPro brand) with good results.
3M stuff is almost always the best, but also very expensive for a hobbyist.

 

[plumkrazee70]

No experience with that brand. I did use a lot of paper from Orielly's (MasterPro brand) with good results.
3M stuff is almost always the best, but also very expensive for a hobbyist.

Thanks again! I'm gonna order the 36, 80, 180 and 320. I'm also gonna get the 3M platinum body filler. I am SPI epoxy and 2K High Build. Not sure on paint yet, the painter at my work suggested Martin Senor from Napa.

 

[jbc426]

Thanks again! I'm gonna order the 36, 80, 180 and 320. I'm also gonna get the 3M platinum body filler. I am SPI epoxy and 2K High Build. Not sure on paint yet, the painter at my work suggested Martin Senor from Napa.

We did the bodywork, primer and final sanding in my garage. Took the car to a spray booth to shoot the base and top coat. It helps to get the car up in the air as high as 2 or 3 feet to do the sides & lowers. 4 Harbor Freight 12-ton jack stands are cheap enough to do that.

Also ground the car to good ground using an alligator clip a length of wire and a near by water pipe that goes into the ground. It helps bleed of the static electricity you create by sanding the car so much. That helps it stop attracting dust to the car body, like a balloon rubbed on your hair, will stick to almost anything.

Spend the time to line up your body panels & doors. Line up the back edge of the door to the quarter panel, the front edge of the doors & front fenders and finally the front panel and hood. Be sure you have good or rebuilt door hinges & strikers.

Don't get carried away on the catalyzed primer. It's awesome stuff, but does shrink over time revealing sand scratches and imperfections. Follow the "mil" thickness recommended on the product. Mask anything you don't want oversprayed. Can be time consuming, but its easier than cleaning it later. Buy high quality tape.

The devil is in the details. Warm your car up for as long as you can to let the base materials off gas and shrink.

 

[plumkrazee70]

We did the bodywork, primer and final sanding in my garage. Took the car to a spray booth to shoot the base and top coat. It helps to get the car up in the air as high as 2 or 3 feet to do the sides & lowers. 4 Harbor Freight 12-ton jack stands are cheap enough to do that.

Also ground the car to good ground using an alligator clip a length of wire and a near by water pipe that goes into the ground. It helps bleed of the static electricity you create by sanding the car so much. That helps it stop attracting dust to the car body, like a balloon rubbed on your hair, will stick to almost anything.

Spend the time to line up your body panels & doors. Line up the back edge of the door to the quarter panel, the front edge of the doors & front fenders and finally the front panel and hood. Be sure you have good or rebuilt door hinges & strikers.

Don't get carried away on the catalyzed primer. It's awesome stuff, but does shrink over time revealing sand scratches and imperfections. Follow the "mil" thickness recommended on the product. Mask anything you don't want oversprayed. Can be time consuming, but its easier than cleaning it later. Buy high quality tape.

The devil is in the details. Warm your car up for as long as you can to let the base materials off gas and shrink.

View attachment 1715187034

Thanks!! I have the car completely stripped right now. I had to clean. The garage because all of the dust.

 

[Dartnut]

We did the bodywork, primer and final sanding in my garage. Took the car to a spray booth to shoot the base and top coat. It helps to get the car up in the air as high as 2 or 3 feet to do the sides & lowers. 4 Harbor Freight 12-ton jack stands are cheap enough to do that.

Also ground the car to good ground using an alligator clip a length of wire and a near by water pipe that goes into the ground. It helps bleed of the static electricity you create by sanding the car so much. That helps it stop attracting dust to the car body, like a balloon rubbed on your hair, will stick to almost anything.

Spend the time to line up your body panels & doors. Line up the back edge of the door to the quarter panel, the front edge of the doors & front fenders and finally the front panel and hood. Be sure you have good or rebuilt door hinges & strikers.

Don't get carried away on the catalyzed primer. It's awesome stuff, but does shrink over time revealing sand scratches and imperfections. Follow the "mil" thickness recommended on the product. Mask anything you don't want oversprayed. Can be time consuming, but its easier than cleaning it later. Buy high quality tape.

The devil is in the details. Warm your car up for as long as you can to let the base materials off gas and shrink.

View attachment 1715187034

Beautiful car and description.
Thanks for posting this!

 

[jbc426]

Thanks!! I have the car completely stripped right now. I had to clean. The garage because all of the dust.

It's amazing how more dust blows out of the crevices each time you blast it. Water down the floor well to help keep down dust when spraying, pull the air hose around slowly to limit splashing and/or kicking up dust and run your compressor air through about 50 feet of galvanized pipe before it goes into the water trap. That cools the air down and lets the moisture precipitate out of the otherwise hot/warm compressed air.

I learned that on line. I've never captured one drop of water in my water trap since I added that set-up. Here's a few pictures. In between these two pictures, my 50 feet of galvanized pipe zig-zags up the wall allowing the water to drain back to each downpipe with a ball valve. It peaks in the middle of the lengths of pipe, and most of the water drains out of the compressor side.

Notice how the feed to the water trap and coiled rubber hose are mounted above the drain pipe and force the air to go up while allowing the water to go down.

 

[harrisonm]

What grit should I use for blocking the high build?

Before blocking, make sure you put some guide coat on the high build primer. Then, here is what I do. I use 220 first. Using a cross hatch pattern, use the 220 until most of the guide coat is gone. Then I switch to 320 and sand until almost all of the high build is gone and the body is perfect. Then I put on a few coats of 4:1 primer (it wet sands beautifully). I start with 320 wet until ALL of the orange peel is gone, then I switch to 400 wet. then do the 400 until the primer is as smooth as a baby's butt. Then you can hit it lightly with 600 wet and you are done. Some will say don't use 600, but a lot of people do, and I have NEVER had any problems. The key to a good paint job is PREPARATION. Sounds like a lot of sandpaper? You will need 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 wet paper to color sand before polishing.

 

[plumkrazee70]

It's amazing how more dust blows out of the crevices each time you blast it. Water down the floor well to help keep down dust when spraying, pull the air hose around slowly to limit splashing and/or kicking up dust and run your compressor air through about 50 feet of galvanized pipe before it goes into the water trap. That cools the air down and lets the moisture precipitate out of the otherwise hot/warm compressed air.

I learned that on line. I've never captured one drop of water in my water trap since I added that set-up. Here's a few pictures. In between these two pictures, my 50 feet of galvanized pipe zig-zags up the wall allowing the water to drain back to each downpipe with a ball valve. It peaks in the middle of the lengths of pipe, and most of the water drains out of the compressor side.

Notice how the feed to the water trap and coiled rubber hose are mounted above the drain pipe and force the air to go up while allowing the water to go down.

View attachment 1715187409

View attachment 1715187410

Thanks for the tips. I have 45 ft of black pipe, coming off my compressor, I still get condensation in my regulator/water filter, but that this the only one I have. I noticed you have a coil of copper pipe from your pump to tank, I bet that helps also.

 

[plumkrazee70]

Before blocking, make sure you put some guide coat on the high build primer. Then, here is what I do. I use 220 first. Using a cross hatch pattern, use the 220 until most of the guide coat is gone. Then I switch to 320 and sand until almost all of the high build is gone and the body is perfect. Then I put on a few coats of 4:1 primer (it wet sands beautifully). I start with 320 wet until ALL of the orange peel is gone, then I switch to 400 wet. then do the 400 until the primer is as smooth as a baby's butt. Then you can hit it lightly with 600 wet and you are done. Some will say don't use 600, but a lot of people do, and I have NEVER had any problems. The key to a good paint job is PREPARATION. Sounds like a lot of sandpaper? You will need 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 wet paper to color sand before polishing.

Thanks! For your detail. I hear you on the amount of sandpaper, I was ready for it. One step at a time, though.

 

[jbc426]

Thanks for the tips. I have 45 ft of black pipe, coming off my compressor, I still get condensation in my regulator/water filter, but that this the only one I have. I noticed you have a coil of copper pipe from your pump to tank, I bet that helps also.

Do you have the black pipe slowly sloping upwards from the compressor to the ceiling with straight drops at each end, and then have the far end branch off and upwards to the water trap from about the middle or lower on a down facing pipe, as shown in the second photo?

The copper pipe gets extremely hot during use. Yes, I'm sure it helps it drop a few degrees.

 

[plumkrazee70]

Do you have the black pipe slowly sloping upwards from the compressor to the ceiling with straight drops at each end, and then have the far end branch off and upwards to the water trap from about the middle or lower on a down facing pipe, as shown in the second photo?

The copper pipe gets extremely hot during use. Yes, I'm sure it helps it drop a few degrees.

I didn't it a different way.

 

[plumkrazee70]

There is a water drop at every other drop.But its only 40ft. Total.