oxfordbp

Im going to be attempting body work for the first time. I have the gist of it down and have watched plenty of videos.

I would like to use a really good bondo/filler. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

NoReins

We used Everglass which is made by Evercoat on major areas as it is a reinforced filler. We also used Duraglas which is made by USC. I like them both and they are basically the same thing. The most popular body filler is Rage Gold made by evercoat (My husband loved it but I hated it).Then for a light weight filler we used Quantum which is also made by Evercoat. However we found later on in our build that the price of quantum sky rocketed so we switched to Marson which is made by 3m. I think it's now called 3M Golden Extra Body Filler. It is a LOT less expensive than the Quantum and I actually like it a lot better. The Marson is what we'll stick with now for a light weight filler.

Just remember, it's like a lot of things out there - you get what you pay for. If you go with your local parts store Bondo brand, you will eventually pay for it when the time comes to sand. Get something decent and you'll be happy. Happy sanding!!

Iskwezm

I use the Rage Gold or Bondo Premium Gold. It sands easier and seems to spread easier. if its on fiberglass, I use Duraglass on fiberglass or kitty hair.

oxfordbp

Thanks!

Im looking at the Rage gold. Should I only use one, or should I use a heavier filler then a skim coat of something else?

JMD

Rage Gold is nice but pricey, I like the Z-Grip brand, (another Evercoat product), to me it works almost as nice as Rage Gold for about 1/2 the price.

I don't use Duraglass and similar products anymore except on fiberglass. I have put a lot of various fillers in and taken some of it back out after it was in place for several years. In my experience, the Duraglass (and like) does not bond to the base as well as a good filler.

My opinion is that it doesn't "move enough" when steel expands and contracts due to heat and cold cycles, causing it to eventually "show through" and maybe even lift.

The idea behind using Duraglass is that it will provide a moisture barrier to prevent water from leaching into the back side of a repair. The better option is to FULLY weld up all joints and seams, and just use regular filler. IMO anyway...

I have seen good filler stay "hooked" to metal on the corner of a pickup truck after having the corner turned from an "outside bend" to an "inside bend", I don't think either Duraglass or a cheap filler would have done as well.... And yea, it was my truck....

oldrock

I've never used the premium fillers, just the bondo gold. What is the main difference sanding wise? Is it quicker, less dusty, what? Also how much of a premium is the good stuff over the bondo gold? I will say the bondo gold is much better then the cheap bondo. It doesn't get the little air pockets in the mix like the cheap bondo does so ends up with a better finish.

rmodel65

the more expensive the filler the easier to work with all around and the less it will shrink up

oxfordbp

Im going to sand down to the bare metal to start. I am going to try the Rage Gold. Would this be the only one I need to use? Do I need to use two different types of filler, like a bottom and top coat?

rmodel65

well if youre taking it to bare metal after sanding it down id spray it in epoxy primer...depending on the epoxy you have a certain time window to wipe filler directly over it....id use the rage gold but its nice to have icing too its thinner but a lot more runny for smaller skim coats

NoReins

Yes absolutely use an epoxy primer FIRST on your bare metal before applying any filler. I'm going to take some pictures this weekend of a door that had filler over bare metal and then 2k sprayed over it and the rust that had formed underneath of it. Since you are looking for a "good" filler, you also want to look for the best epoxy. I recommend epoxy from Southern Polyurethanes, Inc.