Best way to sand/paint car at home?
 

If anyone has any information, please post it up.

I just bought a 1995 civic si and it needs some body work. I already cut the rust out and welded new metal on, I just need to know the best machine and best way to sand the WHOLE car down.

Thank you very much.

Correction*** Best way to sand/prime your car.

paint stripper ftw
then bondo little dings and primer the car.

you know how to cut pieces out and weld new ones on? wanna do mine for me, my rust came out this summer.

My buddy did some of my work for rust. Pretty much most of the drivers quarter panel is new with new sheet metal and all. tommygunz if you want I can link you up, hes in Markham though. He was with us on the C7 cruise in the red DC4

let me know how much, my rear is looking really sketch now, and it worries me lol

Pm a pic if you can of the rust so he can have a better idea of what it looks like

Oi, I am the rust fixer. David told me you needed work done, if you like you can PM me what you need done and I will do it for a good price!

To the OP, just use a vibrating sander (circular takes off too much and will leave waves) with 150 grit sanding pads. I find DeWalt works the absolute best when it comes to sanding pads, they come in a yellow pack! Just make sure you grinded the welds down also, or that would come out really shady. Did you tack weld or do a straight bead out of curiosity?

Ive already grinded down the welds. I did a straight weld, i was going to tack it then fiberglass, but thats too much work.

What i plan to do is prime it then paint it flat black. What is the best way to prime it. Spray cans? I really dont have the money to buy a compressor and a paint gun. and its just prime right?

Also, how do I bondo? is it that red compound? Do I put it where i want it then let it dry then sand it down?

yes. i would reseach how to do body work before you do tho, or you'll ---- it all up.

and use "sandable" primer so you can do a better job by doing a few layers of primer and sanding inbetween coats.

Is a spraycan ok for priming. I believe i have a steady hand. Also, how many coats of prime should I do?

yea spray can is cool but do it somewhere thats not directly outside or you'll get all these lil particles in your paint. even by a 70 dollar little tap/tent enclosure lol. i would do 1 light, then another light. then wet sand that with like 1000 grit. then do one last coat. but thats just me, im a big beliver in really good prep work and eliminating ANY inperfections

Okay, if you do a straight bead then you risk the chance of warping the metal due to large amounts of heat. If you're going to prime it and paint it flat black then just use flat black primer, saves money in the long run. If you're looking to go a satin flat black then yes, prime the whole car before hand. Laying bondo on a car is the hardest part, all you do is get a can and paddles. To activate the bondo you have to mix the hardener that comes with it. Apply quickly because it tends to become tacky if you wait too long... If you need any help with anything else just give me a shout and I'll help.

I did my car outside... it came out fine but I did it on a nice day. No dust on it or anything.

Yea i did my hood on my other car outside, not so good.

So if you guys can give me a list of everything I will need to bondo, prime and step by step instructions, that would be really great.

Thanks a lot for ur help guys

1. Sand the WHOLE car with 150 grit sand paper, then 250... (makes for a smoother surface).
2. Take your time to prep the whole car properly, overspray is a bitch.
3. With your hand, run along the whole body, every square centimeter and check for dents. Mark them with a piece of chalk.
4. Either pull the dents or use bondo (lol).
5. Sand off most of the bondo before you start painting, multiple layers might be needed. You want a seriously smooth surface when you're done this.
Get a large tack cloth and wipe off the whole car and rid it of all of its dust.
6. Start priming. 2-3 coats, I do not sand in between coats... if you lay a light enough layer the first time then you will be fine during the rest of the process.
7. I personally do not sand the primer... you can if you like but it's not something I've done in the past with anything.
8. Make sure surface has no dust (if you did sand) and get to paintin'!
9. Let the paint sit for a bit and apply a clear coat. If you're going with a flat colour, then leave it!

That's the basic jist of it... if you really want to go the extra step I would add more. But for what you want to do this seems pretty basic.

THANKS!!!! now i can get started.

pics up next week

You should alway sand the primer otherwise you will not get that nice smooth finish.

I gotta bondo a lot of the car. I will use these steps for bondo and prime

whipe area
spray total prep to clean area
drill with round metal hair piece
spray rust nuterilazor 2 coates. 1 coat needs 24 hours to dry
sand with 220grit
tap rusted areas in to apply body filler
cut out metal patch to put over rust spot
mix bondo and hardener
apply bondo
cheese grade after 12min to get the bondo down
start sanding with 80grit sand paper(drill)
use sanding block with 80grit to make a level area
use fine grit to make it smooth
whipe surface clean no dust

primer time
do one coat
2nd coat after 5min
medium to fine sand paper to sand the primer
whipe surface

if any imperfections use glazing and spot puddy
apply on small ------er
------ on the spots
sand the spot glaze putty with 180 sand paper
whipe again
prime area 1 coat
take paper cover off car and sand primed spot with original body part with 400grit

to the painting dudes... what is the best ratio of base to thinner?

Update.

Bought all the materials I need.

Pics up soon of car in proress.

tremclad

i have a 93 civic hatch & the replacement 1/4s, how much to weld them in for me?

That's all based on your preference.

Since it wont let me PM you, I'll post here. To cut them out and install the new ones I would be asking for 500, but I can do it for a bit less. Body shops usually ask for around 1500 do have a good job done on them.

Any more updates on how this is going?

Engine is coming out tomorrow. I will post pics tomorrow afternoon. I just got laidoff so the progress is slow. I gave my engine away for free, just to get it out of here. New engine will be installed before january.