How to do Minor Auto Body Repairs yourself
How To Do Minor Auto Body Repairs Yourself
To repair minor damage such as scratches, providing that the scratch does not penetrate the metal, is very simple to do.Use a fine grit rubbing compound to remove any loose paint and wax. Then rinse with clean water. After the area has been cleaned and dry, use a small brush to apply the touch-up paint, which can be purchased at most auto supply stores. Apply the paint in thin layers until it is level with the surrounding paint.
It generally takes about two weeks for the paint to harden. After the paint has hardened, it can be blended into the surrounding paint by using a very fine grit rubbing compound. After this has been done you can apply a coat of wax. If the paint is chipped, and penetrated the paint to expose metal, and rust is present you will need to do a little more than mentioned above.
For a chipped area you will have scrape the rust off, which can be done with a pocket knife first. Then apply a rust inhibiting paint which will prevent any future rust from forming.
Use a rubber or nylon applicator to apply a glaze-type filler. Before the glaze-filler hardens, wrap a piece of soft cotton cloth around the tip of your finger. Dip the cloth in thinner and quickly wipe it along the chipped area. This will create a slight hollow in the surface of the glaze-filler. The chipped area can now be painted using the small brush and touch-up paint as done with scratches.
To repair an area that is dented, you will need to pull the dent out to at least one eighth of an inch below the surrounding metal. The original contour cannot be restored, because the metal has been stretched because of the impact.
If the back of the dent is accessible you can hammer the dent out by holding a block of wood on the outside, and using a soft face hammer to hammer from the inside. Using these tools will lessen the chance of any further stretching of the metal. If the back is not accessible, you will need to drill several small holes within the dented area. After you have drilled the holes, insert self tapping screws, leaving the head of the screw exposed enough to put a pair of locking pliers on them. Then you will be able to pull the dent out.
After the dent has been pulled out you will need to remove the screws and sand at least one inch all around the damaged area. Once the sanding is completed, being sure to have removed all of the paint in the area, you can apply body filler to get the area even with the rest of the vehicle. When using body filler, you need to work quickly with it because it hardens quick. The amount of hardener you mix with the filler will determine how fast the filler will harden.
Once the filler has hardened you will be able to sand it smooth and level with the rest of vehicle. Dry sand it first using 40, 60, or 80 grit sand paper until is smooth. When it is as smooth as you want it, you can wet sand it using 200, 400, 600, or 800 wet/dry sand paper. Wet sanding will help to smooth the filler better.
When you have finished sanding the area you can proceed to get it ready to be painted.
Wipe the area with thinner using a clean soft cotton cloth, use a primer that has a sealant in it, and one that will be easy to paint over with the color of the vehicle. If your vehicle is a light color use a light colored primer and if the vehicle is a dark color then use a dark colored primer.
Allow the primer to dry completely then proceed to wet sand the primer with a fine grit wet/dry sand paper. Be careful not to sand through the primer, it only needs to be smooth enough to remove any roughness. Some primers do not need to be sanded and are easy to use. After you have completed the sanding allow the worked area to dry and wipe the area with a soft cotton cloth dampened with thinner. By wiping the area with thinner you will remove any excess dust that may have been left from the sanding.
When sanding, use a small block of flat wood with sand paper wrapped around it. This will prevent any grooving (which can be caused by the contour of your hand) in the worked area.
Once you have completed the sanding of the primer you are ready to paint.
All painting should be done inside of a garage. Wear a dust mask to avoid inhaling the fumes of the paint and primer when you are doing them.
As stated earlier allow about two weeks for the paint to harden before you apply any wax. You can use a fine grit rubbing compound to blend the color a little better before you apply the wax.
All of the materials mentioned here can be purchased at most auto supply stores.
