13.5. Repair of insignificant damages of body panels

See a series of accompanying illustrations. These photos illustrate a method of restoration of simple dents. They cannot be used as the only repair manual of a body of cars of this model.

1. In the absence of access to the back party of the panel of a body for percussion of a dent, it should be extended by means of the hammer with sliding brisk. In the deepest place of a dent, or along its border, a nasverlita or fill small openings at distance not less than 2.5 cm from each other...

2.... then screw in adaptation in an opening and put it in action. Tap with the hammer at edge of a dent to help metal to take the initial form. After the end of this procedure the surface of a dent has to approach the initial contour and approximately on 0.3 cm act over the surface of surrounding metal.

3. By means of a rough emery paper remove paint to naked metal. It is possible to make it manually, but adaptation shown on a photo will help you to accelerate process. By means of thinner, approximately No. 320, an emery paper nullify paint in a radius not less than 2.5 cm around the site of a dent.

4. After removal of paint it is better to check to the touch, than by sight whether enough the surface of metal is equal. Begin to knock the hammer of camber and, or extend hollows where it is necessary. Clear the restored surface wax or silicone stain remover.

5. Following instructions on packing, mix a pack of plastic hard putty with a hardener. The proportion of mixing is critical and if you break it, hard putty will stiffen too slowly or too quickly (and you will not manage to put it and to give the necessary form).

6. Working quickly not to allow to stiffen to hard putty, by means of the plastic applicator with pressing apply it on the surface of metal, making sure that there is a full gearing of hard putty to metal. Process hard putty that it took the form close to an initial form of the processed site and slightly towered over a surrounding surface.

7. Let's hard putty stiffen to such state that it could be pressed through only a nail. By means of the file or adaptation shown on a photo roughly process hard putty.

8. By means of the rough emery paper fixed on a plate or whetstone process hard putty that it became smooth and equal. Gradually you pass to more and thinner grades of paper, always using a plate or whetstone, and finish processing number 360 or 400.

9. As a result of processing the hand should not feel transition borders from hard putty to naked metal and from naked metal to old paint. If these objectives are achieved, remove dust and cover the next panels and details of finishing.

10. Apply several layers of primer on the processed surface. Do not spray too much primer that it did not flow down, and after drawing each layer let's previous dry. Usually here the professional gun sprayer is used, but in shops of auto parts are available on sale primer in inexpensive aerosol package.

11. Primer will help to reveal defects or scratches. Fill them with polishing paste. Following instructions on packing, process its thin (No. 360 or 400) an emery paper to smoothness. Repeat polishing, applying polishing paste and grinding it until the grounded surface does not become absolutely smooth.

12. Finish grinding with very thin paper (No. 400 or 600) to remove surplus of primer. Wash up the site of processing by water and let's it dry. Use a sticky napkin for full removal of dust, then put a layer of external paint. Do not try to wipe or apply a wax covering on this site until paint does not dry completely (not less than two weeks).

Restoration of easily scratched paint and varnish covering

If scratch superficial also does not affect metal of the body panel, restoration of a paint and varnish covering is made extremely simply. For removal of particles of the exfoliated paint and a wax covering slightly rub the defective site with thin grinding paste. Rinse the processed surface with clear water.

By means of a small brush fill scratch with paint of the same type and color, as used for coloring of this panel. Continue to apply paint a layer behind a layer until the bottom of scratch is not made even to a surface of a surrounding paint and varnish covering of the body panel. Let's paint be polymerized within, at least, two weeks, then carefully polish a transitional zone with use of thin grinding paste. In conclusion process the restored panel wax.

If scratch got through paint and reached panel metal, having caused corrosion development, recovery repair has to be made on other technology. A penknife scrape out a powdery rust from a scratch bottom, then process the damaged site corrosion inhibitor in order to avoid development it in the future. By means of made of solid rubber or nylon of the applicator fill the damaged area with hard putty of glyantsovochny type. If necessary, what is especially useful at elimination of narrow deep furrows, hard putty can be diluted with special solvent. Before hard putty hardens in scratch, wrap up a finger-tip soft cotton fabric, moisten it in solvent, and quickly carry out along scratch. As a result, the surface has to become slightly concave. Now, after hard putty hardening, the processed site can be painted with use of the technology described in the first part of the real subsection.

Repair of dents

At repair of deep dents the pulling of the deformed surface of the body panel for the purpose of restoration of its initial form becomes a priority. Let's notice that there is no sense to try to obtain absolute compliance to the original especially as it and is unattainable in view of irreversible violations of internal structure of metal at the time of blow. Will be to remove the deformed surface to the level located 3 mm below than a surface of the surrounding intact part of the panel quite enough.

In case the dent is superficial, the pulling it in general loses any meaning.

If it is possible to approach the deformed site from a reverse side of the panel, it is necessary to try to align the panel from within, tapping metal the hammer with soft brisk. At the same time it is necessary to press to the face of the damaged site densely wooden whetstone for the purpose of repayment of an impulse of blows and in order to avoid an excessive flexure of the restored metal.

If the dent settles down on the two-layer site of the body panel, or access to the last from its reverse side is impossible for any other reason, it is necessary to change a technique. Nasverlite in the most strongly deformed areas of a dent several small openings, then screw in them long self-tapping screws, leaving heads of the last sticking out over the surface of metal. Now start a metal pulling, taking heads of screws самоконтрящимися nippers.

At the following stage of processing it is necessary to clear completely of paint the damaged site and the surface of the panel surrounding it on width about 3 cm. It is the best of all to perform this work by means of a wire or grinding nozzle to the electric drill. Not less effectively cleaning of paint can be executed and manually with use of an emery paper. The final stage of preparation of a surface for a shpaklevaniye is ruggedization of naked metal of a dent by a protsarapyvaniye its screw-driver or a fragment of a file, or drilling of small openings. The roughness of a surface increases efficiency of adhesion to it spackling paste. Further it is possible to start a shpaklevaniye and coloring of the processed site (see below).

Repair of the rusted openings and holes

By means of a grinding or wire nozzle to the electric drill remove from the damaged area and on the site about 3 cm wide around it all paint. Not less effectively work can be performed and manually by an emery paper. Having cleared a surface of paint, it is possible to estimate a metal damage rate corrosion and to be defined in a question of expediency of performance of repair of the panel (perhaps, it will be more reasonable to replace it entirely if it in principle is possible). New body panels often can be acquired not for such big money as it seems, – it is enough to spend couple of days, going round city dismantling and automobile dumps. Remove from the damaged panel all elements of body finishing, except for those which can serve as a reference point at restoration of an initial form of the damaged site (for example, facing of block headlights, etc.). Or by means of a hacksaw cloth remove with scissors on metal the pieces of metal which everything are freely dangling, poorly fixed and hopelessly damaged by corrosion. The hammer bend edges of an opening inside for the purpose of formation of deepening for placement in it spackling material.

Remove with a wire brush from the damaged site a powdery rust. If there is an access to a reverse side of the panel, process it around the damaged area corrosion inhibitor.

Before starting a shpaklevaniye, it is necessary to muffle a hole. Usually it is made by gluing or screwing up to a reverse side of the panel in the damaged its area of a piece of a tin, a close-meshed wire grid, or aluminum foil. Having reliably blocked an opening, it is possible to start a shpaklevaniye of the panel and the subsequent its coloring (see below).

Optimum material for a zaglushivaniye of large holes are fiber glass fabric, or a close-meshed plastic grid. Having cut out the piece of material suitable by the size, bring it to a hole and fix with an overlap from a reverse side of the panel by lumps of spackling paste.

The aluminum foil produced in the form of an adhesive tape best of all is suitable for seal of narrow holes. It is enough to remove a protective film and to glue a foil from a reverse side of the body panel, having reliably muffled an opening. For the purpose of strengthening the foil can be pasted in several layers.

Shpaklevaniye and coloring

Now the chemical industry brings to attention of buyers the widest range of various body hard putties. However the two-component spackling paste offered complete with sets for repair of body panels with the hardener attached to it in a tube best of all is suitable for this type of works. For achievement of smoothness and correctness of a form of the puttied surface paste has to be applied with the flexible rubber or nylon applicator.

Strictly following instructions of manufacturers (violation can lead them to incomplete hardening of spackling weight), mix a little hard putty on a pure wooden plate, or a leaf of a cardboard. Try to spend a hardener carefully.

Apply with the applicator the prepared mix on processed (see above) the surface of the damaged site of the body panel. For receiving the correct contour of the removed surface each dab the applicator has to pass through all length of the restored site. As soon as the form of the restored site of the panel comes nearer to initial, immediately stop putting hard putty as it, stiffening, will begin to podlipat to the applicator, forming lumps and leaving furrows on the processed surface. Continue to apply hard putty a layer behind a layer with intervals about 20 minutes until the level of a surface of the restored site slightly does not tower over surrounding metal of the intact part of the panel.

After paste hardening, surplus of spackling weight can be removed by means of a scraper or a file. Further the stage of a zashkurivaniye and grinding begins. Best of all this work is performed by means of a waterproof emery paper with uniform granularity and strong adhesion of an abrasive (it is desirable import production). It is necessary to begin grinding with coarse-grained paper No. 40, on progressing reducing granularity to No. 400. To achieve adequate planeness of the ground surface paper it is necessary to turn around whetstone from dense rubber, a tree or polyfoam (for convenience paper can be pasted on whetstone). In processing of a surface paper has to be moistened regularly and often with water. The described technology allows to achieve absolute smoothness of the restored surface at the final stage of grinding.

Upon completion of grinding the processed site has to be the surrounded ring of pure naked metal which is coming to an end with gradually coming to naught edge of the intact paint and varnish covering. Rinse the processed site of the panel with clear water, washout from it all abrasive formed during grinding, then carefully dry a surface.

From an aerosol barrel sprinkle the processed surface, having covered it with a thin layer of light primer that will help to reveal all mistakes made in the course of grinding. The found defects then are eliminated by a repeated zashpaklevyvaniye. Repeat a grinding stage. Continue to act the same way until you achieve the required form and smoothness of the restored site of the panel. In conclusion do not forget to rinse the panel with clear water and dry it.

Now it is possible to pass to coloring. Work with an airbrush has to be performed at motionless air in the dry, warm and not dusty room. If circumstances force to carry out coloring in the open air, it is necessary to take the choice of suitable weather conditions seriously. During the work indoors, beat dust, having sprinkled a floor water. If coloring only of the certain site of a body is made, cover the surrounding intact panels with old newspapers, having fixed them by an adhesive paper tape. Such elements of finishing as the chromeplated decorative strips, door handles, facing of block headlights, etc., at a stage of coloring it is better to remove from the body panel.

When using of the paints delivered in the form of aerosols carefully stir up a barrel, then sprinkle a trial surface, fulfilling technology of coloring. Cover the surface prepared for coloring with a powerful layer of primer. Thickness of a covering has to be reached due to recurrence of putting paint by thin layers. Without feeling sorry for water, polish the prepared surface a fine-grained emery paper No. 400. Before putting decorative paint let's primer dry out completely.

Begin to apply with thin layers on the grounded surface decorative paint. Begin coloring from the center of the restored site, making a hand with an aerosol barrel / airbrush the circular movements, on a spiral expanding their radius and not stopping until all prepared site with an overlap in three-five centimeters is not covered with a layer of fresh paint. Later 10÷15 minutes (it is better not later not to damage the edge of the paint beginning to dry up) after drawing the last layer unstick the covering surrounding panels of a body an adhesive tape and remove newspapers.

Final polymerization of paint happens after about two weeks then for smoothing of transition from fresh paint to old, rub the restored surface with thin polishing paste. In conclusion process the panel wax.

Restoration of plastic components

Performance of repair of the burst plastic components should be charged to experts. Use pine forest machine for a protachivaniye along a crack of a flute which then the plastic core from the same like plastic, as the repaired detail keeps within is the basis for technology. Further halves of the burst panel are accustomed to drinking with each other by means of the special hair dryer. Excess of plastic is removed by grinding.

Less serious damages can be eliminated with own forces of the amateur mechanic by defect filling with a 2-component epoxy compound (the technology is similar applied at a shpaklevaniye of the damaged sites of metal body panels).

When replacing of the damaged plastic component it is necessary to take care of selection of the replaceable panel suitable on color. For coloring of the details made of plastic it is necessary to use special paints and primers, – ask in shops of automobile accessories and strictly follow instructions of manufacturers.