smoothed tailgate

[novapowered]

i have recently smoothed my tailgate nearly compete however after spraying you can see small ripples on the surface so small that fill cant really cover them, is there anything i can skim the surface with that i can sand down to be completley smooth, does anyone know exactly how bodyshops get it so smooth? i tried hi build primer but it does not make any difference, (its a pile of shitee)
please help as im having it professionally sprayed soon. cheers!!!

[Ben (lurk75)]

try some polyfiller!

[apples]

after shaping with filler we use something called body stopper, its an easier to spread and smooth filler.
there is 2 types of stopper, 2k and 1k(cellulose)
2k has a higher build for filling small dents and imperfections and 1k is good for scratches and pinholes.
if i were you i would put a thin spread of 2k right across the bootlid and shape it with 80 grit paper dry, then spread a very thin layer of 1k over it and knock back with 240 wet to get rid of any scratches.
now its ready to prime. after priming take a black aerosol and lighly dust a coat over the primer, this will show up any imperfections when you flat back the primer.

[novapowered]

thanks alot mate i appreciate it!! Ps do you know where i vcan get this 2k and 1K stopper stuff?

[ade]

Any local car paint supplier should be able to flog you some. If youve got ripples in yer filler, are you sanding with a block or by hand? For an area as big as yer tailgate use an orbital sander

I had to fill a large portion of my door and used filer to get shape using an orbital sander (one of them black n decker ones you can get at B&Q) - sanded to shapoe using p120 (dry), then p240 (dry) then p400 (dry) - when using sander (?12 from B&Q) the grit you use comes out alot smoother than doing it by hand due to the action of the sander. - E.G p240 willjhave finish to resemble P400, P400 will have finish to resemble P600 etc... lways dsand filler dry. It also covers a bigger area, is flat based and reduces ripples considerably.

I then spread this with filler paste (basically knifing putty) - made by an italian complany called Roberlo. Think its 2k (doesnt day). Its green, very thin and air drys within 1 hour. Its ben oover sprayed with 2pak so is prob 2k filler. It covers pin holes in filler (which cause nasty air bubbles) and also smoothes ripples and imperfections.

You could also thin standard boddy filler by 5% - mix up some fiuller and add a bit of thinners to it - this thinns the mixture making it runnier and it will spread easier.

Applying stopper or paste may bot solve your problem coz if you have ripples (filler goes up and down very slightly - uneaven surface) the paste wont reay moooth it coz when you apply it with the spatula thing (forget its name), it will follow the contours of the ripples. Also stopper/paste is designed to be applied thinly - a ckim coat.
You could try filler primer if they ripples are slight.

Check though coz what ever you use must be compatible with the final paint - some cleey based paints may rack with 2pak stuff and vice versa... Speak to a paint supply store for advice...

:wink:

Ade

[apples]

it doesnt matter wether you use 2k or 1k fillers, it wont affect the paint at all.
2k simply means you have to add a hardner/activator whereas 1k is ready to use.
i have to disagree with ades sanding methods, although a power sander is quicker you should always finish it wet by hand with a block covering as much of the area in one motion as possible.
also, dont be confused with filler/high build primers(spray putty). they dont work really.
you can mix the primer slightly thicker than normal but it cant do miracles.90% of a good paint job is in the prep work, a bad paint finish can always be flatted and polished.