Body work

Before the primer, I've got to do some body work.

There are holes drilled in the side of the machine (see pic). These do not belong there as far as I know. I think I need to sand/grind them smooth, then fill them.  I haven't worked with body filler before; Do I need to put masking tape on the other side of the hole to keep the filler from falling through?

Any general advice on working with filler, sanding, etc. would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

[racerx45]

I am not sure but the hole may be left over from a bottle rack but I can’t say for sure. As for repairing the holes don’t use body filler. If you can have the holes welded that would be best, if you use body filler there is a big chance that sometime down the road the fill will pop out taking a chunk of the paint with it.

Quote (racerx45 @ June 15 2004,8:56)

I am not sure but the hole may be left over from a bottle rack but I can’t say for sure. As for repairing the holes don’t use body filler. If you can have the holes welded that would be best, if you use body filler there is a big chance that sometime down the road the fill will pop out taking a chunk of the paint with it.

I'm pretty sure the bottle rack sits inside the metal box (don't know the technical term; liner maybe?).

I don't have welding tools; what if epoxied a piece of metal on the inside and then used filler?

[Creighton]

Racerx45 is refering to an "emptys" bottle rack that attached to the outside of the machine.

See if you can find a body shop that will correctly fill the holes. Shortcuts this early could lead to a bunch of work down the road.
Creighton

[Jim]

Jeff,

As the others have stated, the best way is to have sheet metal brazed to the inside and have the hole/void filled by brazing. This creates a lasting bond but may still require slight fillers to smooth it out for primer.

For small holes like screw holes and the such, I have successfully utilized resin with fiberglass matte to create a backing and filler in one step which will lock the hole with resin so it won't pop due to being locked from both sides.
For this to work properly, it's imperative that the inside of the cabinet be prepped properly to get the best adhesion! Some will disagree with me on this technique but I know this has worked for me on small screw holes, nothing larger than 3/8".

Quote

Quick Steps: 1. Grind the inside & outside of the cabinet around the hole (at least 2" dia.) with a grinder w/ at least 80 grit. 2. Cut fiberglass matte to the size you need to cover the inside area you grinded. Also cut a circular piece approx. twice as big as the hole itself. *** You'll have to bear with my technique from this point on... 3. Locate a 5/8" - 3/4" deep well socket from your rachet set, a ball-peen hammer and place the socket centered over the hole on the inside of the cabinet and tap on the outside right on the hole to create a small dent where the hole is located. You don't need to hit it hard, just enough to create a dimple. The socket will usually keep the hammer from creating too big of a dent. 4. If possible, lay the cabinet in a way so that the holes are facing down to allow the resin to drip downward to ensure a good fill in the actual hole. Place protective covering on the floor below the hole. 5. Prepare enough resin for the job, with a throw-away brush, coat the inside of the cabinet, apply the fiberglass matte and re-apply more resin until it has become saturated. Dab some resin on the outside to ensure the complete dent is coated then take the small circle of matte you cut and place it in the center of the hole/dent. Make sure it becomes saturated with resin. This may require applying more resin from both inside/outside the cabinet. The ultimate goal is to create a good bond on the inside while allowing the resin to drip outside until hard so creates a bond both outside and inside! 6. Once curred, grind the resin flat on the outside; be sure not to grind too much away! 7. Apply filler as necessary and sand until the area is flat and blends with the rest of the cabinet. 8. Apply high-build primer, allow to dry properly, sand repaired areas and check for proper straightness with regards to surrounding cabinet metal. If very slight imperfections are present, apply glazing putty or equivalent to aid in removing these, then re-apply high-build primer... Continue with the rest of the cabinet...

Below is an illustration to aid in understanding this concept:

Quote (Creighton @ June 16 2004,5:41)

Racerx45 is refering to an "emptys" bottle rack that attached to the outside of the machine.

I had never heard of that. Thanks for the info!

Quote (Jim @ June 16 2004,7:15)

Jeff, As the others have stated, the best way is to have sheet metal brazed to the inside and have the hole/void filled by brazing. This creates a lasting bond but may still require slight fillers to smooth it out for primer. For small holes like screw holes and the such, I have successfully utilized resin with fiberglass matte to create a backing and filler in one step which will lock the hole with resin so it won't pop due to being locked from both sides. For this to work properly, it's imperative that the inside of the cabinet be prepped properly to get the best adhesion! Some will disagree with me on this technique but I know this has worked for me on small screw holes, nothing larger than 3/8". Quote Quick Steps: 1. Grind the inside & outside of the cabinet around the hole (at least 2" dia.) with a grinder w/ at least 80 grit. 2. Cut fiberglass matte to the size you need to cover the inside area you grinded. Also cut a circular piece approx. twice as big as the hole itself. *** You'll have to bear with my technique from this point on... 3. Locate a 5/8" - 3/4" deep well socket from your rachet set, a ball-peen hammer and place the socket centered over the hole on the inside of the cabinet and tap on the outside right on the hole to create a small dent where the hole is located. You don't need to hit it hard, just enough to create a dimple. The socket will usually keep the hammer from creating too big of a dent. 4. If possible, lay the cabinet in a way so that the holes are facing down to allow the resin to drip downward to ensure a good fill in the actual hole. Place protective covering on the floor below the hole. 5. Prepare enough resin for the job, with a throw-away brush, coat the inside of the cabinet, apply the fiberglass matte and re-apply more resin until it has become saturated. Dab some resin on the outside to ensure the complete dent is coated then take the small circle of matte you cut and place it in the center of the hole/dent. Make sure it becomes saturated with resin. This may require applying more resin from both inside/outside the cabinet. The ultimate goal is to create a good bond on the inside while allowing the resin to drip outside until hard so creates a bond both outside and inside! 6. Once curred, grind the resin flat on the outside; be sure not to grind too much away! 7. Apply filler as necessary and sand until the area is flat and blends with the rest of the cabinet. 8. Apply high-build primer, allow to dry properly, sand repaired areas and check for proper straightness with regards to surrounding cabinet metal. If very slight imperfections are present, apply glazing putty or equivalent to aid in removing these, then re-apply high-build primer... Continue with the rest of the cabinet... Below is an illustration to aid in understanding this concept:

Jim,

Great info, thank you!

Couple Questions:

Can I use my Belt Sander instead of a grinder?

Is Fiberglass Matte something I can get an Auto Parts store?

Thanks,
Jeff

[MoonDawg]

Jeff, your holes look a little oversize as if the empty rack was pulled on too hard.  Be sure to flaten them before filling.
      I have been sucessfully beveling the outside of the hole with an oversize drill bit to create a "V" in the metal, then grinding surrounding metal to keep my work slightly below the finish line, using as little filler as necessary. ( Whenever I intentionally cause a dent, I wish I hadn't.)                                                  Either way, Jim's drawings explain  it well.