Rust repair kits can be purchased at most automotive stores. They contain everything you need to do it yourself - Fiberglass sheets, sandpaper, applicators, plastic body filler paste, resin and a catalyst. If the telltale rust bubbles on your vehicle haven't broken, sand the area down to the base metal and fill with the kit's plastic dent filler. Smooth the filler with a body filler spreader and, when hardened, sand with fine sandpaper to the contour of the vehicle. Then re-paint as described below. If the rust bubble has broken and the spot is orange and peeling, then the rusted portion must be completely cleaned out (or even cut away if the metal is rusted through) and the resulting hole must be filled with Fiberglass. In any case, follow the repair kit instructions exactly. A few general tips: - Remove all grime, wax or grease from the area of the rust spot.
- Scrape out loose rust with a putty knife or screw driver.
- Use a grinder or rotary sander attachment on your electric drill (24-grit sandpaper) to remove the rust. Be thorough! Sand an area about 10 centimetres in size around the rust spot. You shouldn't stop until you've reached gleaming metal.
- Use a tack cloth to remove all sanding dust.
- Prepare the body filler according to package instructions. Holes larger than a loonie require a screen or Fiberglass filling product. When using Fiberglass, work out the air bubbles to make it as smooth as possible.
- Fill the sanded area with a thin coat of body filler. Hold the spreader at a 60-degree angle and apply the filler so that it is thickest at the centre of the repair area and thinnest at its edges.
- Allow it to dry according to instructions, and add additional coatings if and as necessary.
- Sand the hardened filler, starting with #40 paper and moving eventually to #120. Sand at a 45-degree angle, and then alternate the direction to form an X.
- Apply a thin coating of spot putty or glazing material to fill in sanding scratches. Allow this to dry according to instructions, and then sand with #220 grit paper and then #320. Use tack cloth to remove the dust.
- Mask off the area and spray it with primer. Use a number of light, even coats, following instructions. When dry to the touch, wet-sand with #360 sandpaper until smooth, and finish with #400 paper. Sand the area until it feels as smooth as glass! Remove any dust with a tack cloth.
- Spray on the correct colour of paint with an aerosol touch-up product. You will need at least five very thin coats. Each coat must be applied evenly, and you should still be able to see the colour of the primer even after the third coat of touch-up paint. If bubbles appear in the paint, wet-sand the repair area lightly with #600 wet-dry sandpaper, always removing any dust with a tack cloth before repainting.
- When thoroughly dry, remove masking and then leave the repair job for several days.
- After the repair has had several days to completely dry and harden, gently rub out the painted area with a fine rubbing compound. Start at the edges and work toward the centre of the patch.
- Finally, wax the entire area and enjoy the look of your rust-free vehicle. Because paints fade over time, the patch job may be slightly different in colour than the surrounding body. However, the difference should become virtually unnoticeable in time.
|
