Sanding to bare metal, through Bondo (1 Viewer)

[alex e]

I've got me a thick coat of Bondo on my rear quarters and I want to sand down to metal, so I can epoxy primer the outside. Inside will be sanded and Rust Bullet applied, then a spray in bedliner once my rust spots are cut and replaced. ELECTRIC SANDER AND SOME 60 GRIT DISCS?

How do I get through all this bondo? Is this dumb to do at home, heath wise or otherwise?

 

[fieldsken1]

are going to primer after taking all the bondo off and if so are you going to rebondo and if you are why take it all off just fix and primer

 

[alex e]

Hey Ken. I have removed about a quarter of the bondo on each rear quarter panel curve, just to see what what is under there. The bondo is like .25" thick in places. I spoke with an accomplished body man this evening and he told me to save my time and just have the whole tub blasted carefully and primed by professionals. No mess, no angry wife, no lungs and garage full of Bondo dust. I can work and make money while these guys do this leg of the project. Wonder what it will set me back now that the economy is in the s***ter?

 

[fieldsken1]

i dont know what you have planned but if you are going to used diamond plate corners then just fix it the best you can do. to sandblast and prime might be 1000

 

[Michael Hanson]

I have done this before with my Makita grinder and 16 grit discs,it will cut throughit very fast. It is messy and dusty. You could also take it to a sand blasting shop. Then skip the bondo and weld in new parts. Mike

 

[Gusb]

What about some kind of heat or chemical remover? The old bondo I'm removing is not that thick, and scraps off after a few few coats of paint remover. Proper ventilation required but I find it better than lots of dust. I've also used a propane torch to remove some tough fiberglass/bondo with screen support - again with the ventilation and don't let it catch on fire.

 

[alex e]

I don't have adequate ventilation and can't get the dust everywhere. I'm kind of boxed in a corner I guess.

 

[fieldsken1]

go buy a sander with a vacuum hook up

 

[alex e]

The bondo is where your diamondplate is, just the corners. I'm definitely sanding and applying the rust bullet by hand on the inside. Nobody will ever see it once its under the line-x. I want to try the heat gun approach before hitting that bondo with a sander.

 

[jtoro]

Try Paint stripper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. With adequate ventilation and good set of gloves and facemask, it will strip paint like magic. Remember to clean the metal afterwards so new paint sitcks.

 

[jcarlisle]

Ok if you cant do the dust just take a propane torch to the inside of the panel and heat it up. Once you get it hot enuf the bondo will star to seperate from the panel, then just take a scraper and sluff it off of the panel.

 

[redbone]

If this post isn't too late, my interior had prolly 1/4" -3/8" bondo on the floor. I used an air chisel with flat blade. Be sure to use eye protection as shattered bondo is like broken glass.<><

 

[alex e]

It's all still there.........mocking me every time I walk past it!