Kevin Michael

No, this garbage came in the standard 1 gal. can. Yes, you mix and apply by hand with a spreader. It is bright lime green. It is extremely easy to use and you get virtually no air in it, but it shrinks even when left to cure properly(2-3 days).

Podguy

As Kevin mentioned above my experinece over time is that all plastic shrinks or cracks. For this reason I would be against using more pastic filler than absolutely necessary. I find it is eaier to strip to the metal. The cost is small and you know what you are starting with.

If a panel needs too much work just replace it. There is plenty of 928 sheet metal around at very resonable prices. Of course, if it is the body itself then the car is either a parts car or some metal work has to be done.

Body men are in a hurry. Many are on commision. They use filler to save time. Taking a little extra time can save greatly on filler. LIke I said with aluminum it is best just to replace, but the steel on the body can be worked with some heat and time to the point of needing very little filler.

I am currently a big fan of the DTM epoxy primer / sealer. This stuff is new to me so I am happy to use it and save a few steps and some time. In the past the biggest problem with body work was paint reactions and sand scratches from the body work working thier way up through the paint. The DTM sealer solves much of this problem.

So I am mostly starting with stripping, metal work, plastic filler and DTM. From there I use very little putty - I like the 3M stuff in a tube and not the two part stuff. The 3M blocks quickly. I can knock it down and then load some primer on the body work transitions to block out.

At that point I am ready with the color. So in reality there is very little under the color. Primer blocks over putty very nicely and while applied thick ends up thin.

After my first color coat I start in again with the blocking and primer to get a completely flat surface. The color highlights any ripples acting sort of like a guide coat. At that point I am finishing in 600 and have a good surface to finish the color and if necessary a clear coat.

Material is expensive. I see many people in the business wasting materials and making more work. The less material that can be applied the less time it takes to get a panel finished. Power tools are seductive, but in most cases they do not improve the job or make it go much quicker. Of course there is nothing like an air board to get a completly flat panel or a DA to knock down some heavy orange peal.

Dan the Pod Guy