Doors! Doh! Help before I go mad!

Post by **MacQuigley** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:16 pm

Ive replaced the botton 6" of my doors with a repair panel.

That was the easy bit! For 5 weeks now (nights and weekends) Ive been trying to finish the filling where the door buldge joins the rear of the skin.

Its driving me MAD!

Everytime I think Ive fit the right shape and spray on a little primer it looks worse thab the time before.

Does anyone have any tips (other than get someone else to do it or you should have bought a whole skin - which I should have done) on how to blend the buldge into the skin???????

Now I remember why I stopped the resteration 8 years ago and bought a couple of ex military land rovers - a dent in them adds character!

Post by **jonathon** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:30 pm

I'm afraid its, something you can find easy or need to practice a lot.
Don't be afraid of using filler, try and ignore the steel underneath and concentrate on the shape,try different shaped flatting blocks,and sizes, the standard rubber blocks can be quite clumsy in this area.
Use the primer with a guide coat to check your shaping and dont go to near to the finished shape with coarse paper. Cut back most filler to a rough shape with 80 grit then 120,180 and finish up with 240.
You can use a primer filler called 'reface which will fill any pin holes in the filler it will also smooth out the surface (to a degree), flat this with 180 and then 240 followed by several coats of high build primer.
Hope this helps

Post by **MacQuigley** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:41 pm

Got to say I hate filling. Always have! Though at least with some of the newer "sand" paper as oposed to wet and dry, I dont have water running down my arm as well.

The bit I really qwasnt looking forward to was filling the inside curve of the door buat that proved much less of an issue than I thought. Its just this last wee bit that causing me problems.

I guess I just have to keep at it! (and Ive still a whole other door to do! Thank heavens I didnt buy a 4 door!)

Post by **MGFmad** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:42 pm

I had this problem after fitting a new door bottom panel as well. Luckly my friend and neighbour is a panel beater/srayer so he helped me to get it right. In my case I was not putting enough filler on - he spread it over a much wider area then used a body file to get rid of the excess (and made it look so easy) this achieved the right base on which the final coats could be added, then sanded and shaped. TO finish off he told me to brush paint the door with a thick filler/primer paint (3 coats) the sand back by hand using a guide coat.

After much sanding, it came up perfectly - I cannot even tell the join and I know where it is.

Post by **MacQuigley** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:37 pm

That may be a way forward, put in more than I need and sand back.

Ive always tried to build up in layers, but Imm struggling to get everything even because of the relativley complex shape in this area.

I'll give it a go.

Post by **Redmoggy** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:16 am

I always hated body filler. Then i found a little trick that has helped me out so much. Now differant people have differant ideas and i have been knocked for this in the past but it works for me so you may find it worth a go.
As has been said fill an area bigger than you think you need and apply in long even strokes. If the filler starts to go off stop ditch it and mix some more. When its built up dust it with a black spray can and let it go off. Before it has fully hardened start carving the filler with your choice of course paper on a block or long board ( i use 40 grit)
Rather than sanding away willy nilly watch the black guide coat. The door will take shape and leave little black low spots that need more filler. Add to these and repeat the process. When you got the shape to a point that you are happy give the surface a rub over with 120 grit,just to smooth the surface a little. Then high build primer. For home use prob best a celly base primer and a brush. To or three coats and then a guide coat. Give it a day or so in the warm for everythig to shrink and then knock back the guide coat with 800 grit wet and dry with lots of soap.
Rod

Post by **alanworland** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:59 pm

I replaced the bottom of my drivers door due to it being 'torn' by a motorcycle footrest and like you I found the multi curved shapes not easy to form. Good advice above using a guide coat, but I found that I couldn't really see the shape until it had a glossy shine to it, I used Bonda Primer (sprayed) and found that before it dried I could get a pretty good idea on which part to tackle next!
Keep at it!

Post by **MacQuigley** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 12:29 pm

Still driving me mad this one. I just cat get the final finish Im looking for. Possibly Im expecting to much!

Part of the problen Im having is that as I sand one area, because of the curves and the fact the bulge blends into the skin, I sand another area I dont wish to.

Talking with a friend last night, who owns a small repair shop, he suggested I run a few lengths of masking take at the join where the 2 areas blend together. That may protect the area I dont want to sand.

Got to be worth a try!

Post by **jonathon** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:44 pm

just rough sand to the achieve the correct shape. Use a long sanding block on the main flat area of the door working up and down then side ways keeping the block at its longest this will give a flat surface in say 80 grit paper. then do the curved tricky area with a small sanding block again only rough shaped in 80 grit.. Repeat this with 120,180 and 240 grit paper.
To get the concave curve on the door use a suitably curved former ie, sealer tube with the paper wrapped around it, sand diagonally to cut back to a rough shape then vertically with the 120 and 180.
To blend the convex and concave surfaces you might just need to fold the paper and 'feel the curve.
Guide coat repeatedly to check your progress.

Post by **MacQuigley** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:10 pm

Thats pretty much what Im doing (save using a filler tube) but Im still struggling with that join!

The main shape of both the concave section and the bluge is fine, its just the join that doing me head in.

Everytime I think Ive done it something else is out!

I'll get it eventually. That said if my piston rings arrive soon Im going back to rebuilding the engine this weekend!"

Post by **cyclehunk** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:08 pm

Hi, I had this problem too. I used a random orbital sander to blend the edges and flat the large areas, it's a brilliant tool for this. As you have found the difficult bit is where the curves meet. It was made worse for me as the top coat of paint cracked so I had to remove the paint and all the filler and do it again aagghhhh!
John