Body Work Tools & Applications - Body Work Done Right

10. If the hole is the size of a pencil or smaller, all you will need is a brass hammer and a wire feed welder. The hammer will give you a backing, but because it's made of brass the weld won't stick to it. If the hole is larger than that, then you will have to make a filler piece out of some donor sheetmetal.

11. Small quick zaps, instead of one long weld, will produce better results and minimize the chance of over heating the metal and warping it.

12. When welding sheetmetal, the settings are everything. A setting too hot will warp the panel or burn through, too slow wire speed and you can't fill the hole. Here are the settings we used to fill emblem holes on a truck fender.

13. If you are unsure about what you should do, there is a chart under the lid of most welders that will guide you in the right direction.

14. This is how it should look. A little heat ring around the weld is okay, but if the ring is big then you should turn the welder down a bit. Once the hole is completely filled, grab the air grinder with the same Roloc and grind the weld level with a panel.

15. If there's an area that you're leaving the original paint and the edges need to be feathered out so they won't photograph through, that's where the DA comes in. By design, the sander won't create more ridges because it sands on two planes, hence the name, "dual action.

16. Feathering the edges means to flow out the transition between the metal and all of the old layers of paint. If it is done properly, then you should see at least a 1/2-inch of each layer with 120-grit paper

18. Spreaders come in different sizes and materials. We recommend using the metal type because they're easy to clean and produce a smooth finish. When possible, use a spreader that's at least twice the size of the dent.

19. When mixing the filler, use something made of a nonporous surface such as metal or plastic. Fight the urge to use cardboard, it will soak up some of the hardener and throw off the mix. Also, follow the instructions for the proper mixing ratio.

20. Mix together thoroughly untill the color becomes even. Since it's a chemical reaction that hardens, try to mix it fast so you have more time to spread it over the dent.

21. This is how it should look, nice and smooth with tapered edges extending past the dent by about 50-percent. Remember, this dent was a small little dot we made with a hammer. Don't try this with a big dent!

22. When spreading, try and keep it smooth. Large lines (like this) will only make you sand it off and reapply more filler. You have about a 2-minute window to spread this stuff before it starts to dry, so don't take too much time. If you pull the spreader over the filler and it starts to look like cottage cheese, it's too dry so stop and do an initial-block sanding.

23. These are going to be your best friends and your worst enemies, because if you use them right your truck will be straight, but it takes hours of serious manual labor. There are a few types of blocks, but we'll focus on the pneumatic and manual. Even if you have an air compressor, we would recommend the non- powered version at first, because you are less likely to mess up.