Repair of minor body scratches
If the scratch is superficial and does not affect the metal of the body, the repair is very simple. Wipe the area around the scratch with paint cleaner or fine polishing paste to remove traces of wax polish. Rinse the area with water.
Apply paint to the scratch with a soft brush. Continue applying paint until the scratch is filled. Let the paint cure for at least a couple of weeks, then buff the area with a fine polishing paste. Finally, apply a layer of polish.
If the crack has penetrated to the metal, and the metal has rusted, there are several ways to repair it. Remove rust from metal by scraping it off with a sharp knife, then apply a coat of rust preventive primer to prevent further corrosion. Then, using a rubber or nylon spatula, fill the crack with filler, if necessary diluting it with an appropriate solvent. Before the aggregate hardens. Wipe the area with a clean cotton cloth wrapped around your finger, soak your finger with solvent and quickly smooth out any unevenness. Now, instead of a crack, there will be a slight depression, which, after drying, can be painted over using the method described above.
Body dent repair
When dents appear on the body, the first task is to stretch it until the part is shaped as close as possible to the original. Usually there is little hope of recreating the original shape, since the metal is stretched. It is sufficient to straighten the dent to a level lower than the original one by about 3 mm. In cases where the dent is wide and shallow, you can still try to gently squeeze it out. If the reverse side of the dent is accessible, you can try to carefully knock it out with a mallet or a hammer with a rubber or plastic head, starting from the edges to the middle. While doing this, support the outer surface of the dent with a piece of wood to absorb hammer blows and prevent the metal from buckling outward.
If the dent is in a part of the body with a double layer of metal, or access from the inside is not possible, other methods are used. Drill a few small holes in the dent, at its deepest points. Screw screws into them. Pull out the dent by grasping the screws with pliers.
The next stage of the repair is to remove the paint from the damaged area and around it by 2-3 cm. This can be done with a metal brush clamped in a drill chuck, or with an emery cloth by hand. 8 Finishing the surface preparation, use a sharp screwdriver to score the surface or drill a few small holes in the damaged area - this will make it easier for the putty to adhere to the metal.
Restoring rusty holes or deep dents
Remove all paint from the repaired surface with a round wire brush clamped in an electric drill chuck. If this tool is not available, work by hand with sandpaper. After removing the paint, assess the degree of corrosion and decide whether to replace the entire part (if possible), or repair the damaged area. New body parts are not as expensive as some car owners are mistaken. Replacing and painting them is often cheaper and more durable than restoring "rusty harmonica".
Remove all parts from the damaged area, except those that will be necessary to form the surface to its original state. scissors "for metal" or with a cutting wheel, remove all hopelessly rusty areas of metal. Bend the edges of the hole inward with a hammer to create a rib of strength to adhere to the putty layer.
Remove porous rust from the metal surface with a wire brush. Cover the area around the hole with anti-corrosion primer. If the back side is accessible, cover it with soil as well.
Before filling the hole with putty, it must somehow be plugged. This can be done with aluminum or plastic mesh, or foil.
For large openings, the best results are obtained from a sticker on the back of an aluminum or plastic mesh, or fiberglass. Cut the patch into the shape of a slightly smaller hole and reinforce the hole with a few drops of putty so that the surface of the patch is below the level of the metal.
For small or very narrow openings, self-adhesive aluminum foil can be used. Unwind a piece from the roll, cut it to the shape and size of the hole, and stick it on the hole. If one layer is not enough, apply more. Wipe around the edges of the patch with the handle of a screwdriver to help them adhere better to the metal.
Body repair - puttying and painting
Before starting the work described in this section, read the paragraphs describing the repair of dents, scratches and corrosion.
There are many types of putty pastes, polymer compositions containing a jar of paste and a tube of hardener are considered the best. You will also need a wide, flexible plastic or nylon trowel with smooth, well-finished edges to finish the surface.
Prepare a small amount of putty on a clean piece of cardboard, plywood, or PVC tile, carefully following the proportions of paste and hardener according to the manufacturer's instructions, otherwise the putty will harden prematurely or never harden. Apply putty with a spatula to the area to be repaired and level it so that a surface is obtained that is close in shape to the original. Take a break in work so that the putty hardens and does not stick to the spatula. Apply a new spray every twenty minutes until the putty area is level with the surface of the undamaged body part.
After the putty has hardened, excess putty is removed with a scraper or scraper, or, most often, with sandpaper wrapped around a block of wood or rubber. When removing the surface, the graininess of the paper is gradually reduced, starting from waterproof paper of class 40 and ending with class 400. When working, the paper is periodically washed in water, if possible, water is supplied in a thin stream directly under the paper during operation so that the surface is polished evenly.
At this stage, a ring of pure metal is formed around the putty dent. which, in turn, is surrounded by good paint. Rinse the treated area with clean water to remove grinding products.
Apply a thin coat of primer to the area to be repaired ("developing layer") - it will reveal all defective places. Eliminate all defects with a thin layer of putty or porosity and sand again with sandpaper. This work cannot be finished, it can only be stopped when you are satisfied with the result. Rinse the surface with water and let it dry.
Now the restored area is ready for the final stage - painting. Spraying should be done in a warm, dry, ventilated area. If you have to work outside, choose the appropriate weather for the activity. If it is possible to use an enclosed space, dampen the floor in it with water to tamp down the dust. If you are going to paint only one detail, cover the rest to smooth out some color mismatch. It is also necessary to cover the body from spraying paint - for this, use newspapers and paper "scotch".
Before painting, shake the aerosol can well, then test the spray pattern on a test surface (for example, on an old bank), to "the hand is accustomed". Cover the repaired area with a thick layer of soil. The thickness of the soil should be achieved in several thin layers, one thicker than the other. Surface "matted" 400 grade fine grain unexpected paper "matting" surfaces, wash off matting products with water, periodically washing the sandpaper. Dry the surface before final painting.
Spray the paint in a thin spray, starting from the middle of the surface to be painted, moving the torch from edge to edge, overlapping the edges of the old paint by about 50 mm. Over time (usually 10...15 minutes) apply the next coat of paint. The thickness of the coating should be achieved by repeated application of thin layers. Remove the burrowing newspapers not earlier than 10-15 minutes after applying the last layer.
Let the paint harden for at least a couple of weeks, then buff with a fine polishing paste and apply a coat of protective polish.
Plastic parts
Increasing use of plastic body parts by car manufacturers (bumpers, spoilers. in some cases, and the main parts of the body) leads to the fact that in case of damage to such parts, you have to seek help from a specialist, or replace them with new ones. Carrying out this kind of repair at service stations is associated with expensive equipment. materials and therefore impossible. The main method of such repair is to first cut a groove along the crack with a cutting wheel, after which the groove is welded with a plastic rod. Excess plastic is removed and the surface is leveled. It is important to use a rod with the same chemical composition as the part to be repaired because different materials are used in the car (polycarbonate, polypropylene, etc.).
Less severe damage to plastic parts can be repaired with a two part epoxy putty. It is also sometimes used for body repair. It usually hardens in twenty to thirty minutes, after which it can be sanded and painted.
If the owner decides to repair plastic parts on his own, he will face the problem of finding a suitable paint for plastic, which would be compatible with him not only in color, but also in composition. Until now, it has not been possible to use paint for these cases, due to the wide variety of plastics used. Conventional paints generally do not adhere well to plastics and rubber, but suitable paints are available from dealers. Whatever the case, it is now possible to purchase a plastic repair kit that contains a preliminary and final primer and paint for the final coat. Full instructions are attached to them, but its point is to first apply a preliminary primer, then let it dry for half an hour. Then the main primer is applied - an hour of drying - and the application of special paint. The result is color matching, and the paint looks like rubber or plastic, which is not achieved with conventional methods.
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