Little dents on your car can end up costing big bucks to repair, but with Bondo® Brand Products by 3M™, you can repair small dents yourself and save you hundreds of dollars, even if you have a body shop do the painting.
The Bondo Brand has remained the premier body filler of choice for any auto DIYers needs for more than 60 years. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced automotive enthusiast, you can get rid of those unsightly dents and dings on your car by following the simple steps below.
For the beginner, 3M™ recommends choosing a smaller dent to learn and experience the products first. Larger dents require a little more experience, so before you get started, determine the type of damage you’re comfortable repairing.
- Start by washing the spot you’re going to repair and then wipe it down with a VOC compliant Adhesive Remover to get rid of any wax or other build up. Then mask the area around the dent to control your sanding area.
- For best results body filler should be applied to bare metal, so you need to remove the paint and any rust first. If working with a drill use a 36 grit disc or 80 grit sandpaper. The stripped area should extend two to three inches past the dent, which gives the Body Filler something to stick to. Wipe the area clean using a cloth and a VOC compliant Adhesive Remover to remove any sanding dust and contamination.
- Now it’s time to prepare your Bondo® Body Filler on a non-absorbent surface. Knead the tube of cream hardener to prepare it for use. Use a three-inch circle of filler approximately half of an inch thick and then add a three inch strip of hardener across the filler. If your repair requires more filler, you can always mix more. Quickly and firmly fold the hardener into the filler until it’s all the same color. Don’t stir it in a small circular motion as that adds air which appears as pinholes in your repair.
- Start with a thin skim coat and then keep applying thin layers back to back until it’s slightly higher than the surrounding surface. Applying all the filler a one time will cause pinholes so make sure to apply in thin even layers. Let the filler cure for 20 minutes.
- Once the filler is cured, sand it smooth starting with 80 grit sandpaper. Refine the scratches with 180 grit sandpaper – this step is called featheredging because it blends the repair smoothly into the body. If there are pinholes or imperfections in the repair after sanding, you can use Bondo® Glazing and Spot Putty to create a perfectly smooth surface.
- Finish sanding with 180 grit and then 320 grit sandpaper. Now, the repair is ready for priming and painting.
“There’s nothing worse than unsightly dents and dings on your vehicle,” said Matt Callahan, Global Marketing Manager for 3M Auto. “With Bondo® Brand Products, we’ve created a simple way to repair damage yourself and save hundreds of dollars in the process. By following these simple steps, you can work like a pro and fix damage in the comfort of your own garage.”
The 3M product line and Bondo® Brand Products can be found wherever automotive products are sold. For more information, please visit www.3MAuto.com or www.bondo.com.
