c/auto-body-repairers

Showerthought: that $300 infrared thermometer saved my butt on a hail job

I was blending a quarter panel and kept getting solvent pop, couldn't figure out why. Pointed the thermometer at the filler and realized the shop lights were baking it way faster than I thought. Anyone else use one for checking panel temps before clear?

Question about the right way to handle a hail damage job after a shop tour in Kansas City

I was at a shop tour in Kansas City last fall and saw a crew doing paintless dent repair on a hail car. They were using a glue pull system for almost everything, even some bigger dents I would have drilled and push. The lead guy said it saves the factory finish and cuts time by half. Back at my shop, my boss says we should still drill and fill on anything deeper than a quarter. I'm stuck between the new way I saw and the old way I was taught. Has anyone else switched their hail repair process after seeing a different shop's method?

Hit 500 hours on my new orbital sander and the pad wear was way less than I thought

Got a 6-inch random orbital from a tool truck back in April. Figured I'd burn through pads fast with daily use on filler work. Just checked the log book and I'm at 500 hours on the original hook and loop pad. Only had to replace the abrasive discs as normal. The backing pad itself still grips fine, no tears or worn out spots. Thought these things were more of a consumable item. Anyone else get crazy life out of a specific sander or pad brand?

Serious question, three years ago I had a guy in the shop who swore by hand sanding for final prep, but last month we hired a new guy who only uses the DA sander. Which way gets a better finish?

Appreciation post: The 2002 Civic I got in on a tow truck last month...

It was a complete mess, looked like someone tried to fix the quarter panel with a hammer and a dream. Over the last four weeks, we pulled it, filled it, and blocked it three times. What's the most 'creative' repair you've had to undo before you could even start?

My old 3M dust extractor hose split open on a big sanding job last Thursday

It was a 2018 model I got from the supply house in Tacoma, and the seam just gave out while I was blocking a quarter panel. Had to stop everything, tape it up with duct tape just to finish the day, and order a whole new hose assembly. Anyone else have a favorite brand for these that holds up better?

Used a new clear coat from a local supplier in Tacoma and it started to haze after 48 hours in the booth.

Turns out their mix ratio was wrong for our humidity, so now I'm asking if anyone else in the Pacific Northwest has a go-to clear that doesn't react like that.

Unpopular opinion: I switched from hand sanding to a dual action sander for feathering edges and it cut my time in half.

For years I only used a block and paper, thinking it gave me more control. Last month, a guy at the supply house in Tacoma said I was working too hard and loaned me his 6-inch DA. I tried it on a quarter panel repair, using 180 grit to feather the primer. The job that used to take me 45 minutes was done in 20, with a finish just as smooth. Anyone still sticking with the old way, or has everyone else made the switch?

I bought a cheap paint gun from a swap meet and it cost me a full day's work

It was a knockoff brand, looked okay, but the spray pattern was a mess and I had to re-sand and repaint a hood. Lost about $400 in labor and materials. Anyone know a good mid-range gun that won't break the bank?

A customer's comment made me rethink my masking tape habits

I was finishing up a respray on a 2018 Ford F-150 last month, using my usual 3/4 inch tape for the trim. The owner, an older guy named Frank, watched me for a minute and said, 'You know, that wide stuff leaves a harder line. My old shop teacher swore by the half-inch for curves.' I tried it on the next job, a Honda Civic bumper, and he was totally right. The thinner tape conformed way better around the complex edges and left a softer, cleaner break. I've been using the wider roll for probably five years without a second thought. Anyone else have a simple tip that flipped a routine task for them?

I was taught to block every dent with a hammer and dolly, but now I reach for the stud welder first.

My old boss at the shop in Dayton, Ohio, swore by the old way, saying it built skill. But after seeing how much faster and cleaner I could pull a quarter panel on a 2018 Civic using a slide hammer on studs, I changed my tune about five years ago. It saves time on the big stuff and leaves less filler work. Anyone else find they reach for the welder before the dolly on certain jobs?

I've been mixing my own filler for years, but a rookie in the shop made me question my whole method.

For the last decade, I always added the hardener first, then the filler, mixing for about 45 seconds. This new kid, Jake, does it the other way around and his sets up perfectly every time. He said his teacher at the trade school in Fresno drilled that into them. I tried his way on a quarter panel last week and got way fewer air pockets. Is the order really that big a deal, or did I just get lucky? What's your mixing routine?

An old timer in Milwaukee told me my clear coat was too thick

He said I was spraying at 30 psi when I should be down around 22 for the final coat, because it was causing a slight orange peel that I was just wet sanding out. I tried his way on a hood last week and the finish came out way smoother, needing almost no extra work. Anyone else have a specific pressure they swear by for clear?

I finally gave that 'cold plastic repair' method a shot on a 2008 Civic bumper.

Followed the video exactly, let it sit for the full 48 hours in my garage, and the bond failed the second I tried to sand it smooth. What's the real trick to getting that stuff to hold, or is it just junk?

Vent: A customer in Cincinnati brought in a car with a 'quick' quarter panel repair from another shop.

They just slapped filler over rust and didn't weld in a patch... it fell apart in six months. How do you guys handle explaining why a proper fix costs more?

My buddy from the shop in Fresno swore by using a heat gun on hail dents, tried it on a 2018 Civic and made a mess

Serious question, has a customer ever tried to tell you how to do your job while you're under their car?

Last week in Akron, a guy kept pointing at a dent and saying 'just slap some filler in there' while I was explaining the frame pull it actually needed. How do you handle that without losing your cool?

Changed my mind about buffing out hail damage after seeing a job in Tulsa

I used to think paintless dent repair was just for small dings, but a shop there fixed a whole hood with over 200 dents and it looked factory. Anyone else find PDR works better than you expected on bigger panels?

Tried a new clear coat on a '98 F-150 job last week

Sprayed it on a test panel first, looked good. On the actual truck, it started to orange peel like crazy after the second coat. Had to sand the whole quarter panel back down. Anyone know a good clear for older single-stage paint jobs?

I finally gave up on that cheap infrared paint curing system from Harbor Freight

Bought the $800 unit last year thinking it would speed up small jobs in my shop. It barely got warm enough to cure a clear coat properly, ended up with solvent pop on a customer's Mustang door. Had to strip and respray the whole panel, costing me about $400 in materials and a full day's labor. Anyone have a reliable infrared system under $2k that actually works?

I always thought those plastic bumper repair kits were junk until a job in Spokane last week

Had a customer bring in a cracked bumper on a 2018 Civic, and they really wanted to try fixing it cheap. I told them it would look bad, but they bought a kit anyway. Watching them use the mesh backing and filler, then sand and paint, it actually came out smooth. Now I keep one on the truck for small cracks. What's the smallest bumper fix you've done that turned out okay?

Tried a new clear coat trick on a black pearl respray

I was working on a black pearl respray for a 2018 Camaro last Thursday and decided to try something different with the clear coat. Instead of my usual three medium coats, I did two heavier coats with a longer flash time between them, about 15 minutes in a 70-degree booth. I was worried it would run or orange peel like crazy, but man, the gloss and depth came out insane. It laid down so smooth it almost looked like glass. I think the extra flash time let the solvents escape better before the next layer. It saved me a bit of time on sanding and buffing too. Has anyone else messed with their clear coat timing and gotten a better finish?

The time a customer brought in a 'minor scratch' that turned into a full quarter panel

Last month in Akron, they said it was just a parking lot tap, but the inner structure was bent. Anyone else get those 'just a little dent' jobs that blow up?

Showerthought: I lost a whole afternoon on a 'quick' bumper respray

Tbh, I tried to skip the full prep on a scuffed bumper by just scuffing the damaged area, thinking I could blend it. Ngl, the color match was so off I had to strip it and start over, which cost me about 5 hours of labor. Has anyone else had a blend job go sideways from trying to cut corners on the prep?

Just read that some shops are charging $300+ for a basic bumper scuff repair

I saw it in a trade magazine survey from last month, and it honestly made me stop reading. That's more than double what we charge for the same job. Are customers actually paying that, or are these shops just inflating prices because they can?