1973 IH Travelall - Family Cruiser, Big project....

In reply to NOHOME :

And thank you again for the help. I really do appreciate it.

Have you tired thinning the filler down? That seems like it would really help with skim coating. I think I am putting way more than needed on, which just means more sanding to try to find the natural high spots. 

And god damn farm implements 

One more thought, I tried yesterday, keeping the paper really fresh. It cuts way better at first and really fizzles out. Seems to help see the high spots a bit for me, its obvious where material is coming off that way. But man does it burn through the paper! Trying amazon vs paint shop stuff now too.....

When the filler is fresh cured, it has a sticky layer. I would use a block with some older paper to scuff the gum off the top. That way I got more life out of the paper.

You are doing everything right, however, reading the panel comes from experience and developing a preference for how to get to the end of the job. I am sure that you are using more than an experienced person would, but you have mostly figured out how to know if it is right.

Do you have a flexible straight edge like an aluminum yardstick or some such? They really help to read a panel before you put any filler on. Lay it over the panel flexed on edge and it will give you a fair curve that shows where the high and low spots are. This way you can decide if you want to declare war on an aberrant high  spot or just fill low spots up to a certain level as observed with the yardstick. I found a thin flexible piece of flat spring steel for this and it was a big help. Hacksaw blades are great for smaller areas.

I never did try thinning the filler down. It might have been useful but in my case I went straight to the Featherfill since it is essentially spray-on bodyfill. By the way, in case you are not ware, Featherfill requires like a huge orifice for the spray gun.

In reply to NOHOME :

Ill try the straight edge. I should have some alu flat stock lying around.

I knock the glaze off with the 8"DA then go to the boards. I think you may be right, I just need more practice, I just cant tell if I am just making the whole thing high and flat or what. I have a buddy who did body work for a long time who is going to come take a look at some point. I am tempted to skim it one more time and spray some 2k on just to see how it looks. 

Yes need to do some feather fill research still. I do know it needs a big ass nozzle. 

Found a few mins today and got the pass quarter skimmed. 

Calling NOHOME and body guys to the red phone.... 

Quarter was skimmed. Now I have it blocked with 80.

Still low spots?! Or do I take more off and I haven't hit highs except at the body line and door jamb. 

Gallon 1 of filler done.

Wasn't quite enough to skim the drivers door. Opened new can and did drivers rear door. May try to get Drivers fender on today. Need to shoot primer on the pass one still....

I need to find time to read all 17 pages of this - Last page of your work and NOHOME's guidance has made me consider embracing ratrod life. 

In reply to jronald :

I'm kinda wishing I left it bare at this point..... But it's going to be good when it's done. I think 

I know for a fact I'm not patient enough for body and paint work. My best effort is to add paint till the "runs" all run together! Leaving one in primer is still slightly above my skill.

But Java is doing a GREAT job, and it's going to look excellent when on the road. Keep up the good work. You are encouraging to many.

jronald :

With "rat rods"  following the trend of "rat bikes," where they put all kinds of stupid looking crap on 'em and call them ratty, I wend back to an older slang for my style - Jalopy! Gotta have good brakes, good tires, reasonable steering... and the rest is whatever can be thrown together cheap.

In reply to 03Panther :

Yeah the "rat rod" isn't my thing, but leaving it bare and clearing it could have been fun. 

Most would class the "bare" in the rat category, but I wouldn't. Would def. have looked good, but I think the paint will be better. Decided on color yet? (my vote was the two tone green!)

In reply to 03Panther :

Agreed, it could have been cool, but we are past that now :D

White roof, medium gray body is where I am heading.

1.5 Gal filler in.

Pass skimmed.

Drivers Skimmed.

Drivers fendder back on!

img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49726417082_a8b5a86080_h.jpg[/img]

Pass ready for welding.

Hood, which looked nice and flat, less one dent..... After getting touched with a block.... Facepalm.

Lets all remember that these were plenty wavey when brand new!

You seem to have the  gist of this game. If there is one place where you might save time it would be getting the mud on smooth  in the first place when skiming a panel. It avoids a lot of those low pits after you sand it down. 

Sad truth is that much like myself, you will be getting good at this game right about the time you finish the mud work. Then you go to the bottom of the learning curve on spraying and blocking highfill primer!

Pete

In reply to java230 :

eventually you will have the straightest Travelall on the planet!  i admire your tenacity.

In reply to TurnerX19 :

I am finding this very very true..... the stampings are just a bit wavy

In reply to NOHOME :

One thing I had a thought on, I am sanding over the body line.... It was mentioned to me that I should be sanding up to it, and not over it. Perhaps I am trying to make the whole panel flat to the body line? I will have to go take a look....

Next question, high fill next or shoot another sealer coat of epoxy as I have so much bare metal?

In reply to AngryCorvair :

I have a sneaking suspicion that's a loooonnnnggg ways off, and I will call it good enough at some point.

What color paint are you going to use?  Lighter colors generally don't show imperfections as much (and has been said, those trucks weren't necessarily all that wave-free to begin with.)

In reply to stuart in mn :

Medium gray body, white roof.

This is kinda an inspiration of what I am going for. Yeah.... Not a good color for my bodywork skills :D

In reply to java230 :

Next question, high fill next or shoot another sealer coat of epoxy as I have so much bare metal?

Because the featherfill is not a Direct To Metal product, it is advised that primer be applied to any significant bare metal spots. I ened up shooting the whole car in epoxy after body fill because of this.

That said, Evercoat does make a high build polyester that IS DTM. So that might be an option, and so does Eastwood as I just found out

Tape the edge of the bodyline to define it and sand up to it, not over. Here is a link to a YouTuber who I cribbed a lot from. His big old Caddy might be a good nalouge to your project.

Pete

I was using the body line as a high reference point. I think I am actually filling TO it. 

I don't have a bare spot, but I need to figure out how much that body line normally "sticks up"?

In reply to NOHOME :

I'll watch that later today!!

I am thinking I'll do epoxy. I have half a gallon left (Maybe only a quart....) and I can take a break from body work and drive it if its in epoxy again.

Here is a before picture....

Off topic slightly, does anyone know what those 1979's Ford suburban/travelall style trucks like the one from up the thread were called? I've seen them in Mexico and think they're so cool. 

In reply to orthoxstice :

B-100 IIRC

My take on this is that you can sand it down further I don't see any metal showing. Keep sanding the entire panel until a patch of metal shows, then sand the panel away from that high spot in  one direction until you find a second  high spot. Now you ant go any more because you will be sanding a low spot between the two metal high spots. Going from the original high spot, do the same going in a different direction and find the metal high spot.

As far as the body line....I think you might be blunting the body line by having filler up to the feature. The less filler you have up the sides of that contour/feature the sharper the car will look.