[John long]

I did go to Evercoats web sight after Brian made his post. They list the Featherfill as a high build polyester and the Slick Sand as an extra high build polyester. I am looking forward to trying it.

Back in the 70's the first polyester primer I ever heard of was a brand called Eliminater. I painted my 47 Ford conv with it. Shot the car with S/W acrylic enamel with Polysol. Believe it or not that car is still around with that paint job still on it. The modern primers are unbelievably good.

[MARTINSR]

Let's clarify something else here, exactly what kind of sander have you used? Because a "DA" like this, is a horrible tool for cutting filler of any kind. I still have a couple as they are THE tool for metal finishing (using no bondo in a repair) as I was taught many years ago. It's my tool of choice for door skins and the like.



But an ORBITAL sander like this is perfectly fine for roughing the panel into shape, it is effectively a "round block".



And the larger version a National Detroit 800 is my work horse, I am sorry, but after years of using this tool getting a panel long board flat isn't a dream, it's reality.



And this baby, a Hutchens 3800 is pretty hard to beat, an orbital long board.



Cutting filler with that NEW, SHARP, QUALITY paper on one of these tools is pretty hard to beat. You can hold it off the surface and apply as much or as little pressure as you want.

They are damn nice to have in the tool box.

Brian

[Lizer]

Brian, I have an electric DeWalt orbit sander, approx 5". My compressor is only 3.7 hp/60 gallon, 13 CFM and can't keep up with an air hog DA. I have a cheap $40 DA that is absolutely worthless to me because I never use it. I've read on here you really need a good one.

Anyways, my electric orbit sander is slower but it's good for someone like me so you don't take too much off to fast. I've found it works really well initially as a round flat board as you described. When I'm doing my initial 40 grit rough in, then 80 grit rough in it will practically circle, then highlight, then point an arrow to and plant a little flag in all the low spots. Needless to say I know where they are before I ever start blocking or guide coat. Then I move on to my Durablocks.

ALWAYS another tool you need!

[mr4speed]

I will have to agree completely with Brian as to the importance of the initial cut of the filler has to be with a fresh course grit paper on a nice firm board sanding block, 36 grit on a 17 1/2 clip style longboard. If that is not flat from the start you will never get it flat with the finer grit papers on flexible blocks, esepecially on a big hood.

[MARTINSR]

We all do things different, but you know what, I have never owned a flexible block. When all those mile long blocks came around, I never bought one, never saw a need. Now I am a tool nut and have bought many tools that I hardly use, I buy the best, (mostly) nothing but the best profesional tools. And I don't own any of those super long blocks or flexable ones.

I have done a ton of vintage cars and VW bugs, tons of them and never used one of those blocks getting those small curved panels like a Bug fender to the large panels like a hood on a mid sixties Chevy with zero waves or funks without any of those blocks. I look at the VW bug or 50 Chevy pickup fender as a "curved flat" if that makes any sense. I see no difference in blocking out a high spot in a flat panel or blocking out a high spot in a curved panel. You have a high spot you feel, you block it out so it's gone, never saw a need to think any different.

Brian

[Lizer]

holy **** I just remembered I have a 3M stick-it board too, with 80 grit strips...how did I forget about that! Sounds like that is just the ticket.

[John long]

Keep us posted. Try to remember your having fun......

[Lizer]

I tell you what, sometimes that fun gets long lost in times like these. I've been working on this body for three years now. I'm slow, deliberate, and perfectionist. I had taken some body classes for fun and became good friends with the instructor. He'd come out and help me on my car time to time and was floored when he saw some of my work; he thought it was The shop in town that did it (his former employer). Things like that are nice to hear, but I'd have been afraid to tell him how much time I had in that. Fortunately being an instructor he also wasn't shy to point out my flaws as that's really where I learn the most. I just want to be able to drive this thing before I die...

I'll be back either really happy or super pissed...we'll see

[John long]

The satisfaction of a job well done is what keeps us all going. How about posting pictures of your project as you progress.

[Lizer]

I can throw some pics up when it's done, fully aware that you can't actually tell anything from a pic. I keep a blog going for it. The most recent entry involves the hood in question, where I was bolting the hood scoop on. Then I took it back off so I can continue body work.

http://www.joshlizer.blogspot.com/

[John long]

Hey Josh, just looked at your blog. That is a well done site. Thanks for the link. You will get there. You showed a picture of the aftermarket rear valance not fitting quite right. I believe the lower edge (corner area) could be stretched gently which would let the panel settle in and close that gap. Do you know anyone who could help you with that? Maybe the instructor you were working with. The best of the replacement panels are what we call "near fit" panels. They are never completely correct. Hope I'm not getting to big for my britches but you obviously want this project to be the best it can be. Keep up the hard work.

John L

[mr4speed]

Looking at your pics, just did one of those same hoods on a 67. Was a new aftermarket that was loaded with ripples right out of the box. Had to skim that whole hood and had a lot of time in it too. The real "trick" to the skim coating is to get the whole side of the hood, from the edge to the center with one shot of the skim coat being just thick enough in the low spots to being even to the highs. When you have to go back and skim the lows again, that is where a lot of people have the trouble of trying to get that "new" skim coat feathered into the existing filler = ripples.......

[Lizer]

Advice is always wanted and welcomed, John. I'm in Michigan now; I moved away from Iowa where my old instructor was. So the reason that gap is there is because the entire panel actually has an outword bow/curvature to it, rather than being flat. This is fine and all except for the ends. It's like the panel needs to be stood on and smashed down flat. Not that that would ever be my solution,but to give you a visual of the problem. Width-wise the panel is fine. I only tell you this because the picture can be deceiving in that it truly doesn't reveal what the problem is. With that being said I don't know if that changes how you would attack the problem or not.

If there's any single place where I've become really smart in my body work it's been knowing my capabilities and knowing when to stop--or not even start. In so many instances my good intentions have only made an issue worse. In this case I was willing to live with the gap rather than try to fix it and create a worse problem for myself. I don't want that to stop anyone from suggesting solutions though.

[Lizer]

Originally Posted by mr4speed

Looking at your pics, just did one of those same hoods on a 67. Was a new aftermarket that was loaded with ripples right out of the box. Had to skim that whole hood and had a lot of time in it too. The real "trick" to the skim coating is to get the whole side of the hood, from the edge to the center with one shot of the skim coat being just thick enough in the low spots to being even to the highs. When you have to go back and skim the lows again, that is where a lot of people have the trouble of trying to get that "new" skim coat feathered into the existing filler = ripples.......

That's precisely what I'm afraid of; I've been down that road many times already by this point.

I should point out these pics are before the hood was skimmed. I had done some general filler work and then realized the entire hood was going to need skimmed.

In fact I actually said out loud to myself after feeling it 'dammit I'm going to have to skim the whole ****ing thing.'

Does anybody else talk to themselves when they work?

[Lizer]

Ok, here was the hood right after I finished skimming it. I had taken it out from the center ridge out to the first body line, and as you can see I didn't bother where the hood scoop was going to be.