2-part body filler for car repairs .. where to buy

WLM21

Is the 2-part filler you can buy at builder's merchants the same as the filler sold in the car accessory shops ?

It seems the filler in the builder's stores is well under 50% of the price of 'specialist fillers' in the car shops.

In the USA folk just use BONDO, a trade name, for all types of repairs .. cars, timber and even plastics

I want to touch up my van which has a few rust patches .. so it'll be a case of sanding, rust converter, filling and painting

Goudy

Bondo is a brand name used by 3M, it's not one product but a range of products which cover various things, anything from fibreglass resin, tape, car body fillers to dent pullers.
They are not all the same product and are designed for different things.

The 2 part filler for car bodies isn't the same as the builders 2 part filler.
The car body stuff has a low porocity and high elasticity so it can resist crompression and tensile stresses.

There are different types for different car body jobs, from universal polyester filler to plastic filler, fiberglass reinforced putty to fine touch up or stopper putty which is like a very thick paint.

For normal metal car bodywork you would use a universal 2 part car body filler and then a fine stopper over the top to fill in any defects in filler caused by any air in the mixture and sanding.

surfer91919

WLM21 said:

Is the 2-part filler you can buy at builder's merchants the same as the filler sold in the car accessory shops ?

It seems the filler in the builder's stores is well under 50% of the price of 'specialist fillers' in the car shops.

In the USA folk just use BONDO, a trade name, for all types of repairs .. cars, timber and even plastics

I want to touch up my van which has a few rust patches .. so it'll be a case of sanding, rust converter, filling and painting

If you want it to last the way to do it is;

expose all the rust, this means taking out a margin of good paint all round.
Remove most of the rust by skimming with a flap disc, then use straight bristle wire wheels at low RPM (on a drill for example). Then you could use a rust remover gel like bilt hamber deox gel.

Once you have achieved atleast st3 surface prep standard (check google images), degrease and abrade the metal and paint immediately around the damage and apply two coats of epoxy primer. Fill, prime and top coat as necesary.

These repairs will probably outlast the rest of the van.

Rust converters are a gamble, it often comes back. If you're going to the trouble of blocking it all flat and aiming for a nice finish you may as well ensure it won't come back by atleast getting close to eradicating the rust (st 3 prep standard) and using the most corrosion resistant direct to metal primer (2 part epoxy primer) known to man.