specific tools, their use and what they look like

[ari666]

i dunno i thought this may be a good thread for people who need to know what some of the tools are that are used in panel beating/spray painting. there a lot of obscure tools that are only used for one specific purpose and if you know they exist, it makes life a lot easier.

ill go first with a few i know, im hoping people can add as we go. also i am happy to change stuff if i get any facts wrong.

die grinder:

great for grinding out welds in tight corners

body saw:

cuts into metal in spots you cant get a normal saw into. great for cutting little holes out.


the wizzy or orbital sander:


used for just about everything. best tool ever.

angle grinder:

your best buddy, your neighbours worst nightmare

the speed file:


there are a couple of different types, you got the velcro base and the metal clip end type. pre cut sheets of paper go in it and it allows you to get a nice and even surface.

cross pene hammer:

small and light head, with a flat side.

ball pene hammer:

these are great for making 'dishes' in the metal. get a flat piece of steel and a block of wood and lightly tap in a spiral and itll stretch out the steel and make a dish.

finishing hammer:

completely flat head. used for getting things flat

dead blow hammer:

filled with lead shot so when you hit something it multiplies the force. but its useful cos' of its soft head which doesnt damage surfaces as badly as a metal mallet.

slide hammer:

used for hammering stuff backwards. good for anything you cant get a hammer behind. usually they come with a screw fitting that you drill a hole and screw the fitting into. but also really useful are the door gap fittings that help level the guards/doors.

dollys:

various shapes and sizes used for all different jobs

body file (bog file)

i havnt got one of these (yet) but want one. they chew into bog like butter and help you shape it. especially edges.

mig welder:

obviously its for welding

arc welder:

is from stopping your grage door from blowing open or closed. also holding your boat still while you fish.

tig

when i get one i will tel you

interface pad:

goes inbetween your wizzy and sanding sheet and helps keep things level. its easy to sand low spots with a wizzy so this stops that from happening (to a degree)

scotchbrite pads:

for scuffing shit up

tack cloth:

i dont like these orange ones. they are too gluey. the blue ones are brilliant though. they are slightly adhesive and you run them over your panel before you spray. it basically picks up any dust and crap that may be on there.

[Boostedn14]

More for your library:

Interface pad, Grey scotch, Red scotch, blend paste, 2:1 basecoat sticks, soft edge foam, soft sand pads, polytex wipes.

could go into more crap but probably irrelevant.

[Trayner]

arc welder:

is from stopping your grage door from blowing open or closed. also holding your boat still while you fish.

That is 100%, hopeless as things

[Faynt11]

great thread ari!

[ari666]

More for your library:

Interface pad, Grey scotch, Red scotch, blend paste, 2:1 basecoat sticks, soft edge foam, soft sand pads, polytex wipes.

could go into more crap but probably irrelevant.

interface pad:


scotchbrite pads:


i must admit i have NFI what blend paste, 2:1 basecoat sticks, soft edge foam, soft sand pads are. and i assume that polytex wipes are the same as tack cloth:

[Faynt11]

blend paste is a product used with grey scotchbrite, it just help 'flatten' the paint. it's ok but you could just buy p1000 blend discs and get the same affect, 2:1 sticks are just to measure your paint when making ready for use. soft edge foam is useless, just back mask you lazy bastard... lol. and polytex wipes are lint free wipes for wiping on/off wax and grease remover.

[Faynt11]

blend paste:


Polytex wipes


soft edge foam


soft rubbing blocks

[Boostedn14]

soft edge foam is the bomb, no papering at all, just foam inside your door and your done. Brilliant shit! how in any way could it be percieved as useless!? lol oh well your loss my friend :P

[Kernal]

What is soft edge foam used for?

[Boostedn14]

example: when you are painting the side of a car, you use soft foam for in the gaps of the door so overspray doesn't seep inside the doors, its just round foam with a sticky strip on it. It removes the need to spend ages back masking and papering inside your doors when it comes time to paint. And because its a soft foam, you get no edges, unlike backmasking where you can sometimes get a hard edge from where the tape has stuck down.

I love the stuff, you literally stick it onto the edge of the inside of the door or on the quarter (or wherever you are painting) and just shut the door. Job Done.

[Faynt11]

pfft paper, i just use 2 inch! i can mask a full side in under 10mins. honestly that soft foam has never worked properly for me, maybe the stuff we trialled was just shit. dunno. but ill just bask mask it. boostedn14 do you use 3m pps cups? that shit is the bomb!

[bogan_vk]

slide hammer for pulling dents

lead loading wooden paddles, lead stick ,and butane torch ,its better to use an oxy welder the wooden paddles get soaked in engine oil so when your wiping the lead on the panel it dosent stick to the paddle you also need a paintbrush and flux to coat the panel with flux when the leads applied file it back with a body file and sand ,all steel body repairs.

and a flipper its used as a form of dolly for smoothing out panels

[bogan_vk]

heres another one ive used quite a bit Porta power its a hydraulic ram setup to forcefully stretch bodywork into a rough shape when you have a decent hit eg i caved the boot of my vk in 50mm recently reversing i used this and it stretched my car back out back to its original length great tool if you have a prang thats more than superficial.sure beats tying your car to a tree and accelerating to stretch out bodywork.

[Boostedn14]

pfft paper, i just use 2 inch! i can mask a full side in under 10mins. honestly that soft foam has never worked properly for me, maybe the stuff we trialled was just shit. dunno. but ill just bask mask it. boostedn14 do you use 3m pps cups? that shit is the bomb!

Yeah the stuff you used must have been no good, we use the 3m rounded foam edge, its great, and this is coming from someone that used to back mask etc.

I do know of the 3m cups, are they the cups you mix your colour in, then flip it over and it attaches straight to your gun and paint? if so then yes, its awesome! removes all mess and stuffing around. Unfortunately, we don't have that system

[Faynt11]

they're awesome!

[ari666]

might move on to actual painting stuff. might need help with proper names and uses etc, but thats whats so good about JC

gravity fed gun:

comes in various shapes and sizes. 1.0mm would be for paint touch ups, 1.3 for base, 1.4 is what i use for everything, 1.8mm for putty, 3mm for polyester



suction fed gun:

i wouldnt know, ive never used one.



mixing pots:

have the measurements on the side, use these for mixing the clear/primer or 2k base. 2:1 4:1 etc etc



mixing sticks:

i have not used one before, but they look handy cos you can mix up in a 40 liter drum if you have to you are not limited to a little cup.



spray gun filter:

at first i didnt use these cos i thought they were unnecessary, till i did a BEAUTIFUL job on a blue s15, then some dry paint just spat out all over the base and i had to wipe it all off. for something like99c they are worthh getting lots and having on standby



spray gun cleaning kit:

you just cant operate without a proper kit. you need the type with the various guage pieces of wire cos all the tiny holes need to be cleaned without damaging the nozzle



painters tape:

i use for edges. it seems to work better at sticking and its easier to bend them to follow a line



2" tape

good for everything else



masking machine

has your roll of 2" and paper ready to go so as you drag out the paper, the tape comes with it. so want, but dont haz.

[undersuspicion]

good thread ari, very informative mate.