How to Fix Auto Body Repair Panels Without Welding
A simple auto body repair can become a huge deal if it requires welding. Welding requires a whole lot of expensive equipment and special knowledge that many people probably do not have. Many car fanatics have to look for alternatives of welding. There are a few simple techniques that require no welding and provide amazing results.
Materials needed:
- P80 grit sanding discs
- Random orbital sander
- Metal scribe
- Drill and bits
- Air-fed nibbling tool
- Panel flanging tool
- Zinc spray
- Scrap metal
- Rivet gun
- Rivets
- Galvanized body filler
- Flat sanding block
- P80 grit sanding paper
- Safety goggles
- Dust mask
- Protective gloves
Take the P80 sanding paper and put it on the pad of an orbital sander. Sand the area that was damaged completely until bare metal is exposed. Feather out the painted edges. This will help with the priming process later.
Mark two inches outside of the area that was damaged with the metal scribe. Drill a hole that is a half of an inch in the middle of the square. Using the air fed nibbling tool, cut out the square. Make certain that the guide stays in the scribed line.
Get the panel flanging tool and make a flang around the area that was cut out of the auto body panel. The flang has to be pretty deep. Put a small coat of zinc spray to the bare metal. This will protect from corrosion. Find some scrap metal that is the same gauge as the auto body panel. Cut a patch that is going to fit into the flanged recess. If needed, use a piece of cardboard that you could use as a template.
Lay the metal patch into the flanged hole. Using masking tape, secure this in place on the corners. To make sure that the patch stays in its proper place, drill two or three holes on every edge through the flanged area and the patch. The holes have to be large enough to support the rivets that you are going to be using.
Hold the patch in place and put rivets in the holes. Start up the rivet gun so the metal patch is fastened to the flanged recess. Go all of the way around the square until every rivet is attached to a hole. Using a panel hammer, tap down the high spots and make sure that the heads of the rivets sit under the surface of the auto body panel.
Put a coat of galvanized body fill on the area that has just been repaired. Let the filler dry. Sand down with P80 grit sand paper and a flat block. Apply as many coats of body filler as you need to get a completely flat surface.