Community Forums

Pogo · 01-17-2013, 03:39 PM

I made a pretty deep scrape down the side of 2 basement aluminum doors. I plan to remove the doors, repair the gouge marks, and then let a painter paint the doors for me, and reinstall them.
My question is what is the proper filler material to use in the scrapes? Maybe polyester filler, or ?? I'm not sure if repairing aluminum is the same as steel.
Then, after the sanding is done, what is the correct primer to use to cover the repair?

Steve R. · 01-17-2013, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pogo

I made a pretty deep scrape down the side of 2 basement aluminum doors. I plan to remove the doors, repair the gouge marks, and then let a painter paint the doors for me, and reinstall them.
My question is what is the proper filler material to use in the scrapes? Maybe polyester filler, or ?? I'm not sure if repairing aluminum is the same as steel.
Then, after the sanding is done, what is the correct primer to use to cover the repair?

Good lightweight body filler available at auto paint and most auto parts stores would work well. Follow the directions to prepare the surface. Your painter should tell you which primer to apply. It needs to be compatible with the paint you intend to use.

TQ60 · 01-18-2013, 12:27 PM

Before using filler it must be bare metal, scratched up better.

80 grit good point, do not touch after sanding, and do not worry about what it looks like, sand it smooth.

There also are glaze products that are filler for the filler...they fill in the scratches and small spots better.

Gary RVRoamer · 01-19-2013, 09:06 AM

If yours are like mine, the aluminum panels are very flexible, so you want a body filler that matches it in flexibility so that the patch doesn't crack or break out. Polyester is usually the most flexible, but there can be a lot of brand variation.

honkytonkinn · 01-27-2013, 10:46 PM

You have most likely done this repair by now, but bare aluminum can be tricky to get a good bond on, with some body fillers.
I always use a coat of etch primer on aluminum before applying filler.
Make sure it is etch primer and the surface is cleaned and sanded before primer, only take the bare minimum off the top of the primer so its dull, before putting the filler in.
The primer should extend beyond the filled area.
An etch primer will be compatible with almost any automotive refinish paint type.
Cheers
Rusty