Archive for the ‘Car Repair’ Category
May 17th, 2012 | 
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Is your car’s side or rear window damaged?
Does a small crack in the windshield causing inconvenience for you?
If you are covering any of these troubles, you need to take help from professional automobile glass repair services. This is because automobile glass needs to be in a well-maintained condition always to refrain any mishap.
There are plenty of automobile glass repair experts that have been assisting automobile owners by providing high calibre services at inexpensive rates. Before choosing a particular one, you need to be very careful. Some of the crucial points that can help you make a clean decision regarding the selection of a particular automobile glass repair shop have been listed below. These include:
Experience and knowledge
Before finalizing a particular shop for any of your auto glass repair and replacement requirements, the first thing you need to think about is its total experience and knowledge.
It is the experience and understanding that counts. Without an in-depth knowledge and understanding, the technicians would not be healthy to carry out the repair process in the right way. It is good to check out the overall experience of the shop before finalizing it.
Quality of equipment used
This is the second important bourgeois that can help you find the right automobile glass repair shop as per your needs. Check out what types of equipment the company uses for repairing automobile glass.
The equipment and tools used are of high calibre and advanced?
Are these tested before use?
If the answer to these questions is yes, you can think about that particular shop.
Guaranteed work
Is that particular shop offering guaranteed services to the clients? If no, refrain choosing it. Always go with the one that offers guaranteed services so that you can easily claim if some trouble arises in the repaired part during the guaranty period.
Additional services at inexpensive rates
Last but not the least, select a automobile glass repair shop offering additional services to the clients at inexpensive rates. The addition services might include automobile cleaning, maintenance, etc.
These are some of the prominent factors that one needs to think about before finalizing a particular shop for any of his or her automobile glass repair and replacement requirements. You can search for such shops online as most of them maintain their own dedicated websites to help customers find them with ease. You can compare their services, experience and select the one that suits your requirements.
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If you are serious about wanting to maintain your automobiles bodywork you need to find a local calibre automobile body repair centre. Not just one which is friendly & competitive but one that can really produce body fixes that will last.
Tell Tale signs of good automobile body repairs.
When going to a automobile bodywork shop where do you begin on your quest to refer a good repairer? The first thing I would want to look at is a automobile they have just done & if they will grant you to, go have a stroll around their shop. Looking at automobiles in repair stages, you can tell a lot about how long the repair will last by doing this.
So firstly, when looking at a completed automobile body repair, what do you look for? Take your time, let your eyes view over the job that has been done, does anything nasty jump out? If not thats a great start. Now take a look at how it was masked, are there any signs of paint on the finishers or around the handles etc. Bend down and look down the panel, a good automobile body repair should be ripple free. Take a long look into the paintwork, are there any fine scratches? If fine scratches are present they are called sinkage or mapping out, if they are not present its a calibre job. Finally, look at the overall texture of the paintwork, is it matching the rest of the car? A good automobile body repair guy will try to match the texture of the spray job as close to the original as possible. Dont be shy when looking at a job (dont be cocky or annoying either), you will be paying for calibre so you will want it.
If you are lucky enough to achievement around the shop and look at fixes in progress here are a few pointers. Are the automobiles correctly masked up & dust free inside? When looking at dent repairs, is the special body filler rubbed down & left in fine scratches before the primer or are the scratches very course? Course filler scratches will sink over time, so watch of repairers that leave heavy scratches in their work before primer is applied. Take note, does the body shop use a low bake oven? This is a must if you want your automobile body fixes to last for a long time, drying the primers & paint need to be done with infra red lamps or in a low bake oven.
I hope these pointers have been useful. If you want to keep your automobile in tip top condition finding a calibre automobile body repair centre is vital. Remember just using calibre wash & wax can make all the difference and create that lovely lustre that we all admire.
More info: www.metacog.com
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When carrying out a automobile body repair either by yourself or in the trade you can inevitable come
across numerous problems in the various stages of repair. These types of problems, that if not addressed can be more troublesome further down the line. So identifying the problem and cause can be a valuable quality in the completion on a automobile body repair to a high standard. Some types of problems in the repair process can be rectified there and then or can be corrected at later stages, knowing which ones are which can be the difference between a good repair and a bad one. Below are listed a few of the most common types of problems that are visaged in today’s automobile body repair, automotive environment and the methods that can be employed to fix them.
Water
If when you are spraying the paint or lacquer on a automobile and water keeps dripping out of sensor
encasements, light fittings or end of panel sections, you should first stop spraying and blow air through the area either by an air gun or by mouth, this should get rid of all the excess water in the areas.
If when you continue to spray and water still seeps out try jacking the automobile up so that if for example you are spraying a bumper scuff or bumper scratch jack the two
rear wheels up so that the water run of is directed away from the area that you are spraying. This is a common problem that has to be addressed straight away for if you continue to spray the paint and the lacquer over the water runs the layers will not adhere properly and will peel off on completion.
Fish Eyes
The fish eye effect can occur if the panel that is being sprayed has not been cleaned properly.
If there is any residue of silicones or polish that has not been cleaned of the panel before spraying, then when applying the paint it will split and leave what looks like fish eyes all over the repairable area. The ideal way to prevent this from happening is to clean the area thoroughly. You can clay bar the area, this will also help or if it still occurs use standard thinners to clean, its more potent than most cleaners and will remove all contaminants ( if spraying panel scratches or key scratch areas always make sure the areas are thoroughly cleaned).
Orange Peel
When spraying a repair if the gun set up is not correctly calibrated, when applying the lacquer orange peel might occur. It’s not a too severe problem to solve its just hideous when the job has been completed. The ideal course of action to take is to let the lacquer dry off and cure then using some 200 wet and dry paper, rub back the orange peel areas so they become flat and smooth, then polish up with slicing compound and high grade polish.
The issues listed above are all common in the automobile body and mobile automobile body repair industry,
and if treated correctly all can be resolved. Before attempting any form of automobile body repair please be aware of the hazards involved and wear appropriate conserving equipment and clothing.
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If you have had the misfortune of an happening which has left you with some hideous alteration like a bumper scuff, bumper scratch key scratch or dent then you might wish to have this
repaired. Having automobile body fixes carried out can be quite costly whether it’s by a mobile automobile body repair service or a static happening repair centre the price can be a major bourgeois when considering having the automobile body alteration repaired. Out of the two types of repair services said above the mobile automobile body repair service or smart repair service as its also known is the cheaper options out of the two by sometimes 70% on certain types of automobile body repairs. So if you have the money and wish to have the work carried out by a professional, then that would be the choice for you.
If the alteration is more complex or requires massive area resprays then it’s the happening repair centre for you, which unfortunately will be considerable more costly (best to bring your automobile insurance in to play for that one). Other options for the repair would be to carry out some of the work yourself. It’s not as hard as you might think and can reduce the cost of having the repair carried out by the professionals by only leaving them with the painting and lacquering stages to complete the repair. Below is detailed information on how to prime and prep your automobile body alteration so it’s ready for the painting and lacquering stages.
First you will need some basic items
1)Bucket of water
2) 400 and 1500 Wet and dry paper
3) Paper Towels
4) Alcohol Cleaner (thinners will do)
5) Razor Blades
6) Masking Tape
7) Hot Air Gun
Flat rubbing block
9) Filler (if the alteration is deep or requires filling)
10) Primer filler in aerosol can
11) Goggles and carbon filter mask
First use the razor blade to scrape off any loose debris or rough edges from the scratched area then clean with some alcohol based cleaner.
If the scratch or scratches are quite deep then they will need filling. To fill the scratch place some filler on a razor blade and near into the scratches making sure the filler sits a tiny chesty of the surface, then gentle heat with the hot air gun until the filler has fully set. Once set, rub back with some 400 wet and dry paper on a rubbing block making sure that the paper is always lubricated with water from the bucket, and rub until flush with the panel’s surface.
Once the filler is flush with the automobile panels surface clean again and dry with the paper towel. Mask up an area on average 3 inches away from the scratches which are to be primed so that over spray can be contained. Shake the primer filler can vigorously for about 3 minutes, once shaken place on your mask and goggles and any conserving clothing you might wish to use, with a sweeping motion apply a thin layer of the primer filler and gently heat with the air gun (don’t get too close with the air gun, keep it moving as if drying your hair).
Once the primer filler has set, rub back with some 400 wet and dry paper till smooth and flush with the automobile panel. Dry with the paper towel and See if there are any scratches remaining. If there are continue with the application of the primer filler as said above until all scratches have been filled.
This technique is a basic method for priming a automobile body repair, and is used throughout the automobile body repair industry.
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Sometimes your automobile will receive a dent or gouge that is too small to justify the expense of a full body shop repair but too huge to simply ignore. You can cut your repair costs by doing the body work yourself.
If used correctly, body filler can result in a well done repair. There is not a body shop out there that does not use a little bit of this material.
Aside from very few exceptions, body filler is a plastic resin that can be sanded, adheres well to metal, and lasts a long time. A rushed body repair never ends well, so take your time and you will have great results.
Be sure you block out at least three hours of time to do a proper repair. Before you can fill your dent, you will need to remove the paint.
The putty does not stick well to paint, so you need to sand it down to bare metal. For this job, you can use a heavier grit sandpaper like a 150-grit.
Even if your dent might be only a couple of inches long, you will need to remove at least 3 inches beyond the actual dent. Sometimes it is a good idea, especially if you are dealing with multiple dents, to mark the location of the alteration so you know where to focus your repair easily.
Body filler is a two-part epoxy that you have to mix yourself. You add a cream hardener to the base, which starts a reaction to harden the filler.
The putty will harden pretty quickly, allowing for less than five minutes of working time. You can mix the hardener on pretty much anything clean.
Just remember that it will be more or less ruined afterward. The material will not stick to plastic, so when you are done you can pop the old stuff right out cleanly.
Follow the directions on the can to mix the proper amount of hardener with putty. Mix the two using a rigid plastic spreader.
Do not forget you have a limited working time once you mix it. Remember that once you have blended the filler, you have less than five minutes to get it on the dilapidated area.
Spread it in an area at least 3 inches outside of the actual alteration using a flexible plastic spreader. You will need the extra space to properly smooth and feather the hardened material.
Do not worry about being too neat with it, as you will be sanding away any ugliness once the putty hardens. Once it has absolutely hardened you should be ready to start sanding.
With your sandpaper wrapped around a sanding block, start smoothing the area using 150-grit sandpaper. Sand lightly and evenly over the entire surface of the repair with broad circular strokes.
Make sure you go past the edge of the area to create a smooth transition. When the putty is pretty close to smooth, switch to the 220-grit paper and continue until it is even.
It is not uncommon to miss a spot or realize there are some gaps or pits in your filler. If this is the case, mix a new batch of filler and repeat the process until it is smooth.
You will smooth away most of the material, leaving the dent filled and a smooth transition between metal and putty. Spot putty is another version of filler, but much finer and easier to sand.
It does not need to be blended and can be applied directly from the tube to the repair. The spot putty fills in any little impressions in the filler.
Smooth it crossways the repair surface with a flexible plastic spreader. It dries faster than other types, but be sure you give it enough time before you start to sand it.
Using 400-grit sandpaper, lightly and evenly smooth the spot putty away. Sand it all away flat, and you should be left with only little amounts of putty remaining in small scratches and gaps.
To further prepare and protect your repair, you will spray the surface with a primer/sealer. Mask off an area around the repair to refrain getting paint on any trim or other non-painted areas.
Apply the spray primer in light, even coats. Grant the primer coat to dry, then remove your masking tape and paper.
Fill a spray bottle with clean water and spray the repair area and the sandpaper. Smoothly sand the primer using a straight back and forth motion.
When you start to see the old paint show through the primer, you have gone far enough. If you sand away too much primer and you can see metal again, you will have to re-prime and re-sand.