[Shiny]

So...

That carbon tip would be a great thing.

Any chance it will work on my Eastwood Mig? It's an inverter type so the guess here is "no", but any chance?

[dataway]

I never got one. But .. if someone found it useful might be worth buying a cheapo transformer MIG to use it with.

[fairwayhit]

Just my .02, but I used SPI epoxy primer and it sands really well. I personally would skip the high build primer / shrinking disk and just do rounds of epoxy.

All my comments are meant for someone who is only going to do one car at home and has more time than skill.

When you are down to just minimal surface variations like you are talking about it is really easy to spray and the spi primer is darker in the low spots (like a built in guide coat) so you could just sand until everything is perfect or you break through to metal.

If you get a few spots wheee metal is showing, you can just tap them down and spray another coat of epoxy. Since you’ve already basically guide coated and tapped down any high spots, I doubt you’ll even need many rounds of epoxy to get things perfect.

Everyone has their own way of doing things but I found the shrinking disk was of limited effectiveness for me. I never really got the hang of it.

Using all epoxy is also one less thing to buy, so you don’t end up with a half can of high build. Epoxy doesn’t shrink/ absorb water etc so it is almost fool proof

I’m not affiliated with SPI. I just really like their products.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Shiny]

Thanks to you both.

I have a small shrinking disc and it works well for "local" bumps but I think it would be tricky for large-area bulges. I will never have a torch so I like the idea of running a carbon rod around.

Here's a video that makes me want this:

Video of Carbon Tip Shrinking a Big Bulge

I'll call Eastwood and see what they say... my welder is simple and cheap so I'm skeptical.

As to buying a transformer MIG, we'll see how it all plays out. Hopefully my shrinking disc can cover what I need for now.

And I appreciate the "use epoxy, not filler or primer" for shallow depressions. It does seem like bulletproof material. I epoxy-primed a fender back in 2011 and it is still solid, well-adhered, and no rust. My impression, though, is it doesn't sand easily, so maybe that's why everyone likes SPI epoxy.

[dataway]

Speaking of shrinking discs, I ended up finding mine quite useful, such a subtle effect that it's easy to believe it's not working. Worked well on small areas and areas that were slightly "wrinkled" from other dent removal work. I couldn't absolutely finish an area with the disc, but after repeated applications you can get it down to the point it can be finished with a file or the epoxy/sand method.

[Shiny]

Hope your move is going well!

Yes, the shrinking disc works, is easy to use, inexpensive, and doesn't involve a torch. All good IMO.

But I do think this carbon rod on a MIG as a heat source would be an awesome and beginner-friendly way to shrink a large-area bulge...

...like what happens when someone (me) with little skill stretches a panel hammering on a dent and it pushes a big bulge somewhere else.

Unfortunately, my cheap Eastwood welder won't tolerate it.

Here's a source for the carbon tip, though, which includes a note about it not working with my Eastwood MIG 130:

Link to Carbon Tip Supplier

Mike

[dataway]

I'd love to see the results of experimenting with one of those on some scrap metal ... like try to shrink it in some way that would be evident in the resulting shape of the sheet.

I know with a torch I'm usually ... not enough, not enough, not enough ... OH NO! Way too much

[Shiny]

Yes, the online videos make everything look easy.

Experience matters and I certainly would be clueless with a torch....

Often without one, when I remember some of my blunders.