06mazda3 door pods

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

Alright, so you're taping off your door, attatching the pods, then fill up to them to have absolutely no gap right?

If so, before you attatch the pods to the door... use something like a cut-off wheel to make gashes along the edge of your pod. Then attatch to the door. These small gashes will allow something for the body filler to grip/bond to a little better... so it will be less fragile when you pull it off the door.

As for filling the pods themselves... get some decent filler. I can't stand the filler from autozone. It will make life easier, if you alread bought the filler oh well.

Use the spreader to get your shape correct, and the biggest thing with body filler is to work with it while it's in the green stage. This is when it's holding shape or setting up in general... but will come off is pieces like grated cheese. Use some 36grit paper to knock down high spots and spreader marks during this stage.

Wait for it to cure/harden, then go at it sanding. Use the paper and your hand to make the contours smooth... if you don't have a soft taco (sanding pad) to use... here's a way to fold your paper to benefit (http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip020621sn.html)...

Or if you have a DA, you're golden //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif...

Vinyl you won't have to be too smooth... 80 grit will be fine...

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/woot.gif.aaa6090e619a97b6090d16dd863c5a69.gif

nG

 

[Honez 10+ year member]

yea no gaps but i want the edges to be rounded a little instead of real sharp.

i was thinking of just covering the hole pod in bondo, that way ill be less likely to have bumps in it, if i do that would i still need to cut some "GASHES" in the pod for the bondo to hold to???

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

If you cover it all in bondo do a real thin layer.The heavier you apply the more likly it is to look wavey.

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

yea no gaps but i want the edges to be rounded a little instead of real sharp.
i was thinking of just covering the hole pod in bondo, that way ill be less likely to have bumps in it, if i do that would i still need to cut some "GASHES" in the pod for the bondo to hold to???

I mean, to be honest it doesn't look like you have much filling to do. Go at the glass itself with some 36grit and a DA... then use the filler to just smooth it. Like stated, do a thin layer. If you're adding onto the edges...I'd cut gashes... only on the edges, if not then no.

You did great laying out your shape and applying the glass it looks like, shouldn't be too hard to knock them out. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

nG

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

I use 150 grit to sand mine then switch to 220 to remove any marks from the 150.If the layer is thin enough you shouldn't need such a heavy grit or risk eating through and having to re-do parts or all.Just a lite sand to get it all smoothe then multiple coats of high build primer.Wet sand that down hit it with a coat of primer sealer wet sand that with like 400-600 grit then paint.Color sand that then clear and buff

 

[Fiercetimbo17 10+ year member]

Listen to the dude above about thin layers of bondo, they will pay off in the end.

Also the second that shit starts to harden up stop using it and throw it away.

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

I use 150 grit to sand mine then switch to 220 to remove any marks from the 150.If the layer is thin enough you shouldn't need such a heavy grit or risk eating through and having to re-do parts or all.Just a lite sand to get it all smoothe then multiple coats of high build primer.Wet sand that down hit it with a coat of primer sealer wet sand that with like 400-600 grit then paint.Color sand that then clear and buff

He's not painting, so he won't need to really go over 80 honestly... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

nG

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

He's not painting, so he won't need to really go over 80 honestly... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif
nG

Yeah your right.I would do it just because that's how I do

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

Here is a pic of one of my pods.....

 

[Honez 10+ year member]

yea wrapping them in vinyl so they match the rest of my car... and paint looks to flashy... trying to keep them on the DL so there's less of a change of someone stealing them... any who just got em bondoed, my dumb A** already hit to it once everyone said a thin layer //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif ill let you guess what i didn't do

but i think it will work out

i think if req weren't on cruise right now this project would have already been done...

but then again if i remember correctly we were supposed to wrap his in vinyl and they still need gaps filled on them LOL

pics after they finish drying and get sanded //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

so close im hoping i can wrap em up tonight //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Honez 10+ year member]

Here is a pic of one of my pods.....

looks good though

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

thank you.As for wraping them it may be tricky.Do you have a heat gun and a sharp razor?With the way those come up you'll probably encounter some wrinkling so you'll have to flaten or cut to make it work.I have covered a couple projets with vinyl and it was a *****.I had to many coumpound curves to get it to lay nice so it took some work to get it to turn out nice.

Get us some pics once that shit drys and you sand it.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Honez 10+ year member]

yea i have all the tools i could ever need... thanks to req, he said the same thing about the heat gun and a razor... as i said earlier i have never worked with bondo or vinyl so this is most def a first for me so all advice and info is must appreciated

actually i think this is the first project i have ever done without req being here, kinda weird doing all this my self without a seasoned vet right next to me to walk me through it but i guess that's why he made me get on here and start posting and talk to people...

thanks everyone who has given advice, more is always appreciated...

most def as soon as i get em sanded ill post pics

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

It'll take a few trial and errors but you'll get the hang and learn your own way of doing it.Just keep on building your own shit so you make the mistakes and leran from them then you can start doing it for others with confidance!

Just take your time and don't rush it.If you mess up you can always fix it.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

Just remember when you wrap them to start from the top, aka the part you see... if all else fails not a big deal to have a small wrinkle at the very bottom where you can't see it...

nG