Rage Gold is awesome stuff, I've found it to set up a little quicker than most other fillers, however. It's usually around $60-$75 a gallon here, but I'm sure the price varries from one location to another.
Evercoat Body Filler is pretty much the standard in the auto body field.
I've used it on 3 cars and 2 enclosures that I have built with no problems.
All you really should need is a light skim coat to fill pin holes and minor surface imperfections. Try to keep it under 1/4 inch in thickness, as after that, problems can occur.
Bondo / Body Filler has really gotten a bad wrap all around, due to several misguided idiot's that weren't bright enough to follow directions.
It is really a necessity in achieving the ultimate smooth surface however.
Watch American Hot Rod on Discovery Channel some time. Charlie Hutton, the Body Shop Supervisor, skim coats all of the cars with a light coat of body filler and then sands them straight. Keep in mind he is doing this on Body Coddington Hot Rod Cars as well; as if you have ever seen a Boyd Coddington Car in person, the body work is flawless!
After you have the fiberglass/Resin sanded, just skim coat the entire surface with a thin layer of the filler; wait for it to set up, and sand away.
You should use a sanding block unless you want a more "wavy" texture.
I'd start with 80 grit for a few passes, then bump it up to 150 grit, 220 grit, tack cloth the surface, and see where you are at.
It may take a few skim coats for it to be perfect.
After you have sanded the filler to perfection with the 220 grit, tack cloth the surface again to clean things up, then shoot the primer.
I personally shoot 2-3 layers of primer depending on what I am working on. Each layer is applied just as the previous layer begins to flash.
Once the primer is dry, it's time to wet sand.
You will need a sanding block and 400 grit sandpaper.
-It's best to leave both of these items soaking in water for at least a half hour before you start the wet sanding.
Spray the surface of the primer down with the water, even mix in a small amount of car wash soap to help with lubrication if you like.
Keep in mind that you are wet sanding just the primer and should not sand through to the filler.
Wet sand with 400 grit until smooth, spray it down with water, dry, tack cloth it.
With a clean dry surface, you are not ready for paint.
depending on the type of paint you are using, I find it best to shoot 1 thin coat, let it flash, then a wet coat, let it flash, and then another wet coat.
This should be allowed to dry, and the clear coat should be sprayed within the next 24 hours.
After the clear coat is on, I would allow decent curing time (at least 24-48 hours) depending on the manufacturer's instructuons.
Once the clear is dry, you again can wet sand- this time with 2000 - 2500 grit and very little pressure. This can typically be done without a block.
After the wet sanding is done, the paint should be smooth as glass.
You may want to use a mild rubbing compoud after this, otherwise, glaze, polish, sealant/wax, and you are done.
Patience is the main thing........
Good Luck!
