Teaching my kids abouts cars
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Teaching my kids abouts cars

I think it's really important to know a bit about the internals of a car, so that when you are getting your car serviced you can talk intelligently with the auto technician. As well, there are many easy DIY jobs you can do on your car to save your some money which can make all the difference when you are young and starting out. This site is where I am recording everything I am teaching my kids about auto servicing, and because I think it will be useful to many other families as well. I hope you find it useful for your family.

Teaching my kids abouts cars

Smash Repairs: 4 Easy Steps to Disguise Smashed Blemishes on Cars

Kenzi Jacobs

Made the mistake of backing out into a tree and don't know what to do about the little dent in the rear of your car? Perhaps you've dented your car bonnet, while trying to make a quick turn. In either case, smash repairs may be necessary to fix your car's dent. You can either choose to do this yourself of take it to the professional for a through job of smash repairs. If you have decided to undertake the project on your own, follow these simple steps to disguise smashed blemishes on cars.

Clean & Sand the Smashed Dent

Before applying any fillers and hardeners, make sure you eliminate all traces of wax, rust and dirt on the dent. Use aluminium oxide sandpaper to sand the smashed area, because filler materials don't grasp on paint. Sanding removes the paint from the smashed area, so that it can grab the filler material more easily.

During sanding, ensure that you blend the edges of the paint delicately to their thinnest edge to block the current paint from chipping up the new paint for a thorough bond. It's best to work inwards from the dent edges to prevent making the smashed area larger. If you're confused about buying sandpaper, you can check with an auto supply or paint store to help you make the right choice for your specific car and model.

Mix & Apply Filler

Mix only as much filler as you are planning to use based on the size of your car's dent. If you're filling a hole in the metal body, use a fibreglass screening or fine aluminium wire to hold the filler in place. If you're filling up a plastic part of the body, get a filler patch kit from a local auto store to hold the filler in place.

If the filler does not have an applicator, get a putty knife to apply it. Let this dry for several hours. Work carefully to prevent the filler from spreading outside the dent. Keep in mind that the filler portion should be higher than the surrounding car surface.

Scrape & Sand Filler

Once the filler has hardened, bring the level of the filler down to the car's paint level with a perforated file. Wait till everything has completely dried before sanding the filled dent with medium-grain sandpaper till it blends smoothly with the surrounding car surface.

Prime & Paint

Once everything appears even and smooth, prime the area with a car-friendly primer and touch up the car paint with the same colour as the rest of your car. Primer is used as the last filler layer to seal any remaining holes. You may apply several primer layers till you are satisfied that the area looks thoroughly smooth.

Use the sandpaper to smoothe out the area after you have applied primer for a completely smooth surface. If you want to be sure that the primer is well applied, wet the primer and check that the surface reflects light smoothly. Once the primer is dry, paint the area. Primer and paint can both be bought at your local auto supply or paint store.

While DIY projects are great, it goes without saying that a professional mechanic will undertake smash repairs far more efficiently and neatly. 


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