Help! Block sanding-Tape coming thru? What to do?

[retired ralph]

The tape is coming thru when I block sand. Also some thin cracks on the tape edge. Do I deepen the crack and put fiberglass filler? Thanks Ralph

 

[SVO]

The "tape" you speak of is the bonding seam gap between the body panels. The body panels are joined on a bonding strip with a bonding adhesive. The gap between the panels were filled with the bonding adhesive and finished off by sanding smooth. The bonding seams are a problem that you see pop thru the factory paint. If this is on your '74 in your sig, you need a body putty that's for use on SMC body panels. Coat the seams with the putty and finish off smooth using 80 grit sand paper. Then seal the seams with a coat of Evercoat spray gel coat and finish off the gel coat with 180 grit sand paper. Then follow that with a high build primer surfacer and start blocking that out smooth. You should be able to paint the car then without the seams poping back out in your new finish.

 

[lars]

It doesn't look like you're down to bare 'glass yet to me - I think it looks like bad previous bodywork. Get the area down to bare 'glass and then evaluate what you have going on. There is no "tape" in the car.

And what grit paper are you using? Your sanding looks too fine for doing the rough-out blocking. Switch over to 80-grit and a long file board and knock the heck out of that thing. The photo looks like you're sanding with about 150 or finer... that won't work real well.

Lars

 

[gmjunkie]

It doesn't look like you're down to bare 'glass yet to me - I think it looks like bad previous bodywork. Get the area down to bare 'glass and then evaluate what you have going on.

And what grit paper are you using? Your sanding looks too fine for doing the rough-out blocking. Switch over to 80-grit and a long file board and knock the heck out of that thing. The photo looks like you're sanding with about 150 or finer... that won't work real well.

Lars

Be my guess too!~!!

 

[JohnZ]

The tape is coming thru when I block sand. Also some thin cracks on the tape edge. Do I deepen the crack and put fiberglass filler? Thanks Ralph

What tape?