How strong is filler?

[Silky]

Just curious really but how strong is filler? A few, relatively small, rusty patches on my LT needed sorting and these have been filled rather than cut out and welded. What kind of life span does filler have? Is it something that's likely to need redoing in a year or so?

Silky

[Ian Hulley]

It's a strong as the rusty metal it's hiding.

[pauly8888]

I've seen filler last for years and years, and I've seen filler last only a few weeks. Like Ian says, if it's on rusty metal, it'll soon show.

[New Kentish Campers]

Trouble with most fillers is that they are porous so if applied over rusty metal, it simple absorbs even more moisture to aggravate the problem. Best is to use Lead, though its costly and needs a little skill to apply and shape, etc.

[CovKid]

Surface rust ideally needs grit blasting to at least get back to clean metal. ALDI do spot blasters from time to time that are brilliant for seams and lightly rusted areas for about a tenner. Mercdoctor and I gave it a good testing late last year with good results. No point filling over rust as said above. A good coat of Vactan afterwards seems to keep it in check. Then use high-build primer and paint. If you're filling big dents its often better to just replace the panel. This is particularly true if you're actually trying to fill holes. It'll be temporary at best.

[Plasticman]

modern filler is good but only for filling and surfacing , its useless for keeping rust and rot back, something like davids p40(or equivalent) is a fibreglass based filler, its waterproof and will do well over a manky hole then after sanding down(grinder) apply normal filler)
this can keep it reasonable for a good while. I use lead but its not much use over a lattice of rusty metal as while the lead is impervious the rust if remaining will creep round the lead and off you go again,welding a patch on is ok as long as the rust is cut out etc but for best results cut out and let a piece in.
hope that sort of helps
mm

[Silky]

Thanks all!
I actually got the patches sorted by a body work garage in the business park where I work and it looked like a fairly thorough job (seeing the various stages) so hopefully it'll be at the "years" end of the scale rather than months. Another justification for the roller painting I guess

Silky

[BOXY]

I filled the two massive dents in my RD350's petrol tank about 20 years ago with Holts filler. The repair is still as good as the day I did it, but there was no rust involved. My X19 had a few holes filled with ali mesh and then fillered over the top. Those repairs lasted a year or two before the edges rusted under the filler. Like others have said if all the rust is removed and the bare metal treated & sealed, then filler can be a long term temporary repair.

[Plasticman]

Ilove it,, long term, temporary. which is it
mm

[Ian Hulley]

Ah, the Fiat X19 ... I wonder what happened to them ?

[Plasticman]

dont know but many years ago I was driving up the A1 doing about 80ish and an x19 came flyoing pushing it,(in more ways than 1) and about five miles up the road it was parked up with steam coming out the boot
otherwise they were a laugh of a car,and could be made to work well
mm

[Ian Hulley]

Poor man's TR7

[paulo999]

Poor man's TR7

If they were the poor man's TR7, I'd hate to think what a poor man's X19 would be like.

[Plasticman]

now thats got me thinking, lots of sh*** about then ,even with nostagic rose tints on, but in the vein of 2 seater sports er cant think of anything for once, spitfires.midgets.sprites they were all better, mind you honda did a real rustbucket,(600) was a t**s up wether it broke before it fell appart,the 1300 not much better but that was 2+2 so not counted
mm

[BOXY]

"long term, temporary." it was supposed to be ironic. Just like Fiat when they called the X19 a "Sports Car"