Can we talk about skim coats versus filler pads for small dents?

Had a 2019 Civic come in last month with about 9 door dings from a parking garage in Dallas, and I tried something different on the smaller ones. I used to just grab the filler and spread it thin, but this time I took my time with a skim coat over a light epoxy primer instead. The difference was night and day, the edges laid down so much smoother and I barely had to block it at all. Maybe took me an extra 20 minutes per panel but I saved close to an hour on sanding and the paint laid flat with no shrinkage lines. Just curious what you all reach for on the little stuff, do you go skim coat or stick with filler for the quick jobs?

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paige_hall447d ago

Heard a body shop guy on a podcast say the same thing about epoxy primer under a thin skim, something about how it keeps the edges from feathering out too wide. He claimed filler on those tiny dents soaks up moisture and you get ghost lines a year later. Extra 20 minutes to save an hour of sanding sounds like a fair trade to me.

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