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My boss in 2008 said I'd miss lead body filler when it was gone
He was an old school guy in our Tacoma shop who swore by the stuff, said the new plastic fillers were just marketing. I argued with him for months, loved how easy the new stuff was to sand. Fast forward to today, fixing a classic car with some tricky curves, and man, I get it now. That lead would have shaped perfectly where this stuff just won't hold the line. Anyone else run into a job lately that made you appreciate an old method you used to hate?
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colej743mo ago
You ever read that old hot rodder saying, "lead is for filling, plastic is for sanding"? I heard a guy on a podcast talk about how lead filler moves with the metal when it gets hot or flexes a little. Makes sense why it works better on those long, tricky curves where plastic can crack or pull away.
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michael8953mo ago
That's mostly right, but it's not about heat. Lead's softer so it moves with the metal flexing, while plastic filler is too brittle.
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