The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop how do I remove lead body filler?

Any body pros out there? I have an bad ancient lead job on the front lower portion of my fenders that I need to remove.

Just like they put it on there with, a torch. Heat it up and it will fall to the floor. After you will need to clean off as much as you can with a "ROLOC" or similar so you don't remove too much metal.

ok thanks. I kind of felt stupid asking but I think they stopped doing lead before I was born so I was kind of amazed when I uncovered it. oooh I struck lead! LOL

what's a ROLOC ?

Be very care full when grinding or sanding lead, its very toxic! Try not to do it. Take a small torch and melt it off, then take a old shop towel and wipe as much off as you can. Then wear a good mask and get the rest off. Joe

I believe ROLOC is a product made by 3M. It is a style or type of sanding / grinding disc.

Make sure you have adequate ventilation too. Even when you heat it up, it will give off fumes and who knows what else. By the By, what color is that lead filler?

ok thanks everyone. I am definitely going to wear a good mask and do it outside. I'll post some pics when I have the body stripped.

the lead is gray in color and much harder than bondo. I would guess its at least 30+ years old? the truck has several layers of paint and 2 paint jobs ago they covered the entire fender with a coat of bondo. way too much bondo! anyway I was removing that with a scraper and chemical stripper then the last bit with a 4 1/2 grinder with sanding grit discs (probably same thing as roloc). That is when I hit the lead on the lower front fender. I felt some of the dust with my finger and it looked kind of like graphite or pencil lead. then I noticed the edge of the fender looks they just let it drip off.

oh S%^#! I have some of that on my truck, and I may have breathed some of it in. I guess I should get to the doctore. Dammit.

gmcfan
Don't worry too much. I've worked with some ole cable splicers that wiped joints for years. They got a little goofy after a while and died a little earlier than usual but they were doing this 8 a day for years. As long as you melt it and don't grind it you're relatively safe. I use a respirator and try to work outside whenever I'm grinding or sanding it.
Dennis

Hey GMCfan, that goofyness sure sounds familiar don't it?

:p

GMCFan,
I don't think a little will hurt or I'm in trouble too.

Now if you did lead work for 20 years well then you probably have some problems. Even then I don't think the doctor can do much for that can they?

nope, not much they can do, i think. I didnt breath that much in, anyway i have breathed in worse things than that, and im still here, but thats no excuse for not wearing a mask. Ahh, to be young and stupid again.

I think somebody should put this in perpsective, this is solder! Has nobody soldered pipes with lead/tin solder? Of course you don't inhale it but all the bodyshop guys that used it didn't die early.