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I give it this - you get a lot for the buck, and it's easy to use. They don't get more simple-simon obvious.
But Festiva specifically:
Even using the smaller 2mm studs, I have experienced a lot of burn throughs - small holes in the centers where the studs were shot after pulling off the studs.
~The trick there is to grind or cut them off, not try to snap them off.
*There is a "TIME FACTOR" involved. The gun can weld on a stud in 0.5 seconds. NEVER fire (or HOLD) the trigger beyond one second
The metal on Festivas is very thin, so the tendancy to dimple outward is very high. It literally takes a small forrest of studs to work a large ding or dent outward. It is best to work very slow, and use only light taps of the slide hammer that comes with the set.
*It is difficult to get the studs out of the slide hammer. Best to clip the studs loose from the attachment point and THEN get them out of the slide hammer. The reason is because it uses an odd friction wheel to grip the studs - kind of like the striker in a BIC lighter.
My use of the new toy today was to: pull out a couple of dents over the D-Side door where someone lifted the car with a strap and it dented the metal in over the door and window. This is an area that you absolutely cannot get to from inside the car.
To work this area a number of studs were used, and a straight edge called into play to see how close to the body line I was getting. You can't really SEE where you are at with the naked eye, and holding the straight edge along the area I could spot places where a lot more had to be pulled out than it looked like.
I also used a method for both filling the low spots and filling in the holes that has worked well for me but might not be a preferred method. If you have an inert gas supplied wire feed and very fine wire - you can weld holes in this thin metal, but I chose to use JB Weld and hold it in place with saran wrap (which does not stick to the filler, and holds it in place so that it does not run, drip, or sag)
I consider JB Weld, Liquid Steel, or even Epoxy to be superior to Bondo for things like this because it is non-porous and does not promote rust for that reason. The only trick to it is that it is not "CLAY-LIKE", it will not stay put unless something is used to form it and hold it in place.
IT IS STILL sandable and workable after it dries and cures. You can file it, grind it, sand it, etc...
For filling holes that cannot be welded it is ideal, IMHO. Part of the reason is because it beads outward on the inside of holes, locking it in position. I'll put some pictures or vids up as I get to it, but right now I am in a race with the weather
NOTE: Regardless if you go with this stuff or bondo it is important to prep the surface by wiping it down with Acetone. ALSO - to make sure the stud gun has a good electrical path, you need to grind or sand the surface you are working to bare metal AND THEN wipe it with alcohol or acetone to ensure it is a clean bare metal surface for best results
~Even a small trace of grease, oil, or wax in the metal can make the studs fail to stick properly
But Festiva specifically:
Even using the smaller 2mm studs, I have experienced a lot of burn throughs - small holes in the centers where the studs were shot after pulling off the studs.
~The trick there is to grind or cut them off, not try to snap them off.
*There is a "TIME FACTOR" involved. The gun can weld on a stud in 0.5 seconds. NEVER fire (or HOLD) the trigger beyond one second
The metal on Festivas is very thin, so the tendancy to dimple outward is very high. It literally takes a small forrest of studs to work a large ding or dent outward. It is best to work very slow, and use only light taps of the slide hammer that comes with the set.
*It is difficult to get the studs out of the slide hammer. Best to clip the studs loose from the attachment point and THEN get them out of the slide hammer. The reason is because it uses an odd friction wheel to grip the studs - kind of like the striker in a BIC lighter.
My use of the new toy today was to: pull out a couple of dents over the D-Side door where someone lifted the car with a strap and it dented the metal in over the door and window. This is an area that you absolutely cannot get to from inside the car.
To work this area a number of studs were used, and a straight edge called into play to see how close to the body line I was getting. You can't really SEE where you are at with the naked eye, and holding the straight edge along the area I could spot places where a lot more had to be pulled out than it looked like.
I also used a method for both filling the low spots and filling in the holes that has worked well for me but might not be a preferred method. If you have an inert gas supplied wire feed and very fine wire - you can weld holes in this thin metal, but I chose to use JB Weld and hold it in place with saran wrap (which does not stick to the filler, and holds it in place so that it does not run, drip, or sag)
I consider JB Weld, Liquid Steel, or even Epoxy to be superior to Bondo for things like this because it is non-porous and does not promote rust for that reason. The only trick to it is that it is not "CLAY-LIKE", it will not stay put unless something is used to form it and hold it in place.
IT IS STILL sandable and workable after it dries and cures. You can file it, grind it, sand it, etc...
For filling holes that cannot be welded it is ideal, IMHO. Part of the reason is because it beads outward on the inside of holes, locking it in position. I'll put some pictures or vids up as I get to it, but right now I am in a race with the weather
NOTE: Regardless if you go with this stuff or bondo it is important to prep the surface by wiping it down with Acetone. ALSO - to make sure the stud gun has a good electrical path, you need to grind or sand the surface you are working to bare metal AND THEN wipe it with alcohol or acetone to ensure it is a clean bare metal surface for best results
~Even a small trace of grease, oil, or wax in the metal can make the studs fail to stick properly