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Obviously the dent is the yellow spot and the filler is the purple square. This is to illustrate the approximate ratio of Bondo to dent area when spreading filler. About two thirds larger than the actual dent. It make take 2, 3 or 4 applications of filler to get the amount to fill back to the original surface level. But you don't want to fill more than 1/8 of an inch if possible. You should pull the dent and work the metal up to that point instead of trying to fill it all with filler. When you have filled it and you are starting to work the Bondo down to match the surface of the original panel, you want to sand diagonally with a flat sanding block. Just like the Scotch ones you can buy from the parts store. Keep it flat and move the block an inch or two over with every stroke going back and forth across the filler. I use an electric DA, which is a sander that is a random pattern sander that orbits and spins. Harbor Freight has them. Then opposite diagonal direction when you come back. This will eliminate flat spots. I use 80 grit sandpaper to rough shape it and then finish up with 200 grit then 350 grit. When the Bondo starts to feather into the panel it will look like a thin cloud and you will not be able to feel the edge of it. You can use a long straight edge to check how flat your work is. When working a dent with a hammer, less is more. You never just pound out a dent, you don't pound the low spot out. You push the low spot with the dolly from behind and gently tap around the edge of the front of the dent with the hammer to release the tension and the low spot will come forward. Otherwise you will stretch the metal out so bad it will not go flat again. Imagine the dent as a wave in the water, it goes from the undamaged area to the edge of the dent which is actually raised up and then goes down into the dented in area. In an area you can't get behind, you can drill hole/holes "depending on how big it is" in the dent/low spot and use a pull rod "not a slide hammer" to pull and put tension on the dent and then gently tap the high edge of front of the dent to release the tension of the metal and make the dent come forward. You will then have to fill the holes. You can use the Bondo or mig welder to fill them. If you use Bondo I like to use some type of weather coating on the back to seal the edges of raw metal to prevent rust. Bedliner works too. If you use a mig welder take your time and stop often and do a little at a time so you don't warp the panel.

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