| Eastwood Portable Work Stand - Tool Of The Month
Bodywork presents unique tool requirements for the do-it-yourself enthusiast. The specialized skill sets and product knowledge involved causes most of us-me included-to farm out bodywork to professionals. Still, certain aspects of bodywork are well within the means of the home shop. A great deal of money can be saved by performing some preparation work at home before sending the car to the body shop.
For example, corrosion protection and sealing-in preparation for a new fender installation is one thing most body shops don't do particularly well. There are many reasons for this. Some body techs simply never learned the right way. I have seen $50,000 restorations that used not a single swipe of seal sealer, not a bead of body caulk and nary a squirt of body protection wax. Others may know it, but it is not cost effective due to the time and products involved. But most of all, insurance companies typically won't pay for corrosion protection-especially the elaborate methods and expensive products used on European cars. If you want new fenders to be properly corrosion protected, it's best to do it yourself and hang them on the car before sending it to the body shop.
The issue immediately presenting itself is where to situate the panels while you are working on them. Hard surfaces, such as the floor or even a workbench, are not ideal. The risk of damaging the new panel is higher, and every ding in the panel is one you'll have to fix-or pay someone else to fix. You can lay an old blanket down on the floor or the bench as a cushion, but there are probably other things on your bench that can damage the panel and it's no fun working while kneeling on the ground.
I contacted Eastwood for its elegantly simple and functional $45 Portable Work Stand, part number 43120. At first glance, it may not seem like there's much to this tool. Use it once and you'll see its value. The sturdy tubular steel frame will support 500 lb, which is far more load capacity than you're likely to need. Thick 3/8-in. foam padding protects parts from damage. Best of all, you can fold the thing up and hang it on the wall when it's not in use. I love shop equipment I can hang on the wall. It's almost as good as equipment that rolls on casters.
For working on fenders, hoods or trunk lids, valance panels and doors removed from the car, you can't beat the Eastwood Portable Work Stand. If $45, plus shipping, seems like a lot to pay for this item, that's because it kind of is. But kneel on the ground for a few hours sanding a panel and, if you're like me, you'll happily pay $45.
I corrosion protect using Wurth Underbodyschutz in addition to seam sealer and fender tape. Wurth Underbodyschutz is that plasticized coating on BMW rocker panels and under the chassis. Overspray gets all over everything, so normally I do the job outside, if possible, and I cover the Eastwood Portable Work Stand with a dropcloth, which is missing here for photographic purposes. Here I'm using Wurth AdhesiveFlex urethane seam sealer.
Now, when my long-suffering project BMW 320i finally goes to the body shop, it will do so secure in the knowledge that its fenders are properly sealed and protected!