Plastic spreaders were among the small tools I bought for the filler and finishing supplies.
The featured Amazon option is Bondo 357 Plastic Spreaders.
Where it fits my build
I taped the boundaries and covered the areas that would not be painted with plastic sheeting. I then sanded the exposed areas with an orbital sander and 60-grit abrasive, blew away the dust with a compressor, and cleaned and degreased the surfaces.
I mixed clear bedliner with white tint and sprayed the van. After it dried, I removed the masking. The tape and sheeting stage alone took around eight hours, and the finished edges still needed some touch-up.
My van with masking around the exterior areas prepared for coating.The side of the van during the white-bedliner project.
My build notes
The most useful detail in my diary is the result, including the problems. Rust-Oleum pooled and dripped in places, and trying to repair one area with a paintbrush made it worse. I wrote that I would use a foam roller for touch-ups and preferred the more consistent finish I had obtained with RAPTOR.
Masking, preparation and application method each became a substantial part of the exterior-coating job.
Alternative products
Two alternatives to compare
Bondo provides three spreader widths in one pack. The Custom Shop options use single widths, with three-inch spreaders in a smaller pack and four-inch spreaders in a larger supply.
Custom Shop Three-Inch Filler Spreaders
This pack contains ten three-inch plastic spreaders. Their narrow working edge provides an option for applying filler to smaller areas.
