Red Lead - Still Used?

I started doing body work in the late 70's and had not heard of it until now.

I had trouble finding an internet reference, but found one identifying it as a mixture of linseed oil and lead, making a putty.

I remember in '82 the boss had an Edsel and the shop old timer still had his lead and tools, and fixed a dent on the Edsel with lead. No doubt its a hell of a lot better than bondo, but I think they made bondo so breathing a little isn't going to hurt you. I can't say the same about lead.

Now minor imperfections are filled with some really fine, easy to spread bondo.

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Around here, "red lead" was a term used for a red primer coat, perhaps originally containing lead. This same paint was used to spray rear end gears to "pattern" them as a check on the adjustment.

"Leading" a car with real metallic lead was often done in the old days. It came in bars, rolls, etc and was heated and applied to the tinned surface when it was about the consistency of butter.

I dont know of anyone locally who could or would use lead anymore. It might not even be legal.

The polymeric fillers like Bondo can do a good job and last a long long time if applied properly.

Red Lead is no longer available. Now the tools of choice are poly filler or aluminum filled poly filler. For small pin holes or grinding marks there is spot putty.

I see that my slang was a bad idea. We used to call it red lead, but I think it was really "spot putty". Came in a large tube about 2" in diameter and 8" long. Seemed like primer that had the consistency of peanut butter coming out of the tube. Traditionally it was red in color. I always thought that it was named "red lead" because it was some sort of lead based paint as a base.

So, let's change my post... anyone using "spot putty" anymore?

A number of years ago I needed a new tube, and tried to find it in an auto parts store. Couldn't. Described it to the counter guy, and he said, "Oh, Glazing putty! Over there." Sure enough, that is what they call it- it says so on the tube. Last couple of tubes I've bought call it that.

To me glazing putty is what you used to hold the glass in a window frame, but I am outvoted in the marketplace :-)

Got two tubes of it in the garage...

There's also "glazing putty" which is the same thing, only different. ;) (It's not red...)

I got two bars of it...

I am using putty (wood putty) to fill in nail holes while I am working on my house. cuhulin

I think you conflated red lead based primers (gone now, I believe) with actual lead filler for dents (from whence the expression 'lead sled', of which I've owned a few).

I still fill dents in thin steel tube bicycles with 'lead' which is more properly 'lead-surrogate' nowadays.

example:

Yes, where 3 passes of wetsanded primer would take too long. It's great for sandscratches and other similar minor fills.

I use metallic lead substitute for actual dents. Others use polyester fillers. Both work. A glob of spot putty can shrink and crack, spoiling the job.

I have a few too. But after much bitching years ago, I have to admit the "lead free lead" works just as well.

Good application! Won't rust around that sort of patch.

Nobody doing quality work that I know uses it, we figured that it was lacquer base and cracked after awhile.

Now you get the finish grade of bondo or whatever filler you use. That red and gray stuff in the tube took too long to dry and you found it cracked under the paint a couple years later. No damn good.

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Spot putty is available. BUT it no longer contains the lead pigment which gave it the red color (and the red lead name) and is now called "glazing putty". Now you can get it in red, green, black and blue.

It's even harder to get body lead now. I'm glad I stocked up a few years ago.

I still have a bunch and use it if I'm doing a classic. Normal work gets bondo....

It is getting difficult to buy the good stuff any more though.

With all due respect, Steve, I dont think the pigment was a lead based compound.

Glazing putty has been around a long time.

How about Fiberglass? for filling in holes and dents? I have done some fiberglassing on some other things before. cuhulin

Most of the colors produced until about 1978 used lead pigments for the colorant.

White was basic lead carbonate, red is a lead oxide, blue comes from lead sulfate, with lead oxide carbon and some zinc oxide, yellow, orange, green, were lead chromates.

Take a look at just about every Navy ship built and the base color under that paint will still be red lead primer.

The spot putty/glazing putty that was sold up till about 1980 used lead based pigments. Primary reason being that nothing developed to replace the lead pigment held up as well.

It is also the reason why the prices of red, blue and yellow auto paints went through the roof when lead pigments were dropped. The reds went up almost 300% as did the blue.