The right tools for the right job!
Lot’s of body tools are used into making a job come out good. If you’re interested in getting the job done and getting it done right, I’ve put together a list of body and paint tools that will surely help you get your car, truck, motorcycle or whatever you are doing into coming out great!

After checking out the below, be sure to check out the new store listing some auto body related tools

And here it is…

Milton adjustable pencil blower

Let’s start off with one of the smaller inexpensive tools that is a must have for anyone doing bodywork or painting whether you are a hobbyist, a noob, or a pro. I’ve used these little guys for years. It’s an adjustable pencil blower that easily fits into your pocket. It comes with a handy clips to you can easily clip it onto your shirt pocket with the handy clip.
It’s easy to adjust including getting down to 0 lbs, and is fairly inexpensive (less than $10). Don’t just connect 2 fittings together. This is not a good idea as you have zero adjustment so you are always blowing at max air pressure.
Be sure and get one today. You’ll want to make sure you get the correct one that will fit your air coupler setup. Click on the image to order one through Amazon.

SPRAY GUN

I’ve tried many of guns through the years. From the old school clunky Binks 7 to Devilbiss JGA and along with other Devilbiss guns to SATA, Iwata and others
And my favorite is the Iwata LPH400. I have 4 of them. One I use for black only (so their is no chance to get any pearl or metallic in the gun), one clear, and 2 basecoat guns.
These are available in different size setups. I personally like the 1.3 for basecoats and 1.4 for clearcoats.

Interested in purchasing one of these Iwata guns, click on the image below.
Looking for an entry level great HVLP spray gun, the Devilbiss FinishLine is a great gun. About 1/2 the cost and performs well.

Buffer

 I have 3 electric buffers. 2 Makita and 1 Dewault. I do like the Makita variable speed the best out of both of them. They both run about the same. The Makita comes with a couple different type handles. I like the handle that installs off the side versus off the top of the machine.
The only thing I don’t like about it, it has a delay when you click the button to run. Sometimes the delay seems to be a little longer than normal
I think the Dewault is also a great machine, but ergonomically I like the Makita the best.
You can also use these as ‘strippers’ by changing the buffing backing pad into a soft 8″ sticky pad. You can strip paint off easily using 80 and 40 grit paper.

Stay away from the air buffers as these are real air hogs.

Get either one of the electric variable speed buffers mentioned above from Amazon by clicking on the image below.

3M Stikit Hand Sanding Block

My favorite sanding block. It’s not a hard block and it’s not a soft block. If you do alot of motorcycle like I do, this little block comes in handy since it has just the right stiffness to block out dents on fenders and tanks. Of course this also works great on small dings and dents on cars and truck as well.
6″ paper sticky paper wraps around perfect on this block.
A great buy on Amazon. (click image)

Mini Angle Grinder

Though this is not the exact brand I use, it’s still an pneumatic mini grinder. This is a must have tool for doing smaller dents and smaller rust areas. You will also need a 2″ backing plate and some grinding discs.
For bigger areas I use a 5″ angle grinder. You will use 5″ grinding discs. You can’t go wrong with Chicago Pneumatic or Ingersoll Rand tools.

DA (Known as Dual Action or Orbit Sander)

I’ve also went through many of DAs as well. From the cheapo DAs, Chicago Pneumatic, Ingersoll Rand, to the very heavy Hutchins DAs which were very popular back in the day. My favorite current DA is the popular DynaBrade DA.
Please note that these come in 2 or 3 different “pitches” or throws. The bigger the throw, the more aggressive the sanding will be.
Though most of the DAs do come with a pad, it’s normally the smaller 5″ pad. And it’s a thin ‘hard’ pad.
If you’re a pro, you should be using a 6″ pad. I recommend a softer thicker pad made for sticky sandpaper. You can either get the velcro style or the sticky style. I prefer sticky as the sandpaper is less costly

8″ DA

Though this is like the above DA, it comes with a 8″ hard pad. The pad is built into the tool. Though the pad can be changed, it’s not as easy as the pad on the above DAs.
Be careful – Don’t drop it on the ground as the pad has a metal plate built into it and will easily bend. If this happens, it throws the pitch off and will not cut your bondo as good.
This is my favorite tool to ‘cut’ down bondo. Though I use an air file as well, I use this 8″ DA about 80% of the time. I love sculpting the bondo with this tool. Of course you’ll only want to use it on larger area, this really cuts it down quickly. You’ll want to use sandpaper like 80 and 40 grit. I wouldn’t suggest using anything finer (higher number than 80)
Click on the image to get this Ingersoll Rand 8″ DA

Airbrush

My favorite airbrush to use is the Iwata Eclipse. Not an overly expensive airbrush, but not the cheapest either. This is a dual action (push down for air, pull back for fluid). This is a very high quality airbrush. Great for detailing like ghost flames, drop shadows and fairly small detailed airbrushing.
If you want a very detailed airbrush for intracate airbrushing, be sure to check out the Iwata Micro (shown on the right)

Spray Bottle

We do a TON of wetsand and buffing. So through the years, we’ve tried many of spray bottles.
And the one that has been the best and lasted the longer for us….the Spraymaster spray bottle
32 oz bottle. It’s rugged, has an adjustable fans, has great output and last us a long time. We use them so much normally the lettering is worn off by the time the bottle goes bad.
Also, these do come with a warranty. A little pricey but worth it if you wash window, need something to put cleaners in, or do a lot of wetsanding like we do