Filler has its place. You can't get perfect finishes after welding for spraying without applying some filler or leveller. The main problem is when its used in great gob fulls to hide great rusty gaps and holes.

Once upon a time gaps and weld lines used to be filled with lead. No there is a dark art. I had a mate [now deceased] who was an expert at lead loading. Fantastic to see the finish he could achieve. I suspect its banned now, lead being seen as nasty and all that.

well the old 2cv has stayed water tight, not a drop in it stayed out in the rain all day yesterday, bone dry, until i turned a reasonably sharp corner and suddenly it pissed down the dash all over the eletrics. doh any suggestions? i had driven round this corner about 6 times that day not a drop, and this morning in the gentle rain once again, went round the corner, wet eletrics

They do that. As someone said somewhere else on the board, if you want a watertight car, buy a Mercdes.

I just want to do as much as i can to prevent it. It was hilarious!!

Lead loading isn't as hard as people make out, and it's still done by decent bodyshops. I hate filler. I hate using it, I hate finding it, I hate everything about it.

why fill a hole in metal work with something less strong, surely, it would be a bit of a hazard especailly if used excessively?

Filler and lead loading aren't for filling holes. That's why god gave us welding you see. Filler is for passing MOT's and lead is for fine finishing of bodywork.

i see and thats why god gave us people like you to use the welding equipment

That's the single gayest, arse-kissing post I've seen on here. Part of me feels dirty having read it.