www.TK560.com

[jegner]

Bondo: The wonder material!
I use this stuff all the time. It's cheap, easy to use, and can be found at the local Walmart. I use the automotive kind, the one in the red can. It's generic name is polyester resin for automotive body panel repair.

Why use it? Great for building up forms and shapes, smoothing out boo-boos, fabricating missing parts, oh, and repairing dents on your car.

Mix according to directions. I use a golf ball size blob of the cream colored stuff, and a 1.5 inch bead of the red hardener.

Bondo goes through several 'stages' as it cures. Right when you mix it together, bondo is like toothpaste consistency. This is the time you need to smear it on like cake iceing. Wear rubber gloves, and try to get as smooth a surface as you can. Wait 2-3 minutes, and the bondo will start to firm up. It will be like hard cheese. You can even grate it with a shur-form tool, rasp or other coarse file. After about 5 minutes, it sets to very hard. Much like that of MDF or poplar wood. Now, you sand.

It its important to 'work' the bondo at it's various stages, save a lot of effort shaping it. Bondo will stick to almost any surface, and will take a primer great.

Wear a dust mask, and work in a well vented area. Bondo smells pretty bad.

For a faster set, use more of the red tube hardener. Also, invest in those 'spreaders'.

No real strength in bondo, as it is not intended to be an adhesive. Some versions have fiberglass mixed in to add strength.

So, the next time you need to make a part from scratch, and forming it from wood, just won't cut it, try building up some bondo.

[Armour Downunder]

Another great product I found is PermaPoxy. It’s a 5 minute epoxy which comes in a 2 oz container.
It’s like a 1” x 3” roll of plasticine with the hardener in the centre.
You just cut off the amount you require and massage it together until it’s a uniform grey colour
then make the part you want, or use it as filler or whatever. It’s generally for smaller jobs
because a 2oz lot doesn’t go too far. If I had a lot of filling to do Id be using Bondo.
It has the same characteristics as Bondo as it goes through stages when hardening
so I guess the same method of sanding and finishing would apply.
As it says, its about 5 minutes working time before it starts to cure.
The stuff I use is called Plastic & Fibreglass Epoxy and it states that it will work on
ABS, Acrylic, Fibreglass, PVC, Styrene, Steel, Vinyl and wood.
I’m not sure of its actual ability to stick to items but as yet I’ve had no problems with it.
There are other sorts for different applications but this one covers all the requirements that I need.
I guess you would have something similar in the US, its found in the Automotive store over here.

[avatar_man]

I use "Acryl-Green" putty. Basically it comes in a large tube (like toothpaste) and has worked well for ABS, Polystyrene and wood. It is supposed to work well with metal also (just haven't had a chance to test this). It has the consistency of regular filler putty (I.E. Squadron Green, White, etc..) Dries fast and holds up well... As any product of this type has a certainamount of Toxicity to the long term use and exposere for skin, the use of latex gloves is recommended!!!!!!


I used it to re-sculpt the left knee area on my thigh armor and it works well...

A large tube will run you about 15-22 USD at any NAPA Auto Store.
_________________
Mel Kerner
TD-6430
Bloodfin Garrison
MEPD

[Blaxmyth]