I'm not wild about Bondo
Plywood has voids. Voids need to be filled and sanded before painting. Bondo is supposed to be a great filler. I used it once before, just over 3 years ago and wasn't wild about it then. Today I mixed up 2 small batches and wasted most of it, but got the job done. And I'm still not wild about it.
It is easy enough to dispense and mix up (2 parts...a filler part and a hardener part) and probably much simpler to use on big surfaces like car body panels. But I'm working with the 3/4 inch edges of plywood. Very difficult to get into the holes and smooth out without slopping it all over. Then, when I'm about happy with the batch I mixed up and holes that I've filled, it is too hard to work with. You only have a few minutes to work with it so small batches are the way to go.
I know I will be happy with the end result after sanding, applying more filler, and sanding some more. It's the process that is a pain. I have a lot of respect for the people who can fix dents in cars using Bondo and make the fixes invisible, or nearly so. They are artists.
posted by Tim B. @ 1:58 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
The ratio of hardener and Bondo set the open time. If your in no rush go easy on the hardener. We use it for removing grain, but I like Durham's Rock hard. With both the secret is a lot of sanding.
Removing grain? What do you mean?
I saw Durham's Rock Hard putty in the store and hesitated to buy it because it is a powder needing to be mixed with water. Was only relying on past experience with Bondo, knowing that I could accomplish the task. Next time I'll try the Durham's.
Bondo? Is it really for wood? Some old cars were almost completely held together with bondo, in the days that body panels were not painted on the side that did not show. What happened to wood filler?
Oh yes, Bondo is great for wood, but only if it will be painted. It will hold nails or screws, where wood filler won't, which is why I chose it for this use. I will be fastening the side boards to the plywood edges, and just in case a fastener needs to go where there is a void, I wanted coverage.
You reminded me of a woman at work who was selling her husbands "truck project". He had a dream to restore the thing but never worked on it, so she was getting rid of the eyesore. She said that it was 3 "tones"...rust, primer paint, and Bondo.
Removing the grain....When you have something built of wood that has to look like it isn't. If you need a very smooth finish to look like metal you lay a very tine coat of Durhams on the sand it smooth. There was a product on the market called Coopers that covered light grain well, but it was Laquer based and now off the market.
There is still a product in a pop top called Bondo Priner that will do some cover, but there is nothing like Bondo or Durhams and a lot of sandpaper.
You know what I'm not wild about? People who don't update their blogs for almost three weeks!
Post a Comment
<< Home