1971Cutlass

So, couple of questions:

1. How would I go abut getting my hands on BONDO?
2. How expensive is it?
3. And how do I use it?

hookem horns

Troll bait or serious?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bondo_(putty)
Primary component of half-a$$ body work around the world.

70olds455

Any auto parts store should have it.

justinj

Lots of people use the term generically to refer to body filler.

Use of body filler is almost universal across the trade. Yes there are still people out there who use lead filler, and shape metal the 'old way' but they are few and far between.

A few pointers:

1. Definitely do some research before you start slapping Bondo on your car. I ended up enrolling in a few courses in auto refinishing at night at a local technical college with a great facility. At least get a decent book or ask around the forum at http://www.autobody101.com/forums/

2. Try a higher-end brand. I have never used Bondo-brand body filler. I've been using Evercoat (the best one) or else CarQuest's line, as suggested by my instructor. Bondo has a pretty bad reputation, not sure if it is deserved or not.

3. Don't use filler to fill holes, use a welder for that. You might be able to get away with filling pin holes with fiberglass filler, but you're going to end up having to re-do that repair. Filler is for finishing, not repairing.

Auto parts stores typically carry body filler. I get Evercoat at the local paint jobber. You can buy Bondo at Wal-Mart.

- Justin

Allan R

That's what I thought too. Probably serious though or he wouldn't have asked. Don't forget there's newbies to automotive out there who haven't 'lived' yet.

You ever hear about the newly weds that didn't know the difference between caulking putty and vaseline???



All their windows fell out! (Bet ya didn't see that one coming)

coppercutlass

evercoat gold is the best it is kinda pricey but you wont need to top coat with glazing putty if the finish is nice. another nice trick you can thin bondo or body filler with fiberglass resin . also if its deeper than an 1/8 i would not recomend just fillling. buy a good book it goes a long way buy a junk fender practice. Another nice tip if you make patch panels use fiberglass filler first., the plastic filler will shrink and you will see the line where you cut it . i have used bondo brand with no issues the price comes down to what is in the filler like anti corrosion agents easier sanding etc. i would go with evercoat their cheapest line is like 13 bucks a gallon and for the most expensive like 50 through autobodytoolmart.com they are one of the cheapest price wise vendors i have used .

1971Cutlass

Thanks for all of your responses!
It might be bogus, but I heard that if you put a piece of surface-rusted metal in a special amount of molasses and water for 1 month, when you take it out, the surface rust will rub off.
Do you know if this is true?

Rickman48

Metal - Prep will kill rust on contact, and the fiberglass resin material, unlike 'bondo', won't let it return!
Probably did 300 cars that way, back in the 80's, when 'recycled' metal gave you rust in the middle of your roof, without a chip!
Never had a comeback, either!!

coppercutlass

X2 with rickman48. i like to use the 3m panel bond for surface rust areas or heavy pits then just skim coat with glaze . i used it on my car and other jobs held up great . also a nice tip i learned when i was low on cash the industrial strength liquid nails for use on steel and other surfaces worked for some patch panels i made and the out come was awesome . i wouldn't use it for major panels but small medium sized non structural ares it will work great .

BIGJERR

If you have to ask you probley shouldnt be using it.......Also keep in mind the dust is toxic and you should have a mask on when you sand it.........

rocketraider

Guy I grew up with, to this day calls it "Bon-doo".

Instructions will be on the can. You have to mix the filler with a hardener to make it work, and you need a cheese-grater file to work it down and rough shape it before it completely hardens. Otherwise you will wear your sander out trying to smooth and contour it.

Body filler from a paint and body supply store is going to be better quality than "Bon-doo" but if you have just small areas to fill, Bondo will work OK. Just remember- the thinner the coat of filler, the better the job will turn out. I figure a New Mexico car shouldn't have any rust, just maybe a few dents.



High school buddy had a 69 Chevelle. We'd ride into town after school some days and on the way there was this big dumbass dog that always chased cars. My buddy liked to let the dog get right beside the car and then open the door, hit the dog with it and roll the dog into the ditch. Dog never learned, and this happened 2-3 times a week.

Until the day he opened the door and hit the dog a little harder than usual, and a chunk of Bondo big as your hand and about 2 inches thick fell out of the door! We knew it was Bondo because it was pink.

MDchanic

Who says?

It's inert plastic - irritating, but harmless.

- Eric

rocketraider

Eric, it is a chemical compound is why I think Jerr said that. Especially the hardener/catalyst. The stuff will get in your lungs and settle at the bottom, and can't get back out. That's why it is always good to wear a mask when fooling with stuff like this.

I've gotten to where I wear a disposable when I cut grass.

ROCKET VAPOR

Just remember that plastic filler (bondo) is used for filling small imperfections, not large dent, large holes, or covering up rust.

Below is some of the best adhesion and easiest to work with. You can get it thru the internet or from your local body shop supplier/ paint store.

0032_3m_platinum_plus_filler_quart.jpg

MDchanic

Well, everything is a chemical compound, actually.

And I don't recommend huffing the hardener, but I don't think that's what we're talking about.

The cured body filler itself is a very inert plastic resin, with essentially no reactivity with your body's systems, and with no microinflamatory elements, such as asbestos and fiberglass.
The size of the particles of sanding dust is actually quite large, and the mucus membranes, from the nose down to the bronchioles, are very efficient at trapping and removing this sort of matter.
It is surprisingly hard to get particles deep into the lungs, and they generally have to be exceptionally small to get down there.
Sure, if you spend all day, every day, sucking this stuff in, some of it will get down there, but for the average hobbyist who does some occasional bodywork, it's really not an issue.

Have you ever heard of lung disease resulting from (always long-term) exposure to Bondo, the way it does from coal dust, cotton fibers, or asbestos?
Didn't think so.

- Eric

oldsguybry

is that fiberglass resin material in the fillers like evercoat ? or is there a different product you can get ? .... ive used evercoat before and it works great like others stated as long as its not a hole in the metal your trying to fill.... becareful with the metal prep when you use it because it is an acid , and you would not want that in your eyes or on your skin.

golds56

I use quantum now ,daily its my job.It spreads smoother than the rage gold and leaves less pinholes to refill.I wear a mask when using body filler.Bondo brand isnt waterproof ,peels at the edges ,pinholes like a sponge,and is hard as nails so it uses a lot more sandpaper,although i havent used it in years.Rage gold 112 would be my second choice.We pay 55.00 for two half gallons of quantum with 8 tubes of hardener(it takes more than conventional fillers) and there is red for cooler days days so you can work it a bit or blue for warm days.Also they make bondo honey for thinning conventional fillers similar to fiberglass resin but it wont cause shrinking.For light rust 3m purple disks they look like heavy duty scothbrite ,then apply zerorust it is a converter and will turn the rest into primer and wont return,just make sure there arent any holes there.Just my two cents.I also do lead work but not much anymore it is bad for your heath.

coppercutlass

the only thing i dont like a bout the quantum is the mix ratio if im thinking of the right one. the 3m stuff is awesome if you mix it right you can go straight to primer with this filler no glaze necessary . when i did my cutlass i used evercoat feather lite their cheapest line and it actually has held up great., 5 years later and no shrinkage not bad for 15 dollar gallon . The only bad part is it sands like a rock .

BIGJERR

Well you just keep on sniffing it then.......As you sand it your bound to touch some paint or primer also......Be smart wear a mask,Lung cancer sucks.......

BIGJERR

LOL Iam really having a hard time that your argueing about wearing a mask when you do body work...... EVERY body guy I know/knew has had lung issues,Maybe not from just bondo but why take a chance?

Its says right on the can vapor warning maybe just flammable but i dont want to huff flammable stuff......good enough for me.....Continue on......

Edit added this right from 3M site.........Iam doooooooooooone.....

MDchanic

"Despite the fact that Bondo body fillers and other polyester body fillers are far safer to work with than their lead-based counterparts, they can still pose significant health risks. The fumes are quite toxic, and the hardeners can create burns in cases of prolonged skin contact. The use of gloves, a mask, and proper ventilation are all recommended when mixing and applying the filler."

This warning, if you read it, applies to uncured bondo and hardener.
After it is cured, it is for all intents and purposes inert.

As I said, you shouldn't huff the solvent fumes, but after it is cured, the solvents have undergone reactions that reduce their volatility or have evaporated, so these arguments are no longer relevant. While you are mixing, the solvents are also usually evaporating is such small quantities that they are harmless. Once again, this applies to the occasional user and not to the guy who is exposed to it all day every day at work.
Also, the solvents are not stopped by the average particulate mask - only by less-common and more-expensive masks, usually using activated charcoal, so the occasional user will see no benefit from using his particulate mask around uncured bondo.

"As you sand it your bound to touch some paint or primer also..."

Paint and primer are also inert once dried / cured. The dust may irritate you, but will not poison you.

"Lung cancer sucks..."

Not sure how this is relevant, as automotive paint is not a carcinogen (and don't give me the silliness about "known to the State of California to cause cancer" - I've always found it strange how things that cause cancer in California no longer do so once you cross the border into Nevada or Oregon). Seriously - there are many products that can be contacted in normal use that can cause cancer, and no paint I've seen is so labeled. If you could get cancer from spray paint or bondo, can you imagine the lawsuits that would ensue? This is called a "red herring."

Things that can happen from inhaling body shop products include direct toxicity from isocyanurates (modern 2-part paints - WEAR A PROPER MASK WITH THESE), and liver and brain damage from toluene and other solvents when using paints for prolonged periods and in enclosed areas. Also, presumably, fibrotic and emphysematous lung diseases from prolonged inhalation (such as every day, all day) of particulates, solvents and irritants, and potentially asbestiosis-type diseases from grinding fiberglass without a mask (don't do this either).

Occasionally mixing bondo, or working in a cloud of bondo dust without a mask won't hurt you.

I am not saying that you shouldn't use a mask.
What I am saying is that your initial comments ("toxic," "lung cancer") are alarmist and inaccurate,and serve only to scare people away from working on their cars, which I think is the opposite of the message that we would like to convey in these forums.

- Eric

coppercutlass

i agree with you both im guilty of not wearing a mask from time to time in the shop. i sometimes will primer something with out my mask. do i do it all the time no do i get sick all the time no . i do this day in and out everyday the dust is everywhere. when you work on your car exposuer is much less concentrated than in a shop as the material is usually intended to be used in . everyone should take precaution when doing any of this work you could get impaled, burned, even take an eye out . they are all risk's you should take into consideration with this kind of work. anyone can do it but its the steps you take towards safety which can affect you it's all a personal prefrence

golds56

Actually its a osha no no to not be wearing a mask while painting and protective eyewear while in the shop,i think its a 5000.00 fine.

BIGJERR

there ya go.......Iam done arguing on the internet tho.........I am kinda busy and need pictures of non bondoed cars for the calendar project.....See sticky thread on CO.......Send them over time is short!

MDchanic

If you followed OSHA guidelines at home, you'd wear goggles to bed.

OSHA is for the protection of workers, which is good.
It's not for guys in their back yards.

Go ahead, be alarmist, wear a mask when you paint, when you do brake work, when you mow the *%*& lawn. Don't forget to put goggles on every time you pick up a hammer.
And be sure to wear a helmet on your bicycle.

Be afraid of your own shadow, for all I care.

This country is shot, and this is why.

I've made my point, whether you agree or disagree.

I'm done here, too.

- Eric