Bondo isn't as easy as you think...

[imMonkeyGOD]

So I underestimated Bondo >.> I thought it was easy to spread, easy to sand, but I was wrong...

Spreading was hard If you don't have it really smooth before it cures, prepare for alot of sanding

Curing came really fast! I mean really really fast! I was only done with half of the jaw and it start it to cure (everything started to have that hard as 1 day old cookies left outside, couldn't think of a good example )
So when that happened, I panicked and add more Bondo as fast as possible, very very bad idea....

So now I had chunks of bondo where it was impossible to detail with sanding. I thought of getting a dremel tool but it was too expensive and I had really no money left. But my dad got me these other sanding tools which actually came handy.

So I sand and I sand and sand some more, but I sand so hard that i accidentally caused a crack on the jaw (Under where the tube is supposed to be)
Any idea how to put it back? I was thinking put more fiberglass and resin.

Now heres the pictures!

I really regret drawing the eyes on my visor, it's really annoying when i want to imagine how my helmet will look like when it's done.

I am mainly focusing on the jaw/mouth part for Bondo at the moment.

A top view...

OH NOES!!!111 A Crack!

~imMonkeyGOD
I need to get me a signature

 

[smilie120]

You probrably put to much hardener in if it was curing that fast! Remember rougly a pea siezed blob of hardener to a golf ball size of filler. Also the last 3 pics dont work. But ur helm looks sweet on the top 1.

 

[imMonkeyGOD]

pics are fixed

 

[Pkmnjunky7]

You have to be careful using bondo, If it cures on your hands it will rip your skin off... Just a little warning. Its looking great so far!! keep up the good work.

 

[Gokussj5okazu]

Here's a few tips;

Use very small portions, it gets clumpy in 5 minutes usually.

Use a plastic knife to spread it smoothly while it's still wet.

From the looks of your pics, you used too much hardener. It should be a slight tinge of pink when stirred, your is very pink.

Use 80 grit sand paper on a sanding block. That takes it off as fast as anything else will.

 

[imMonkeyGOD]

Alright I think i have been using too much hardener >.> I hall put less

Crap I've done it on my hands once but no skin has been ripped off

Plastic knifes sort of failed me I use my old school ID card to spread it

What do you use to get the bondo out of the can, I don't like idea of just dumping it, I tried a can but the bondo just ate like half of it

 

[preskewl]

Your body filler may be to hard for this but this helps cut down some of it down. It's used like cheese grater.. I think you can find it at any autopart store where they sell body filler (bondo)..

 

[imMonkeyGOD]

Your body filler may be to hard for this but this helps cut down some of it down. It's used like cheese grater.. I think you can find it at any autopart store where they sell body filler (bondo)..

Actually that was the thing my dad bought for me to sand! It is very useful when I had too much Bondo in one specific spot

 

[Walter Spase]

To fix the crack, you need to cut a groove along the crack on the inside of the helm... use something to hold the two pieces in place... like tape on the outside... and mix some resin, "paint" onto the crack and the areas around the crack for about 2 inches... then lay a few strips of fiberglass cloth or mat along the groove you cut... then resin the cloth/matt in place... this should fix the crack... then grove and sand the crack on the outside and re-apply bondo..

Make sure you sand the areas around the groove, because the resin nor the bondo will stick to a smooth surface...

 

[cgspartan]

Your body filler may be to hard for this but this helps cut down some of it down. It's used like cheese grater.. I think you can find it at any autopart store where they sell body filler (bondo)..

extremely low grit sandpaper like 40 or 60 will chew through bondo as well

 

[cys920622]

does it get really lumpy as soon as you put in the hardener?

also, is it hard to shape? it doesn't look like it levels itself like glaze

 

[Gokussj5okazu]

does it get really lumpy as soon as you put in the hardener?

also, is it hard to shape? it doesn't look like it levels itself like glaze

If you put in the right amout of hardener you have 5 to 10 minutes before it starts to get dry. When it's "wet" it's like a paste. It's very easy to manipulate but it won't exactly run into spots, you have to use a bit of force.

 

[Moz]

go over it with either a coat of resin to fill small pits, or for a big one use a 1:1 mix of bondo and resin (with both with their harders) and go over it.

It has the consistancy of runny mud, is very smooth, and when hardens is as harder than both bondo and resin. I believe Sean casts his helmets out of "mud" Link uses mud in a lot of his casts, I have just discovered the wonderfullness of mud myself today.

 

[cys920622]

well, what's better to make your suit look like it's a molded one, the Glaze putty or bondo putty?
glaze seems about x2 more expensive for the amount.

 

[imMonkeyGOD]

well, what's better to make your suit look like it's a molded one, the Glaze putty or bondo putty?
glaze seems about x2 more expensive for the amount.

Cost me 15$ for a jumbo can of Bondo Like the soze of a Paint can except a bit bigger.

 

[cys920622]

WHERE?

my gallon of bondo cost $28

 

[imMonkeyGOD]

WHERE?

my gallon of bondo cost $28

Walmart

 

[cys920622]

DAMN YOU HOME DEPOT

 

[Moz]

if you live in canada all the retailers have not seemed to notice that the canadian dollar is worth more then the american and still rapes us at prices.

I buy everything from the states now. It's so cheap! It's like china, except with a crumbling economy!

Just remember that with the mud mixture, you can always use more resin to make it smoother, or less just to thin up the bondo.

 

[cys920622]

too much mixing involved for me... i think it'll solidify before i get to apply it.