Is Bondo Necessary?

[Zero Prime]

Okay i don’t want to sound noobish but I was looking at how much bondo i used just on the outside of my helm and i was wondering "Is Bondo really necessary" i just want to know what you think is it a necessary part for the outside or could i get away with just some sanding and a quick coat of resin?

 

[Swift]

While some people can get away without using bondo, generally it makes for a much smoother finish.

If you want a clean piece without usin bondo, then there are several things that you should probably do:

1. Make sure you only fold lines that a meant to be sharp angles. This can be tricky though, and numbers may get difficult to line up.
2. It's a good idea to use multiple layers of resin, as you'll still need to sand down some areas.

Really, bondo is a good thing to have just in case; if you come across some problems it's a real handy way to fix a piece up.

Hold this helps

 

[Zero Prime]

Thanks that helps i think i might try too RONDO the outside next time maybe i will be a little easyer to work with

 

[ventrue]

Okay i don’t want to sound noobish but I was looking at how much bondo i used just on the outside of my helm and i was wondering "Is Bondo really necessary" i just want to know what you think is it a necessary part for the outside or could i get away with just some sanding and a quick coat of resin?

You're just using way too much

Of course, if you add enough material to the inside you can just sand away at the outside, without adding anything. But I think going an in-between route is the most effective. For example, if you have an edgy surface that you want round, you can add Bondo to the flat parts and sand away the edges. Either way, just covering everything in a thick layer is counterproductive.

 

[Zero Prime]

You're just using way too much

Of course, if you add enough material to the inside you can just sand away at the outside, without adding anything. But I think going an in-between route is the most effective. For example, if you have an edgy surface that you want round, you can add Bondo to the flat parts and sand away the edges. Either way, just covering everything in a thick layer is counterproductive.

Ya i learned that the hard way 2 1/2 hours of manual sanding and i still have a long way to go

 

[Boba Fett]

you can have 3 things:

You can have it fast, cheap, or good quality. Pick 2. Skipping the bondo saves time and money, but you will have a major hit in quality. If it's one of those uber-HD peps (IE: Hugh's ODST) then you can kinda get away with it. But if it's the low-def robogenesis MkVI parts. Heh, good luck. Bondo is annoying, but a necessary evil if quality is your thing.

 

[Hyperballistik]

Hate to say it but, if you want nice smooth armor, your gonna have to add the bondo, just use an old credit card or gift card and apply it in thin layers, then sand, then repeat the same steps till its where you want it, its alot easier to add bondo than it is to sand a ton of it off only to add more because it didn't come out right

 

[MikyVengeance]

If you like, take a look at my Noble Six thread, I built it before the game came out and only used Rondo on the helmet and Rondo inside, I just reinforced it and sanded the edges until I hit the Rondo layer inside the piece. It depends, if the files smooth, it's a lot easier to do.

 

[Zero Prime]

Ya here are some pic of what i still have to sand on my Helm (I realy need a dremel) But would Rondo work just as good as bondo on the outside or no?

 

[Toacrabman]

Really bondo isnt nescessary, but it greatly improves the detail. However fiberglass is nescessary, or your armor will deteorate or get smushed.

 

[Zero Prime]

Really bondo isnt nescessary, but it greatly improves the detail. However fiberglass is nescessary, or your armor will deteorate or get smushed.

Iknow but can I use Rondo on the outside insted of plain Bondo (Afere i rondo the inside first)

 

[MikyVengeance]

Yup, Rondo is just a lot easier to sand and it runs a bit more ( depends on how much resin you add ).

 

[ventrue]

Rondo is harder to sand and more runny than Bondo. Both of these are things that you don't want.

Looks like MikyVengeance and I don't agree though :-D

 

[Zero Prime]

Yup, Rondo is just a lot easier to sand and it runs a bit more ( depends on how much resin you add ).

Probably takes a lot less to.

 

[MikyVengeance]

Rondo is harder to sand and more runny than Bondo. Both of these are things that you don't want.

Looks like MikyVengeance and I don't agree though :-D

haha! It was easier for me
I guess you have to give it a go for yourself, Prime. : P

 

[torsoboy]

Probably takes a lot less to.

You're buying two jugs of material, though, so savings are nullified.

 

[hollywood]

Hey Prime,
I was looking through your build thread, your pep work looks great. It does look like you added alot of bondo. If I may make a few suggestions.
1. Dremels are great for deteils, but for smoothing large areas (like the top of the helmet), you cant go wrong with a good mouse sander. This is the one I use: .

I picked mine up at home depot for around $40, a little less maybe.

2. Although bondo is the tried and true traditional method for smoothing and detailing, Epoxy sculpt works pretty well too. After reading through Blackula's threads, I hardly ever use bondo anymore. This is where I get mine. http://www.mckenziesp.com/Search.aspx?k=magic+sculp I have found that I dont use nearly as mutch, and have to sand less away. I get the 5lb batches and they really go a long way.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Kissker]

having over $80 in bondo "wasted" through experimentation (hey, it's how I learn best) I can honestly say, bondo is very time consuming, especially the way I find most effective to work with:

Mixing tiny amounts, this means if you bought the gallon size, your literally gonna use a spoonful at a time, making that gallon last a long, long, LONG time (in application amounts anyway) seems to be the best way, literally get a big ol' spoon. Preferably a strong, flexible plastic. Dollar store had one for, you guessed it, $1 (plus tax) spoon out it onto a smooth flexi-plastic mat, mix with red hardener cream using a spatula device (bondo makes these and generic brands for cheaper)

Then literally your applying this tiny, tiny bit of bondo - to a small area of work. You want it in as thin/even layers as possible, so work small.

This way takes a lot of time - and multiple, multiple applications (think of doing 2inches squared, over a torso - for a person of my size - who can fit a 5 gallon bucket inside his torso cast) but honestly it only requires light sanding and much less work in the end.

You will sit longer as well (mix a small batch, apply, rotate the item, mix another batch, apply, etc) using Flexible plastic is recommended because once bondo cures - it will actually "flake off" of it, meaning easy clean up of your tools.

 

[Road Kill]

i think that rondo or bondo is helpful, like a lot of people have said it is good for fixing problems like warp and it really makes the helmet look a lot better when it is finished, it just takes patients to use because of so much sanding