Lighter Bondo Replacement??

[surename]

Well I was not sure how to title this thread but here is the idea and question.

Has anyone ever used Magic Sculpt or some other form of a clay or epoxy puddy that hardens as a lighter and easier variant to bondo?

 

[Revenant1988]

Are you talking about the inside or outside of a part? Please specify, it makes a difference.

Bondo can be tedious (and hazardous without safety equipment) but it's the "go-to" because it is cheap and easily available to most.

If you are looking for an alternative to bondo for the outside of a part, you may want to give Apoxie Sculpt a try, but you'll need to let the material cure overnight before you can sand it etc.

I would not suggest using it to coat the inside of a part for reinforcement- it can get heavy.

If you want a safer alternative for inside reinforcement and don't want to use bondo\rondo\fiberglass, I would say use a two part casting resin like Smooth Cast 320. It mixes easy, 1 to 1 by volume. Slosh it around on the inside and it works just as well.

 

[Carpathia]

I've seen a few people try something like this over the years. Though I've never seen their results, which leads me to believe that it didn't turn out the way they had hoped.

 

[surename]

I am talking about the outside of the helmet, I was thinking maybe you could accomplish the same thing bondo does to round out the blockyness of the pep. I am just looking for a more green way that is healthier for me an the environment, and I know that most epoxy puttys do not have harsh fumes. I may try it on a few parts other than around the visor.

 

[RYNO 666]

I use Aqua Resin mixed with poly fiber to bypass bondo. I'm not sure about weight but it's definitely safest way.

 

[Jason 078]

Initial Hardening:
EpoxAmite® 101 Laminating Epoxy

Slushing:
URE-FIL® 11 Filler added to the EpoxAmite

Hardening:
5oz '1st Quality' Carbon / KEVLAR® Hybrid Fabric using the Epoxamite as a resin.

Detailing:
Free Form® AIR Lightweight Epoxy Putty

Going this route won’t be cheap, but it will be extremely light and might even be near-to-indestructible if you use more than 2 layers of Kevlar/Carbon.

 

[SirPalesAlot]

I've used Free Form Air and I wouldn't really recommend it for something like that. I wanted to use it as an alternative to body filler as well, but I learned the hard way that the shore hardness was just too low. If you're making a piece that might get hit at some point I would avoid using it on those pieces. If you had some way to put a hard coat over it I would go with it, but I never looked into anything like that.

I would suggest Free Form Sculpt from Smooth-On. It's roughly the same weight per volume as your standard body filler, but it is pretty easy to work with if you can do basic sculpting. You have a lot of control over the thickness of the material you add using an sculpt-able epoxy, and that means you can use the least amount possible without wasting any by sanding away excess material. The downside is that it is twice the price of your run of the mill body filler.

 

[surename]

Wow, thanks guys. I have started to try the magic sculpt. I would really like to use a product that put out zero fumes and that I could handle with my bare hands with easy cean up. I have recently moved into an apartment and I do not want to attract a lot of attention if I am making props on my front porch.

 

[SIKAXIS]

You could always use the smooth cast polyurethane resins to coat the inside. I have seen tutorials with people using it inside thier homes because it doesn't give out the fumes like fiberglass resin does. I have never worked with it personally so I am not entirely sure if it is fume free. It's definitely the most expensive option though.

 

[methadome666]

Evercoat makes a lightweight body filler that is lighter
then bondo brand filler, and is must better sanding.

 

[surename]

Thanks, I will have to look into that. I would hate to have complaints that it smells like chemicals from my neighbors.

- - - Updated - - -

Alright, how expensive is it? Does it have a good work time or does it cure hella fast like bondo?

 

[SirPalesAlot]

You could always use the smooth cast polyurethane resins to coat the inside. I have seen tutorials with people using it inside thier homes because it doesn't give out the fumes like fiberglass resin does. I have never worked with it personally so I am not entirely sure if it is fume free. It's definitely the most expensive option though.

There are fumes released from the urethane resins (always refer to the MSDS for more specific information on what you are working with). I live in an apartment and I never had any of my neighbors complain about me using polyester resins or Smooth-On urethane products. I will say that the urethane probably wont be noticed by the neighbors if you're working with it out on a balcony like I am. The polyester resin is quite noticeable.

Thanks, I will have to look into that. I would hate to have complaints that it smells like chemicals from my neighbors.

- - - Updated - - -

Alright, how expensive is it? Does it have a good work time or does it cure hella fast like bondo?

Are you referring to the urethane or the epoxy puttys? All of the information on those products are explained in the links in the previous posts. The cure time for urethane resins will vary between type/brand so you really have to look into a specific product. Some cure super fast, and others are slow setting and take up to 24 hours to fully cure. Most epoxy putties will have a full cure time of 24 hours, but that's not a big deal. You would be looking at the available working time. Free Form Air and Sculpt from Smooth-On have a pretty descent working time.

 

[RYNO 666]

Aqua Resin is safe my kids and I use it. Just don't eat it. I slush casting resin inside my positives for strength instead now and then fill with poly foam F3. But for the outside surface Aqua Resin all day long. Coolest thing is I can just wash it of my tools and hands.

Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk

 

[SirPalesAlot]

Aqua Resin is safe my kids and I use it. Just don't eat it. I slush casting resin inside my positives for strength instead now and then fill with poly foam F3. But for the outside surface Aqua Resin all day long. Coolest thing is I can just wash it of my tools and hands.

Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk

Slightly off topic...I was thinking about giving aqua resin a shot during the winter months. Since it's non-toxic and doesn't have any fumes I thought it would be alright to use it inside. Living in an apartment means I'm at the mercy of the weather when it comes to working on anything.

 

[methadome666]

I didnt know if you were asking about the evercoat work time or not but it is very similar to bondo as it set up in about 15mins. Be changes depending on temp and amount of hardener used.