Why are people so afraid of Bondo?

[Camel_Kid]

Every "tuners" forum I go to and suggest Bondo, everyone bites my head off for liking it!

Here's the facts people...

1. Body shops use it...
If you have any hail damage, your body shop will "replace" all the replacable parts... then, they'll FILL YOUR ROOF DENTS WITH BONDO!

2. It's cheaper...
If you don't want to pay $400.00 for bondo work, go to wal mart and do it your damn self, skip the body shop!

3. Everything is cheaper...
Bondo is cheap, cheese graters are cheap (bondo cheese graters, not actual cheese graters), and 80 grit sandpaper is cheap... the only expensive thing is paint... and that is if you are an idiot and don't rattle can the job (yes, clear coat comes in rattle can too now).

4. A job well done...
If you do your own body work, you gain more respect at shows... at least that's my opinion. One who does 98% of his own auto repairs (there are some limitations to what you can and can't do... realize them so you don't f*ck something up) is MUCH cooler than one who goes yuppie-style and has his f*cking oil changed at a shop.



So go tell a body shop to shove it, cuz you have now learned what GOOD Bondo does, and if you think there is a bad side, then I'll have to tell you the same thing.


- Camel.

 

[IMMORTALSPYDER]

I used to work in a shop and we used Evercoat lightweight filler. The average person may not know how to do it correctly or sand it to be perfectly smooth. But with some good practice you guys can do it all yourself.

 

[sids]

I've seen people work with bondo and looks easy enough, bought my own and tried it and I sucked at it, came out a hard rittle lump, not smooth like a baby's ass. I guess practice is needed here

 

[Chuck_3]

yah i feel ya ^^ i went out and bought some for a little project and it came out baaaad! just takes some practice i suppose

 

[HeDog]

I'd have to say it's because if you don't know how the product works and you put it on too thick (over1/8"), and don't properly prep the part. Then paint & clear the part everything looks great. A few years down the road after the heating & cooling of whatever has the thick bondo on it, it will crack. That's probably why people are afraid of it. It also depends on the type of filler you're using.

Just my .02.

 

[Camel_Kid]

Well, it's not that hard... all you have to know is how to do it, and what to do...

1. Start by buying a good cheese grater (not the kind found in the Kitchen ware section at Wal-Mart), and some 80-grit sandpaper.

2. prep the area with 80-grit and make sure it's down only into the clear coat (a bondo master taught me that trick), and make sure the whole area AROUND that dent is prepped.

3. mix bondo until there are no grey/red lines (grey being the filler, red being the hardener)

4. add it very very generously, and make damn sure you taper the corners so that it smooths out to the metal around the area.

5. wait

6. cheese grate it until it is shaped smoothly.

7. once the part is fixed, sand it down with 80-grit sandpaper ON A SANDING BLOCK, and then go over it with 220 grit as soon as it's done being 80-gritted.

8. 220 grit another time around

9. prime, paint, clearcoat.

10. look at amazement that your car was done by yourself!


It's not that hard to do a good job with Bondo. Hell, I've only worked with it twice, and already have the skill of it down enough to make my buddy Joe a fender from one that hit a deer at 80mph.


- Camel

 

[1993eclipseGS]

When it gets hott out the bondo expands, And eventually the bondo will crack.

 

[Defiant]

Every "tuners" forum I go to and suggest Bondo, everyone bites my head off for liking it!

Many of us have owned cars for longer that the two-year lifespan of "good" Bondo.

That "cheese grater" to which you refer is the Stanley Surform, although I'm sure Bondo wizards have their own Made In China substitutes by now.

 

[dave99gst]

When it gets hott out the bondo expands, And eventually the bondo will crack.

when bondo is to thick it will shrink over time causeing it to fall out/crack

 

[Redmachine]

Hey another tip, I'll add to the sanding block one. Use the block and not your fingers(you know folding the sand paper and using your hand as the block) You get uneven sanding and it jacks everything up(my dad is a body genius,4 years of different shcools)I got my ass chewed out because I was hand sanding a panel on my dads chevelle, I left grooves because I was using my finger tips and not a block.

 

[dave99gst]

Hey another tip, I'll add to the sanding block one. Use the block and not your fingers(you know folding the sand paper and using your hand as the block) You get uneven sanding and it jacks everything up(my dad is a body genius,4 years of different shcools)I got my ass chewed out because I was hand sanding a panel on my dads chevelle, I left grooves because I was using my finger tips and not a block.

Should be a rubber block also ( somthing can that flex ) there Are NO FLAT lines on a car -every outer panel sweaps 2 ways.

 

[devlish]

when i hear the word BONDO, i think of bondo brand, sold at walmart & fleetfarm. when i think of FILLER, or BODY FILLER, i think in general terms. i use Rage Gold by Evercoat, and have no problems. i helped a friend once who bought BONDO brand (walmart) and it cracked a few months later.

I think when people rip on BONDO, they are being harsh on BONDO Brand, not body filler in general. buy a good body filler and you shouldn't have any problems if applied correctly.


or am i totally missing the point of this topic???

 

[1993eclipseGS]

when bondo is to thick it will shrink over time causeing it to fall out/crack

I thought that it would shrink but I couldent remember which one it was

 

[pinknuggit]

i use Rage Gold by Evercoat, and have no problems.

yeah, i've used rage on a few cars too and it's by far the best stuff out there (imo)

 

[Camel_Kid]

...or am i totally missing the point of this topic???

No, you got it.

I always say "Bondo" when I'm talking about body filler... it's like Band Aid and Kool Aid... you say the brand, but mean the product.


- Camel.

 

[Kookykrispy]

high quality expensive body filler is worth the extra cost because it is a quality product... if you don't really care if your bodywork cracks or shrinks later, go for bondo... good body shops are expensive because they spend the extra $$ on materials, good product is NOT cheap!!!

...or better yet, go to the corner store and get a bag of their burritos from the hot case and slap it on your car!


Step 11. Sell bondo'd vehicle right away to unsuspecting buyer :thumbdown

That being said, I've owned several old musclecars in my day, and all of them had at least a gallon of bondo on them...

Here's a good tip, when you go to buy a used vehicle.. bring a magnet!!!

 

[quiksilver38]

when bondo is to thick it will shrink over time causeing it to fall out/crack

yeah- I would wait a week before you put on color if your a beginner. you can see some of the things we fixed in my gallery

 

[TurboGrow420]

Yah..... Kookie Krispy is right. The magnet trick works to find big dents filled with bondo. Use a light weight body filler that resists shrinking. There are even some less expensive brands that are still good. Funny story... :laugh: This kid, years ago that was in my truck club shaved his door handles and just did it the cheep way....filled em in with a thick slab of bondo. A few months later he slammed the door hard and the whole door handle patch fell out onto the ground in one big chunk!

 

[devlish]

yeah, local guy used to work at a body shop filled his door handles (must have been cheap filler) and within a year you can see the rectangles where the handles used to be! (and the windshield squirters too). the sad part is... the rest of the truck is very very sweet! custom paint, rims, airbrushing, custom int, etc etc all done exceptionally well! except the handles & squirters

moral of the story: use good products & do it correctly the first time

 

[jepherz]

yeah, local guy used to work at a body shop filled his door handles (must have been cheap filler) and within a year you can see the rectangles where the handles used to be! (and the windshield squirters too). the sad part is... the rest of the truck is very very sweet! custom paint, rims, airbrushing, custom int, etc etc all done exceptionally well! except the handles & squirters

moral of the story: use good products & do it correctly the first time

i have seen this problem also, but it was because the metal panels were molded in and not welded.

Most people who don't know how to use bondo think you just fill in any amt you want with it. If it is too deep, you have to use some sort of fiberglass filler. Bondo(lightweight filler) itself is not waterproof, so you have to prep your work correctly.

I read all the time that people say Bondo sucks, and from their wording they just mean bondo brand filler. From my experience, I don't see how it is any different than evercoat or anything else.

Do as he said, correctly. As long as your car doesn't become a "bondo bucket" you should be fine.

your only alternative is to learn to lead a car!

 

[devlish]

=jepherz
your only alternative is to learn to lead a car!

EXCELLENT!!! added weight means added cornering stability!


yeah, the panels were welded with metal fillers, but it still sand around the edges. still pretty bad if you ask me