Fiberglass and bondo brew?

[ZROSSA]

Howdy all,

I was just going through old threads trying to look for easy ways to finish the body kit I have made for my old corolla. I have kind of made this like Terry O. did his blueovalz but my work is no where as good so there is going to be a lot of fiishing sanding and filling that needs to be done. I have used polyester resin to make the parts. I found a old tread by RACER-X that said to use epoxy resin with microsperes. Can you do this with polyester resin? I also remember someone saying they mixed bondo with resin but I cant find any more info about it. Anyone remember?

 

Cheers, Douglas

[Guest tony78_280z]

I've experimented with mixing different stuff and different hardeners with strage results

 

Bondo makes a fiberglass filler and a resin. Those two are compatable and mix well. But other putty types of bondo don't seem to mix well. Or maybe it is their particular hardeners. I obviously need to spend more in my Research and Development departments.

[ZROSSA]

Might have to start experimenting myself. I do remember some here mentioning it in the past though. Racer-x, Terry O. ?

[cabo]

Be careful mixing polyester and epoxy resins. You can put epoxy resin over polyester but not the other way. For the extra money where possible use epoxy. It bonds better and the curing rate can be controlled much better. Also remember that there is very little strength in resin. You need to add fillers. The best place to get good information on which fillers to use is from a boat builder. I use chopped strand mat that I cut up into small piecies and mix with the resin to form small parts and it has never failed me. There are fillers for filling gaps, for gluing, and for fairing to name a few.

[Guest tony78_280z]

Be careful mixing polyester and epoxy resins.

 

I thought bondo only used one type of resin for it's product line that can be picked up at walmart. Crap this was probably my problem all along!

 

Im trying to stick to fiberglass. Using the fiberglass resin and cloth for big areas. Then I use the fiberglass long hair filler for deep areas and structure peices and regular fiberglass filler (like a medium bondo putty) to fill in medium areas. For the fine areas I use the regular filler and thin it with a little resin. My technique is far from perfect. But I'm working on it.

 

I bought some extra hardener, and had situations in which the item would never set up. Now I know why =)

[Nismo280zEd]

As mentioned above.. stick with boat products, they have excellent adhesions just about all of them are waterproof and the standards are much higher than automotive products. They do cost more, but they are also better. Do as much filling with glass first, then use filler to smooth everything.

 

-Ed

[ZROSSA]

Thanks for the replys,

I have completed all the major glass work. I am now at the smoothing stage. There is such a large expanse to do, I am realy trying to find something that is easer to sand then fiber glass its self that will still be compatable.

 

Douglas

[Z-TARD]

Polyester resins normally wont fully cure on the surface, because the oxygen inhibits the chemical reaction at the very surface. If you mix resin with bondo, it's likely that it will seem uncured because it will remain sticky. Spreading out a plastic painters dropcloth over the surface right after you apply it will allow a full cure, and will let you do some sculpting with your bare hands to a certain extent. Once the resin/bondo cures, the drop cloth will peel right off. Hope this helps a little,

 

Mike