thinning bondo with fiberglass resin

please delete

 

Huh????

 

I've thinned mud with fiberglass resin for years, but never so thin I could SPRAY it. I don't have a gun with that fat of a tip. I'd rather use the real thing. I'd be concerned about shrink back.

 

Dont buy bondo in the first place. Why would you even want to thin it?
Buy a decent filler primer to spray. Using cheaper materials will get you in the long run.
If you want something smooth then get Rage Gold, or even Evercoat Z grip. Also, over time you will learn to spread it smooth.

 

Just think about all the time, work, and money you'll have invested in the paint. You want to risk the filler coming apart underneath it?

 

Wow. I work in the composites industry and I can tell you that that sounds like a bad idea. If you're looking for a high fill primer, or skim coat, then buy a high fill primer or finishing putty.

 

My son in law works in a body shop for a BMW dealership and he has always cut a bit of resin into his body filler but he said it was to keep it open longer, more work time

 

bob-o is right. If you are even asking this question, it is obvious you have little experience with body filler. Even trying to get the mixture right, and then getting the catalyst ratio correct, would be a million to one shot. The company chemists that develop primers and body fillers, have already done the work to make good products. Use bondo/body filler for it's intended purpose and hi build primers for their intended purpose, and make sure they will be compatible with your paint/topcoat.

Metal Glaze http://evercoat.com/productDetail.aspx?pID=1

I use Evercoat's Metal Glaze for a nice liquid filler. I just came in from the garage from using it to fill some minor imperfections on a WWII field desk that I'm restoring. I have used this product to thin Evercoat Rage body filler to make an intermediate viscosity product( http://evercoat.com/productDetail.aspx?pID=32) for small jobs, but both products have the same basic resin and hardner so it is a compatible mix, but not cost effective for large areas. When I do mix the 2 products, I mix them first to get the viscosity I want, then add the hardner, which takes the same ratio for each product. These products sand easily and have great adhesion. The desk I'm restoring is a combination of metal, wood and heavy paper. The Metal Glaze works equally well on all three materials for filling minor flaws.

If you need to spray it use this: http://evercoat.com/productDetail.aspx?pID=70
or this is easier to sand: http://evercoat.com/productDetail.aspx?pID=28

overspray

 

Both those threads say don't do it, it's a horrible idea.

What are you trying to accomplish? Let us in on it and maybe we can help.

Modern filler is a dream,and stays flexible (to a degree) when used properly. Resin is inflexible. More like glass. That's why fiberglass parts crack when there is too much gel coat or resin pooled up.

 

I'd like to see you clean a gun with bondo/acetone in it!! Fun times right there!!!

 

I puzzled by the information journey you have undertaken . You are listening to suggestions from many people but seem to be having some difficulty in determining what is proper and correct information. Just because someone posted it doesn't necessarily mean its right. If you want to get things right get the info straight from the manufacturer of the product being used and stick with their recommendations for usage. The old days of bartendering body and paint materials is over. It never really worked well even back in the day.

Todays paint and body materials are formulated so these old methods and tricks are unnecessary .

 

Years ago an old bodyman told me this:
"First you get good then you get fast."

Meaning learn how to do things properly first over a few years.
Then once you have the basics, you can try different things.

In the last 40 years of working, I tried to do this approach with success.

 

nailed it, brav-o.

 

I mix quality body filler (not BONDO) with fiberglass resin, just a little though,when I'm on my last skim coat on a panel....never had a problem. (90% of the skim coat will sanded off anyway) Mixing a little resin in with your filler also helps if it gets dried. Say what you want to.....but...it has been done for years.

Never thought about trying to spray body filler through a spray gun...

There are a number of heavy fill primers available,Feather Fill, Slick Sand etc

 

Your not a distributor for Evercoat are you????

 

I wouldn't thin filler with resin, imo this would serve to make the filler more brittle, and reduce adhesion to the base.

In my experience, even the "glass based" fillers (i.e. Duraglass, etc. ) leave a lot to be desired with regard to adhesion. In other words, it doesn't stick to the metal as tight as filler. Filler sticks better, and with fully welded seams etc, there is no need for either glass based products or a filler/resin mix.

 

That is why I usually spray epoxy on bare metal first.

I usually use "Allmetal" for bare metal in rare situations.

 

I think what someone was referring to was using it to make a smooth buttery substance for light coating (pin holes, scratches)

Still dont understand spraying it though. Just use a good high fill primer. Worrying about mixing ratios blah blah and if it even works is taking care of.
I understand trying to cut cost some places, but this is not a place for it. Specially when your looking at a few bucks.

 

How many times do you need to be told it's a bad idea? Get the proper materials and do the job right. Bondo has been around since the late 50's if spraying it worked worth a shit it would be a common practice...

 

I would not do it myself, however I would love to hear how it was done, (if it truely was) and how it worked out, and also how it worked out in the long run. I have thinned it in the past to make like a filler for pin holes and such, works very well. I guess it could be done, and realisticly it might be a nice filler primer and easy to sand, I just dont know about its life span....anyways I will be watching this thread to see what happens.......no matter what I dont think I will be doing it on my car, but that is me, to each his own....Jim

 

re-read what he said, he's saying learn to do things right, not thin down a material that ment to be spread in 80 grit scratches...

but your right I'm sure someone will tell you to scrape your car down with a rock, thin bondo down until you can spray it, let your fill primer thicken until you can spread it and then paint your car with a roller...good luck with that, I'm sure the result will be ground breaking and awesome

 

Years ago an old bodyman told me this:
"First you get good then you get fast."

Meaning learn how to do things properly first over a few years.
Then once you have the basics, you can try different things.

In the last 40 years of working, I tried to do this approach with success.


I think he was talking about the motto. Learn to do it right first then try short cuts.
So basically he wasnt talking about spraying bondo, he was talking about learning the basics, which is spreading it.
Maybe the people you where talking to was talking about Poly Primers, which can be reduced.
In all honesty we are not trying to argue with you, but answer your question as to dont waste your time with it.

If you want to spray bondo, use a spackle gun used for shooting walls, mix it and give your self a few minutes before it hardins in the gun.
So maybe have someone mixing it, like a hot carrier and dumping it into your gun as your shooting it.
of course the amount of waste that would be giving off, would far by pass the price of a gallon of good qaulity body filler, and a decent filler primer.

 

subscribed

 

We kind of crossed on our posting, the way you mentioned thinning for a skim I can see, understand, and agree with (although I haven't tried it).

I have popped out way too much Duraglass to be a fan of the stuff for use as general filler. It does pop out pretty easy though...

 

You want to spray bondo, just buy Featherfill

 

Why do you want to spray bondo? Then maybe everyone could answer you more specifically.

 

We use to mix bondo, fiberglas resin, and hardener together for doing mould work in an automotive interior shop. You end up with bondo, that is hard as a rock, and quick. This mixture was only spreadable.

Correct me, if I'm wrong, MEK is the hardener for "Bondo" and some resins.

 

Damn some people's kids are hard-headed! Don't do it. Or, do it, realize it won't work and then throw away tools used because they're destroyed.

 

no shit huh?

The HAMB delivers.

 

What are you trying to fill. Ever heard of quicksaind,slick sand, featherfill, just to name a few if your trying to fill sand scratchs. If pin holes is wut your after then a good glazing putty. And if your trying to fill dents then use a quailty body filler. Bondo brand is shit. Dont even try to thin filler to spray through a gun its not gonna happen.