Another one skinned

[doug hodder]

Cracker, thickened epoxy will work just like bondo...and it gives you a lot more working time and a better bond to the wood....Doug

[asianflava]

Doug, what would you thicken it with? I have some microfibers but I think it would be super hard to sand. I was thinking about microbaloons (if I can find them), would that be better?

[cracker39]

I'm curious too how you would thicken it. Maybe with wood dust? I can make plenty of that with a 60 grit sanding belt and some wood. And, how hard is it to sand? I don't want to try to sand something and have the sander eat away the wood around the filler and not sand the filler down. I have two sets of quart sized bar top epoxy.

[doug hodder]

Rocky...for bondo type applications, I use West Systems #407 low density filler...410 will work also, and will sand easier...you can shave it off with a surform rasp, or any cheese grater type file for body work...it works easily, but it isn't intended for any structural work, just filling...Doug

[cracker39]

Doug, are the West system fillers a marine product? Where do you get them?

[asianflava]

West Systems Epoxy and thickeners can be used pretty much wherever, boats, aviation, teardrops. They offer many different types of thickeners I wasn't sure which one to use. I bought my first batch at a hobby store, I bought the bigger batch from West Marine.

[doug hodder]

Cracker, marine suppliers have it around, if not West System, there are lots of others out there in the market place and they will also have fairing fillers in their product line...If you haven't done any epoxy before and have the pumps etc...it is an investment...you could probably mix some batches of resin/catalyst without using the pumps...just add the fairing filler and stir until you get it to the thickness you want...you can make it like peanut butter...use a bondo spreader to lay it down....it will take a day to completely cure to the point that it will sand without balling up the paper...I've used it on bottom of my boats, and on the joint in the sub roof on the first tear, and to fill the screw holes...Doug

[cracker39]

I've used bondo and/or wood filler up to this point, so I'll probably stick with it, making sure I put enough hardener in the bondo to cure properly. I need to work fast to get it primed and painte before we start getting some rain. I'm hoping the bondo has set up by now and I can sand and reapply it today, prime tomorrow, and paint on Monday.

[doug hodder]

The bondo should eventually cure, but if you're on a schedule, scrape off what you can and mix up a typical batch and reskin those areas...if you do it late at night without the sun on it you will have a little more working time...and just apply it as quickly as possible, don't worry about it looking pretty, bondo sands down pretty easily....Doug

[cracker39]

Doug, that's what I've been doing most of the day. I found some that, after 2 days, still scraped off easily. I scraped off what I could, and hit the harder areas with 60 grit on the orbital. It loaded up the sanding disk pretty quickly, so I've gone throug a few of them. After some sanding with the 60, the friction hardens it and I can get it smoother with 150 grit. Then, I am mixing up really small batches to recoat everything. These are hardening normally as I made sure I had plenty of hardener in the mix. Tomorrow, I should be able to sand down all of the bondo.

I still have some oak sides that need more filler in the grain. I'll probably spread on some of my water putty filler, sand, and roll on some primer and sand. I sure with I hadn't used the oak plywood. I know better now why it's called open grain wood.

[doug hodder]

Dale....that will work fine....and the instructions can be vague at times for mixing bondo, it you want to play with the setting times, it's kind of a crapshoot...the big advantage....it's a whole lot cheaper than the epoxy....good luck, doug

[cracker39]

I finally got the bondo under control. I still had a little of the old residue to sand down after I scraped off the bulk of it. The new applications all cured normally and I am sanding them down. Now, I have to go buy some more of the water putty to mix and spread on the oak ply sides. I did the one sheet and it worked well to smooth out the grain a lot. If after I do the rest, there is still grain showing, so be it. I can't just fill and sand forever. I've got to get it primed and painted. I'd like a perfect finish, but I'm not up to all the work it takes to get it. After all the sanding, I think I need to put on another coat of poly sealer before I prime it. I probably sanded off most of what I put on the top.

[cracker39]

Darn, I just lost a long post...here goes again.

I've tried to keep it quiet today out of respect for the sanity of the neighbors and my wife (being Sunday), and ran the sander for only a half hour this morning to get the bondo all sanded down on the new top and front skin pieces. I sprayed on another coat of poly thane cause I probably sanded off most of what I put on earlier.

Since it works OK, I bought a big (6 lb) can of the water putty patching compound and coated the rest of my side pieces (the oak). It works well if you mix it right. Too thin and it doesn't fill well, too thick and it hardens before you can get it spread out. I used a paint pad in a circular motion to fill in the grain, then wiped it lightly diagonally over the grain. I'll sand it off tomorrow with 220 paper. A half can did all of the sides (about 120 sq ft.).

I hope that tomorrow, I can put on the Zinsser primer/filler/sealer/bond. I am hoping that by Wednesday, it will be painted so that I can put in the fan, door and windows and not hve to cover it up with a tarp. After all that is done, I will pull it out front and get some pics (sans fenders).


We still have very little chance of rain before Wednesday. We need the rain, but being dry has been perfect for my building. I just run the sprinklers for the grass and flowers.

[Miriam C.]

Hi Dale,
Sounds like you are getting plenty done. Good info too.

Miriam

[cracker39]

Meriam,

I always try to share what I learn in the process. Lots of builders have their own way of doing things, and my way is certainly not the best way. My bloopers bear witness to that, fer sure. And I do have a lot of bloopers. I think I'll include a bloopers section in my plans...sort of what not to do. In fact, I made one today. I got in a hurry to finish up putting in my rear interior wall panel sections, and forgot to put in the last small section of insulation (less than 2 sq ft). I wasn't about to tear that panel off the wall afdter shooting brads all around the edges and the window edges to put it in, so I just have one piece of foam missing. Since I don't plan on camping in either extreme cold or heat, I won't suffer too much because of that one missing piece of foam.