Bondo (putty)
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Bondo is a brand of two-part putty manufactured by 3M. Originally used mainly for automobile body repair, Bondo has been widely used by carpenters to repair wood. The Bondo brand of filler or putty is composed of a polyester resin that, when mixed with a hardener (an organic peroxide) or catalyst, turns into a putty which then sets and hardens. The user can apply the mixed Bondo body filler, sand it to the proper shape, and prime and paint it like the material around it. The term "Bondo" is a registered trademark in the United States and in many countries throughout the world.
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[edit] Automotive
Bondo body filler was developed as a replacement for body solder, or molten lead, that was formerly used for the same task. Body solder is much more durable, but may require more effort to apply. Lead-based solder poses toxic hazards for people and the environment due to the heavy metal components. Although Bondo body fillers and other polyester body fillers are far safer to work with than their lead-based counterparts, they can still pose significant health risks. The fumes are quite toxic, and the hardeners can create burns on prolonged skin contact. The use of gloves, a mask, and proper ventilation are all recommended when mixing and applying the filler.
When buying a used car, it is possible to check for damaged areas that have been repaired with significant amounts of body filler by walking around the car with a magnet, as the magnet will not be attracted to the body filler. Unscrupulous sellers may mix metal flakes into the body filler mixture before application in order to circumvent the magnet test. This test however, will not detect body filler on plastic, fiber glass, or carbon fiber components.
Polyester body fillers are considered amongst quality body fabricators or repairers as a very poor patch up material (thus the use of the magnet test), A quality repair is performed by "Panel Beating" also known as "Metal Finishing using tools such as Hammers, Dollies files, lever bars. A metal finish repair is permanent and will not degrade over time. Polyester Body repairs can be observed on American Cable TV programs where cars are overhauled and modified within a very short time period where the time, cost and durability of a repair is less important than the show.
[edit] Home and hobby
3M also distributes Bondo "All Purpose Putty" which may be used on, but not limited to, wood, asphalt, masonry, metal, drywall, and tile.
Bondo fillers and other body fillers have widespread usage in computer case modding, as when properly used, they can be sanded smooth and painted, and they will attach and hold, without damage, to metal, plastic, acrylic and perspex surface.
During the 2010 Daytona 500, a pot hole formed in the race track. After a concrete patch only disintegrated again, NASCAR used Bondo body filler to patch the track with just 40 laps remaining. The Bondo body filler held until the finish.[1]
Bondo is commonly used by skateboarders to make an area easier to skateboard. If a skateboarder finds a nice place to skate, but there are cracks in the pavement or ledge that make it hard to do so, Bondo body filler is often used to fill the crack. Bondo is portable, it can be mixed on site, and it hardens in a half hour or so, making it an ideal material for fixing skate spots. However, this should never be done without obtaining permission from the property owner, as bondo is difficult to remove and may make it more difficult to perform a proper repair.
Bondo can also be used to layer over paper crafts to harden them, usually to make props for cosplay or costuming.
[edit] Marine
Bondo brand fiberglass fillers are used in the marine industry. A glass-reinforced filler, resin, resin repair kit, long strand glass hair, are the types of fillers manufactured.
