durham's water putty or bondo?

[Dana Hargrove]

How do i decide between durham's water putty or bondo for different jobs?

Right now i am trying to fill gaps, nail holes and remake corners that got dented or chipped off while making some plywood sculptures that will be painted with acrylic.
So far i have tried durham's water putty,i have just started to use Golden's molding paste, to see if it will be easier
http://www.goldenpaints.com/products/medium-gels-pastes/molding-paste
I am wondering if Bondo is better for the job of re-creating strong corners that will never ding.

[Rick Lizek]

Bondo is very toxic. The fumes and the dust. Should not be used indoors.

[Dana Hargrove]

Bondo is very toxic. The fumes and the dust. Should not be used indoors.
Thanks Rick, that does make a bit of a difference to me, I do prefer doing it easily as possible and with less fumes. I also want to go with the best durable option.

[Myk Rian]

Bondo is very toxic. The fumes and the dust. Should not be used indoors.
Maybe if one was repairing a car fender in the dining room. In small amounts it's safe.

[John A langley]

I used Blondo in small quantities all time with no ill affects, it's real good for fixing dings in paint grade stuff

[Allan Speers]

The only problem with Bondo, and it can be a big problem with outdoor furniture & house repairs, , is that it doesn't expand & contract.

Does Durhams?

The description of Golden Molding Paste seems promising: "Excellent for building surfaces and creating textures. Dries to a hard, yet flexible, opaque film."

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

I really don't think that bondo is all that toxic, and once cured, is really just a plastic.
I didn't realize they made a version of Bondo for wood.
http://bondo.com/featured/bondo-wood-filler-20082.html

Bondo is probably a little easier to mix them Durham's, and cures faster.

Another good option is epoxy with microballoon filler.

[Dana Hargrove]

Durhams is very easy to mix, very easy to sand. The Golden medium is good too, seems to sand fine too, maybe a bit more work than durhams though, but i will find out tomorrow when i do the face off / sand off.
The golden medium seems easier to sculpt those corners - so far anyway.

[Allan Speers]

I didn't realize they made a version of Bondo for wood.
http://bondo.com/featured/bondo-wood-filler-20082.html

Bondo is probably a little easier to mix them Durham's, and cures faster.


That's probably exactly the same stuff as the auto body filler, just with a little green tint added for marketing reasons. If it costs more, (I dunno if it does) than just use the auto stuff.


As for cure time, I'd KILL to have a Bondo that cures maybe 2X more slowly.

[Al Launier]

+ for Bondo! I like to use it on end grain to smoothen it when I'm going to paint a small project.

[Martin Wasner]

Another good option is epoxy with microballoon filler.

Which is pretty much what bondo is. Thickened vinylester resin instead of a thickened epoxy resin.

[Carroll Courtney]

I use bondo all the time,if the mosquitoes are bad I leave the doors close.But each time that I finish a gallon I always say I will never buy bondo again,till the next project.It does sand but its tough which means that areas around it will sand faster than the bondo and you want to put it on in layers letting each layer cure.On my next project I want to use Evercoat,drys fast and sands easy and does not clog the paper

[Dana Hargrove]

I use bondo all the time,if the mosquitoes are bad I leave the doors close.But each time that I finish a gallon I always say I will never buy bondo again,till the next project.It does sand but its tough which means that areas around it will sand faster than the bondo and you want to put it on in layers letting each layer cure.On my next project I want to use Evercoat,drys fast and sands easy and does not clog the paper

ok you just convinced me not gonna try bond0 now.

[Joe Samorodin]

Fascap has 2p-10 plus activator. The msds sheet says its not carcinogenic just an irritant. I use it for dinged corners for paint grade and use sawdust as a binder filler. A little goes a long way.

[Michael Zerance]

I have attempted to use the water putty a few times but never really liked it. I couldn't get it to spread smoothly and I couldn't get a nice smooth feathered edge. Also, it was tough to sand. Bondo has always been my go to choice because it spreads smoothly into a feathered edge, dries fast, and sands nicely. I usually get the Bondo all-purpose putty. The Evercoat filler is nice stuff, it flows better and is a lot smoother, but not readily available; I get it from an auto body supply house.

The point brought up about the filler having different expansion and contraction rates is a good one that I never really considered. I wonder if the Bondo Wood Filler addresses those concerns.

I have heard good things about Famowood and just ordered a can of it to try it out.

[Dana Hargrove]

I also did find the water putty to be hard to spread, it was almost like little bubbles would appear, or it would drag on itself, maybe i used too much water at first or didn't mix it long enough.
The last time i did this project i used light weight sparkle, or wood filler, both were too brittle.

[Michael Zerance]

I have used bondo extensively to repair rotted exterior woodwork, window sills, and door jambs. Some of them were so bad that they really should have been replaced but the bondo made short work of rebuilding and sculpting the repaired areas. I carried this practice over into my woodworking projects because I know that the material works but I think it is probably overkill for most woodworking applications.

[Allan Speers]

+ for Bondo! I like to use it on end grain to smoothen it when I'm going to paint a small project.



Say, that's a great idea !

[Dave Lehnert]

For what little I use filler, Famowood is my go to product. But never have used it on large areas.
I have also used Elmers wood filler from Lowe's and liked it.

[Pat Barry]

I use bondo all the time,if the mosquitoes are bad I leave the doors close.But each time that I finish a gallon I always say I will never buy bondo again,till the next project.It does sand but its tough which means that areas around it will sand faster than the bondo and you want to put it on in layers letting each layer cure.On my next project I want to use Evercoat,drys fast and sands easy and does not clog the paper
So you are telling us that Bondo attracts mosquito's??

[Mark W Pugh]

I also did find the water putty to be hard to spread, it was almost like little bubbles would appear, or it would drag on itself, maybe i used too much water at first or didn't mix it long enough.
The last time i did this project i used light weight sparkle, or wood filler, both were too brittle.

I put it on heavyish, then slightly smooth with a wet rag. This is for large seams, chipped areas, etc. Sands great, if we're still talking Durhams.

Anyone used drywall mud for large areas?

[Michael Zerance]

Not drywall mud but I have used One-Time spackling by Red Devil. It spreads smooth with no shrinking or cracking but it takes a while to dry on deep repairs and doesn't sand all that great. It's great for filling nail holes in painted trim.

[Jeff Duncan]

Bondo is my go to as well, and is great if you understand how to use it….ie. you can't just slobber it on and leave it to dry. If your filling larger holes you must, (IMHO), do it in 2 applications, the 1st to fill and the second to level off. It does shrink a bit so you really need the second application IME. First coat should fill as much as possible and then level off. 2nd coat leave a little high but don't walk away and leave it! Wait until it just hardens a bit and then use a chisel to shape close to what you want as a finished edge/face. This way sanding/filing is minimized and you don't have to worry about sanding surrounding area too deep.

As far as fumes and being toxic, I'm sure it probably is. Then again so are dozens of other things I use in my shop on a regular basis….wood putty, epoxy, solvents and finishes, etc. etc.. Like anything else use common sense and don't just sit there sniffing the can for extended periods.

good luck,
JeffD

[Yonak Hawkins]

As for cure time, I'd KILL to have a Bondo that cures maybe 2X more slowly.

I couldn't agree more .. except the killing part.

[Mike Schuch]

I built a shelf in the laundry room to hold the washer and dryer two feet off the ground so they can be used without bending over. I jointed and planed some 2x4's for a frame then set some 3/4" plywood inside this frame for a sturdy shelf. I used bondo to fill all the seams, screw holes and inperfections in the plywood before painting the shelf. That was 10 years ago. 10 years of splashed water and uneven laundry loads vibrating the heck out of the shelf and there isn't a single crack in the bondo!

Personally I think Bondo works better on wood than metal because it has much more surface to bite into.

[Yonak Hawkins]

So you are telling us that Bondo attracts mosquito's??

Mosquito's what ? ..I hesitate to ask . . .

[Dana Hargrove]

Good to know!

[Tom Deutsch]

+1 to Allan's thoughts.
I did some freelance marketing work YEARS ago for Bondo Mar-Hyde when they were marketing a bunch of different packaging for their one product. As far as I remember, the tech guys there told me there's not a lot of difference, although color and stain-ability might be a big issue for some people. Obviously it is made to take primer/paint well!
What a trip to see my old copy still being recycled - LOL
I've never used Durham's - but I've heard good things. It's water based, right? Water and wood?

[Dana Hargrove]

Anyone know if you can put bond on top of durhams>? My instinct says better not.

[larry senen]

you can add some yellow glue to durhams and it really dries a lot harder. i went overboard once and spent most or the day sanding it off the edge of stacked plywood.

[Yonak Hawkins]

larry, that's a good suggestion. I'll have to try it.

[Jim Dwight]

I'm coming in late but I vote for bondo too. I've used it outdoors too. It kind of stinks when you mix it but as long as you have decent ventilation I don't think it's an issue. You need to mix it in smallish batches because it dries so fast but otherwise, I don't see an issue.

[Neil Gaskin]

If it is exterior repair I would use wood-epox by abatron. Not cheap but it is our go to filler for exterior repairs. For interior painted stuff I either use elmers wood filler or floor patch dependeing on whats in the shop and application. My painters do not really like the elmers and would use bondo.

the one thing we never use.... water putty. It's crap in my opinion. especially for exterior work.

[Allan Speers]

If it is exterior repair I would use wood-epox by abatron. Not cheap but it is our go to filler for exterior repairs. For interior painted stuff I either use elmers wood filler or floor patch dependeing on whats in the shop and application. My painters do not really like the elmers and would use bondo.

the one thing we never use.... water putty. It's crap in my opinion. especially for exterior work.

The Abatron products are intriguing - but what's the difference between their wood epoxy and their liquid filler?

Also, does this stuff dry flexible? Once again, for exterior repairs, that's a big issue. I've had several large exterior restorations crack apart like crazy after using Bondo. Never again.

[Neil Gaskin]

The Abatron products are intriguing - but what's the difference between their wood epoxy and their liquid filler?

Also, does this stuff dry flexible? Once again, for exterior repairs, that's a big issue. I've had several large exterior restorations crack apart like crazy after using Bondo. Never again.

The wood epox is a two part mix that has the consistency of playdough when its mixed up. The liquid filler is more of a consolidator and is pourable. We use the liquid filler first to harden the underlying area of the repair and wood epox above to fill the bigger voids. It can be used for structural repairs as well as cosmetic repairs. Its not cheap but it does last and does seem to have some elastisity to it. We've been using it for the last 10 or so years and I do not recall a call back if repaired properly. the key is removign all the old rot and using the liquid to consolidate or harden the material first.

It works and sands like wood when hardened. You can sculp it as it cures for profiled repairs or cut bondo applicators, wood, or sheet metal to a profile.

[Allan Speers]

Thanks, Neil. This is very good to know.

[Tom M King]

Glazing putty for auto body work is worthwhile having if you want a perfect surface, and don't want to keep putting on layers of bondo. http://www.zoro.com/3m-glazing-putty-gen-purpose-145-oz-red-05098/i/G1925917/?gclid=Cj0KEQiA-NqyBRC905irsrLr-LUBEiQAWJFYTnXtpgpp1cjjXsPW3SeriDLb1o8k5b8rbnz51wx djfsaApAs8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds It's good for the little imperfection hollows it's hard to avoid with the first coat of Bondo. I don't like Bondo on wood either. There are many possibilities, but I usually start with West epoxy, and thicken as needed with silica or micro-ballons. I know of some window sills I fixed with West back in the '80s that are still good.