I called the Bondo hot line this morning and they told that my can was made
in '98 and was out of date. I had just purchased it at Lowes the day before.
They told me that the methyl ethyl ketone peroxide has a limited shelf life
and that it was most likely that just the hardener was bad. I then tried
some with a different tube of hardener and it set normally.
Another interesting piece of information was that all the resin I've used
previously sets to a pale greeen color while this can sets to a light brown
hue. The guy told me that there are two sources that produce the resin and
that the colors are different.
Anyway I returned the rest of the can Lowes then went to PEP Boys. They had
a brand that I hadn't seen before for $9.99 I then went next door to Wal
Mart and they had the Bondo Brand for $8.99 for a quart. It was made in
'99. The problem is solved.
While we're on the subject; I've seen references to glass fiber or glass
beads that can be used with fiberglass resin. Does anyone know of a source
for this stuff. The body filler that Bondo sells is some sort of a soft
polymer and is a pretty useless stuff. I would be nice if there were a
similar product that was glass filled.
Dick Kennedy
'75 PB
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 07:51:54 -0500
>From: Dick Kennedy
>Subject: GMC: Fiberglass Woes
>
>What started out as a simple patch job
>has turned into a mess. I was out of
>fiberglass resin so went out and bought
>a new quart of Bondo brand
>polyester resin. When I got the can I
>greased the cap with vaseline to keep
>it free.
>
>I needed a flat piece to glass over the
>old furnace ports so the idea was
>to put a piece of matt on piece of glass
>and embed it with resin. Then when
>it sets I could put it in place over the
>holes. Sounds easy doesn't it?
>
>The first try I laid waxed paper on a
>piece of glass then fiberglass matt &
>poured resin over that. I went real
>light on the hardener on this one.
>After two days it's a gooey mess.
>
>The second try I got a new piece of
>glass, cleaned it with amonia then
>applied the matt and resin directly to
>it. Only this time I used about a
>50% excess of hardener. After 24 hours
>including and hour in the oven it's
>still a gooey mess.
>
>Next I poured a little bit of resin in a
>cup & added a couple of drops of
>hardener. It didn't set after an hour so
>I took another cup with a small
>amount and added several drops of
>hardener. After 12 hours the last cup is
>set but only in the part that was fully
>mixed.
>
>I've been patching things with
>fiberglass since the seventies doing
>everything from snowmobiles to the
>transom in my boat and have never had a
>problem. The only good part here is that
>I haven't applied any of this goo
>to the GMC.
>
>Has anyone else run into similar
>problems using fiberglass? I don't think
>I'n doing anything out of the ordinary
>but could use a sanity check.
>
>Dick Kennedy
>'75 PB
>
>
in '98 and was out of date. I had just purchased it at Lowes the day before.
They told me that the methyl ethyl ketone peroxide has a limited shelf life
and that it was most likely that just the hardener was bad. I then tried
some with a different tube of hardener and it set normally.
Another interesting piece of information was that all the resin I've used
previously sets to a pale greeen color while this can sets to a light brown
hue. The guy told me that there are two sources that produce the resin and
that the colors are different.
Anyway I returned the rest of the can Lowes then went to PEP Boys. They had
a brand that I hadn't seen before for $9.99 I then went next door to Wal
Mart and they had the Bondo Brand for $8.99 for a quart. It was made in
'99. The problem is solved.
While we're on the subject; I've seen references to glass fiber or glass
beads that can be used with fiberglass resin. Does anyone know of a source
for this stuff. The body filler that Bondo sells is some sort of a soft
polymer and is a pretty useless stuff. I would be nice if there were a
similar product that was glass filled.
Dick Kennedy
'75 PB
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 07:51:54 -0500
>From: Dick Kennedy
>Subject: GMC: Fiberglass Woes
>
>What started out as a simple patch job
>has turned into a mess. I was out of
>fiberglass resin so went out and bought
>a new quart of Bondo brand
>polyester resin. When I got the can I
>greased the cap with vaseline to keep
>it free.
>
>I needed a flat piece to glass over the
>old furnace ports so the idea was
>to put a piece of matt on piece of glass
>and embed it with resin. Then when
>it sets I could put it in place over the
>holes. Sounds easy doesn't it?
>
>The first try I laid waxed paper on a
>piece of glass then fiberglass matt &
>poured resin over that. I went real
>light on the hardener on this one.
>After two days it's a gooey mess.
>
>The second try I got a new piece of
>glass, cleaned it with amonia then
>applied the matt and resin directly to
>it. Only this time I used about a
>50% excess of hardener. After 24 hours
>including and hour in the oven it's
>still a gooey mess.
>
>Next I poured a little bit of resin in a
>cup & added a couple of drops of
>hardener. It didn't set after an hour so
>I took another cup with a small
>amount and added several drops of
>hardener. After 12 hours the last cup is
>set but only in the part that was fully
>mixed.
>
>I've been patching things with
>fiberglass since the seventies doing
>everything from snowmobiles to the
>transom in my boat and have never had a
>problem. The only good part here is that
>I haven't applied any of this goo
>to the GMC.
>
>Has anyone else run into similar
>problems using fiberglass? I don't think
>I'n doing anything out of the ordinary
>but could use a sanity check.
>
>Dick Kennedy
>'75 PB
>
>
