Doing Bondo

Hey guys, what is the lowest temperature you can do Bondo? Could you use a heat lamp?

Thanks

 

It’s a chemical reaction to harden it. I don’t know if heat helps the process or not. Maybe someone else can chime in.

 

Don't know the lowest temp (probably just above absolute zero), but heating the environment around the material will definitely help the process. Just adding more hardener is not a good idea, though you want to add enough to make it a 'fast' cure. In cold temperatures it may still take awhile. Be patient.

 

Heating the product and the part to apply it to will help cure it faster and adhere well, but also really help to apply it. It is miserable to work with if the product is cold and stiff. Just take the bondo inside over night and let it warm up to room temp, warm up the area to apply it to with a heat lamp or the like and you will be fine. once applied, it will cure. I like heat lamps for fiberglass resin for sure to help accelerate the process.

 

Ambient temperature does affect the hardening time. I now first hand that a heat gun works with fiberglass resin. It should work with Bondo ( both are plastic ). Cold paint in a rattle can reacts badly ; I experienced that yesterday.

 

Hey DonnyRay,
How long do you have keep it on the surface for?

 

I use a wooden coffee stirrer to test the fiberglass resin for hardness. I just tap it on the surface of the patch. You could probably use this same technique with bondo. If the resin is set up enough , you won't get any resin on the tip of the coffee stirrer. It's better to get resin on the coffee stirrer than on your finger. You can also use a tongue depressor or an ice cream stick or the stick from a corn dog. I also use an egg timer which I set to 30 minutes . I don't begin testing the patch until 30 minutes has elapsed. I buy my coffee stirrers at a local Hobby Crafts store.

 

Heat the surface until it feels warm to the touch. DO NOT use a high heat setting on your heat gun.