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Bondo strength?

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_) (V) (-):
Not too sure about squirting bondo into a mold, how would you plan to get the air bubbles out?

Strength is also dependent on the guts of the item you are making, if you use an inner structure it would fair much better.

jace055:
I would try fiberglass and fiberglass resin.  You might be able to get away with just the resin but a little glass in there wouldn't hurt.  For something that thick and large I would want to use a little more hardner in the resin than usual.  You will have a shorter working time but without it the object may never dry and set-up.

shardian:
Ask pinewood princess what she is using for her molds.

luckyfold:
http://www.smooth-on.com/liqplas.htm

They make some kick ass two part plastics [mix part a with part b and watch it harden] that I have used - really strong stuff.  Of course you will need to obtain or build a pressure pot so that you can put it in a mold - then into the pot - kill all the air bubbles.

It sets up really fast.

RandyT:
I would avoid regular Bondo.  Not designed for the job.

Go to the local home store and get some of the Bondo resin designed for structural repairs (they keep it in the caulk/adhesive department area at Home Depot).  It's kind of translucent brown in color and smells bad, but it is strong.  It's also very inexpensive at about $18 a gallon, IIRC, and it includes the hardener.  You might want to pick up an extra hardener while you are there.

Thick parts will experience some shrinkage, and a vacuum chamber would be best to get the bubbles out. But if a bubble-free finish isn't important, it shouldn't be a big deal.  Again, it depends on the part.

RandyT

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