Friends,
Not long ago, a well-known woodworker here in Virginia (not Ray Pine. We have more than one in VA.) gave a talk to our woodworkers guild, and near the end of his talk, he brought up the use of Bondo in antique restoration.
I knew about the use of Lie Nielsen tools and Festools in fine woodwork, but the idea of using Bondo, which works well in auto-body repairs, in the field of fine furniture is new to me.
Do any of you use Bondo in making furniture or in doing antique restoration? If so, for what purposes? Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Replies
Mel
We had a Newport secretary that failed to negotiate the curve at the bottom of the stairs and rear-ended the hall table. Hammered out the dents as best we could, used bondo to smooth out the surface. Couple coats of candy apple red and she was ready to roll again! ;)
Seriously, I've read articles that promote the use of Bondo in WW as a hole/cavity filler. It is non-shrinking, sands out well. Don't recall reading how it stains, but must paint ok. Tom
Mel,
Did a Google and found this: http://mybldg.com/bondomahogany.html
I would seriously doubt that anyone trying to repair an antique/collectible would consider using Bondo for repairs.
Now making boards out of Bondo and joining them with the Domino sounds interesting, as long as you left the tenons exposed! <G> Then you could make a vehicle body out of it and call it a Bondie, as opposed to a woodie!
You could brush the boards with a wire brush thus simulating grain patterns, then apply stain ala faux pas? A metal shooting board equipped w/Nielsen plane for squaring the ends. Ummmmm, guess that about does me in.
OH, don't forget to crank up the DC as I'm sure you'll need it.
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 8/22/2007 9:21 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bondo (or any type of automotive epoxy filler) is often used by renovation people for repairing stuff -- rotted sills, porch posts, and the like.
But it is not the best product for any application in wood, since it will not move with the wood, and will ultimately fail -- i.e. open up a crack between the wood and the patch.
There are any number of epoxy products that are formulated to move with the wood, and are therefore much better choices for repairs and filling nail/screw holes, etc.
PC Woody and Abatron are two such brands, but there are others.
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"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Hammer, CTS, Bob and Nikkiwood,
Thanks for the responses.
Now I understand. There really is no good reason to use Bondo because it doesn't expand and contract with the wood, so it will eventually fail. I had never used it. I will continue to use an appropriate epoxy.
Again, thank you. That was fast.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Don't know about Bondo, but I have used epoxy for a good many repairs; using different epoxies to suit the need. For example, to repair the exterior rot in some of the lower logs of my 75 year old log cabin, where replacement of volume was necessary, I used dry lumber and foam under a shaped 1/2 inch or thicker shell of Wood Epox. Some of those repairs are now four or five years old and have been through that number of Minnesota winters without trouble.In furniture, I have used small amounts of Wood Epox or other brands to fill in holes that have been broken out and are oversize, for example mortises and holes for chair rungs and slats. You can fill the hole, wait for it to cure, and then re-bore or excavate the hole. It is usually invisable. Same with hinge screws that have torn out. Just fill and re-drill. Far less invasive than any other repair.Metal repair is another good use for the adhesive formulations. I have an old table with an oak top fastened to three cast iron legs that arc in to a kind of frog and then arc back out for stability. The frog was broken. There was no way of replacing it. Brazing or soldering wouldn't work, because a chunk was missing. Fabricating metal would be hard because of the texture and shape of the iron. So, I used exoxy both to fabricate the missing piece and to glue the lot back together. You can see it if you look hard, but it is generally not noticeable. That table has now been in use for several years.Joe
Edited 8/23/2007 9:26 am ET by Joe Sullivan
Joe,
How does epoxy stand up to heat?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob, I don't know for sure; the only heat mine has been subjected to is solar. However, I have seen formulations for sale that claim to work on exhaust mainfolds and engine blocks. I have a small iron wood and coal stove with a broken cabriole leg. I am thinking of researching the heat tolerant epoxies to see if they would be suitable to repair the leg. Just haven't gotten around to it yet.
Joe
Joe,
Cabriole leg on a woodwtove, now this I gotta see! I'm into those curvy leg thingies, much to Lataxe's chagrin..................
I've got a very similar application, wood to metal though. Wonder if auto parts stores might have it?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 8/23/2007 10:35 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Hi All,
Aren't Bondo and epoxy very similar in their expansion and contraction properties? In my experience both behave about the same when used as a filler.
Paul
Cabriole is the best description I can think of. Lots of old stoves had them. They are rounded, kneed legs with decorations.
J
Joe,
Ya mean like these?
View Image
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Just like those, only in cast iron.
J
There is a big difference between restoring an antique and fixing a piece of old furniture. In restoring an antique, you try to have as little impact on the original as possible. Several years ago, one of the companies (Minwax?) offered an exterior wood filler that looked like Bondo, smelled like Bondo and worked like Bondo. We all figured it was Bondo so we used that instead of paying the price for the filler. Many of us have Bondo sitting on the shelf. Wood shrinks and swells with humidity changes, fillers don't, even Bondo. It does have fairly good adhesion and can be used to fill large cavities. It can also be carved or shaped. Ordinary wood fillers are fine for small fixes but they don't do well for a 2" x 4" hole. Bondo works in that type of situation. It won't take stain and it doesn't look like wood but it paints well, particularly with volatile paints as in auto products.
There are some other possible uses but there are other products that are better choices. If you are missing a Victorian escutcheon, for example. You can make an impression of one you have and cast a new one. Bondo may work but a casting resin would be a better choice. If someone took a hunk out of the garage door trim, Bondo would be a good choice.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I have never heard of Bondo (Ar, bless), but do use milliput for various things. It comes in superfine white for ceramics, terracotta and standard grey for what have you.
Fill nail and screw holes, mold bits missing from picture frame decoration, fill cracks and so on. After a time and before it has dried it can be treated to show age or grain and it takes colour. Dries very hard and stays put.
I hope whover told you that was kidding. Bondo and humidity are disastrous in combination.
I'd never consider Bondo for anything involving wood. The stuff is a boatbuilder's nightmare because a lot of it was used back when other polyester resins were popular and epoxy wasn't as common. The same problems that occur in boats would apply to a piece of furniture left in unheated storage.
Bondo is hygroscopic yet doesn't emit water vapor as fast as it absorbs it. Once wood gets to 20% EMC beneath Bondo, it rots while you watch. Epoxy OTOH, seems to pass water both ways and you don't see the rot involving epoxy you do with Bondo.
Old Bondo is also hard as a rock and very difficult to remove.
“When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for; and let us think...that a time is to come when those (heirlooms) will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, ‘See! This our father did for us.’ “ --John Ruskin.
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