BONDO VERSUS MILLIPUT

Jestermon · Post by **Jestermon** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 1:44 am

Hi, I need to buy putty and do not want to use the greenstuff I have finally exausted the supply of, Is milliput essentially the same? and is bondo a stand in for both? Is grey bondo in the tubes any different then the red? I need to fill large areas of small but deep holes, and reinforce small joints on the leg/crotchular region of a character I have already used plastic weld on thanks.

Umi_Ryuzuki · Post by **Umi_Ryuzuki** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 3:14 am

Bondo is often a polyester based resin product.
It will attack and melt down styrene and foam.

Be sure to test it on some scrap and let it sit over night before applying it to a styrene model.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 4:44 am

Miliput was a really excellent putty for sculpting, back in 1989. It has since been dethroned by materials that are far superior. I don't know about the Bondo in the grey tube. Red Bondo spotting and glazing putty is not bad for filling in minor surface defects and scratches. It isn't designed to fill in large areas, or build up structures, although most people try it anyway. Bondo body filler is excellent for this, (comes in a big can of stinky grey polyester resin, with a little squeeze tube of red catalyst). Build up large details with Bondo body putty, sculpt to shape, then smear on Bondo spot putty to fill in the body putty's slightly grainy, porous texture.

Or use Aves and throw all your other putties in the trash. Once you start using Aves you'll never want to look at them again.

sci-fi-bldr · Post by **sci-fi-bldr** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:09 pm

crotchular ........my new favorite word

eeun · Post by **eeun** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 12:41 pm

I've found Bondo to be a great quick and dirty tool for building up areas and skinning shapes. It's easy to carve to shape before it's completely cured, and can be tooled after curing.
I used it to skin over rough shapes to create the gun and top bits on my (still) unfinished Dorvack model:
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/vie ... id=3740567

The cons are, the vapour is toxic and stinky, it attacks certain materials, and doesn't stick to others.

Aves. Easy to work with, with all the benefits of Bondo, and none of the disadvantages. No bad odour, non-toxic. Heaven.

With apologies to ST-TNG: Those who knew Aves, loved it. Those who did not know Aves...loved it, from afar."
Hmmm...that character's name was Dr. Ira Graves, wasn't it?

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 3:12 am

Umi_Ryuzuki wrote:Bondo is often a polyester based resin product.
It will attack and melt down styrene and foam.

Be sure to test it on some scrap and let it sit over night before applying it to a styrene model.

Depends on which Bondo. Some Bondo's lacquer-based, other is two-part resin stuff. Both will etch styrene at a minimum.

Lacquer-based Bondo (in the tube) is the same stuff as Squadron in the tube. But better. But, NEITHER are for anything remotely structural.

From the Book of Aves:

"Do not be swooned by the monkey god Bondo. He tempts you with fast drying times, and a smooth finish. Lo, he that useth it shall have his house crumble under its own weight, and his sons shall wail and wear sackcloth for its sake. Bondo, you see, is for thy wounds, and thy cracks, and thy neighbors' cracks, and nothing else. Know ye this day Aves, for Aves is what ye should buildeth thy sculpts, models, plowshares and homes from. Aves, shall not forsaketh thy workbench. Use Bondo, and thy models shall be haunted by sex mad babboons."

~ II Sandings 9:16

Kenny

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 5:08 am

There you go again, disparaging sex maddened babboons. Give 'em a break, I say.

red5angel · Post by **red5angel** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 3:08 pm

ok this is exactly the kind of discussion I was looking for.

Currently I'm working with floral foam (the really easy to carve green and brown stuff) and then coating it in bondo. It works, but I'm running into a problem with sanding and so I'm looking for something that goes on a little more smoothly then bondo. I keep seeing recommendations for Aves, but when I went to my local hobby store there were several different kinds. Is there a specific kind you guys are using?

Jason

Post by **TER-OR** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:28 pm

Apoxie Sculpt is the product to which Kenny the Believer refers.

It may be rolled into thin sheets and cladded to your foam. Polyurethane rollers are found at places like Michael's which carries candy making supplies. That and cornstarch are all you'll need to roll out thin layers of epoxy putty, which may be laid upon the surface of your foam master and manipulated until you're happy. Mix it, let it stand for 30 min before rolling - then treat it like a pie crust. You may rinse the cornstarch off with water, if you desire - which will make the epoxy tacky again.

or...

The epoxy shell may be removed from your foam master when using this method - allowing you to have a hollow model for whatever reasons you desire such a thing. I would reinforce the interior with epoxy ribs, as a thin layer of epoxy is susceptable to cracking as it deforms. If you leave it on the foam, it will be very strong. Don't remove the cornstarch if you're planning to do this technique.

You can thin it with alcohol and spread it like any other putty. Use a little water to smooth the surface. The epoxy will absorb a bit of water, so don't be alarmed if it looks a bit gooey, it will cure very smooth.

REL · Post by **REL** » Sat May 20, 2006 11:58 am

I use bondo for sculpting and skinning. I use the two part mixture to cover two part polyurethane foam, I've never had any issues with bondo eating away the styrene or the foam.

My suggestion would be to mix the bondo a little cooler than what's recommended. Not so much catalyst.

It's cheap, sets up fast, can be shaped while it's curing. I've talked to several professional model makers that use it the same way.

If you doubt me look at the results of poly foam covered in bondo, with styrene plating.

http://sovereignreplicas.com/color.jpg
http://www.sovereignreplicas.com/mp.htm

razorwyre1 · Post by **razorwyre1** » Sat May 20, 2006 1:23 pm

jestermon: milliput, bondo, and "the green stuff" are completely different things...

as has been said, milliput was the preferred epoxie putty for sculptors until aves apoxie sculpt and apoxie clay came along. chemically they are very similar, but the aves materiel is more consistant and easier to use. also it doesnt heat up in large masses as it sets like bondo does.

thats not to say that bondo doenst have its uses (by the way rel, the reason that th bondo isnt eating your foam is that its urethane foam. bondo wont touch that stuff at all. styrofoam on the other hand will melt instantly), but judging from your application, id definatly go with aves over bondo.