Could Use Some Advice on Fillers

[albergsailor]

Typing on tablet cuz cpu is broke forgive my shortness but i hae a cuple questions about what filler to use above the waterline. As i stated before im not the biggest fan of west system filler. I have a feeling the filler "watertite epoxy filler(i forget who makes it) will be very expensive for a small amount. then i started thinking hey bondo makes a long hair filler, its green. Ive used that a ton on cars and i love the stuff. so what im wondering is has anyone ever used this stuff above the waterline or is thier a similar product that works just like it thats maybe more suitable for boats?

[atoll]

stay away from bondo fiberglass filler with fiberglass strands in it as a filler!

better to use a normal car body filler above the water line,sands easily,goes off quick,just overcoat with an primer appropriate for the top coat

[albergsailor]

Normal bondo? hmm. Thats good to know. Im looking for a filler that will add strength since my boat is really banged up. On my last project I was using 407 which i noticed on the box today is a low density easy sanding filler. No wonder why i didnt like it. And when it got wet it really didnt hold up well. So maybe i just need to try 406 or 404 ect. I really need to just start on this project lol

[toddedger]

Try 3M premium marine filler. You can put it on thin and recoat without sanding. gets hard enough to sand in 15 minutes. It's made out of vinyl ester resin. Much easier to work with. They also make a high strength with glass fibers in it, though much harder to sand then the regular premium.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by toddedger

Try 3M premium marine filler. You can put it on thin and recoat without sanding. gets hard enough to sand in 15 minutes. It's made out of vinyl ester resin. Much easier to work with. They also make a high strength with glass fibers in it, though much harder to sand then the regular premium.

+1

[atoll]

Originally Posted by albergsailor

Normal bondo? hmm. Thats good to know. Im looking for a filler that will add strength since my boat is really banged up. On my last project I was using 407 which i noticed on the box today is a low density easy sanding filler. No wonder why i didnt like it. And when it got wet it really didnt hold up well. So maybe i just need to try 406 or 404 ect. I really need to just start on this project lol

if it is structural,rather than cosmetic epoxy is the way to go,but for minor ding's body filler works fine and is 10 times faster to work with than epoxy and a quarter of the price

[toddedger]

Atoll is right! Never use anything but epoxy for something that is structural. Epoxy has a superior chemical bond, and if you need to thicken the epoxy for something structural use 403 filler. What ever the case if you don't properly abaid the surface first to give the bond some tooth you're just wasting time and money.

[spraygun]

Here is a picture of that green stuff made by Evercoat it is top quality. I use it all the time. It's Short Strand fiber glass and Kevlar reinforced body filler. Just look at the Evercoat part number 100- 632. It will tell you all you want to know.

[Butler]

I use System Three and always have plenty around. when I need a filler I use diatomaceous(sp?) earth from OSH $10.00 for 10 lbs. Silica skeletons from tiny marine critters and used as a filtration medium for pools because they are not simple structures and create the "tortured path" good for trapping dirt. I figured this structure would also make for stronger putty. So far, over two years of use this has worked well for me. Oh. added bonus is that it does fly away so easily when using it as does the colloidal silica. It starts out grey and cures to a dirty blond. There are pics of the cured putty in my maintenance album on Molly B.

[Azul]

ADTECH Plastic Systems

Check it out at Boatworks Today

I couldn't find Adtech P14 without ordering it, so I used Evercoat. It's what most of the local boat builders use and the only brand the local marine supplier stocks. Mix up only a tiny amount until you get used to working with it, and less hardener than it says on the can or it will set almost immediately. A small can goes a long way.

[minaret]

Duraglass blows Everglass away. It's been around much longer, Everglass is just a cheap imitation of it.




USC Duraglas Fiberglass Body Filler Putty - Gallon : Amazon.com : Automotive

[minaret]

Originally Posted by toddedger

Atoll is right! Never use anything but epoxy for something that is structural. Epoxy has a superior chemical bond, and if you need to thicken the epoxy for something structural use 403 filler. What ever the case if you don't properly abaid the surface first to give the bond some tooth you're just wasting time and money.

This is silly, I build large structural mods in poly all the time.

[spraygun]

Duraglas is an awesome product. I started using that long before Evercoat was more readily available. Evercoat can be bought at any auto paint store. The Evercoat product was designed back in the day to repair wooden boats. So at the very least it should be given its due. At the end of the day they're pretty much the same product.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by spraygun

Duraglas is an awesome product. I started using that long before Evercoat was more readily available. Evercoat can be bought at any auto paint store. The Evercoat product was designed back in the day to repair wooden boats. So at the very least it should be given its due. At the end of the day they're pretty much the same product.

Pretty close, but I find Duraglass to trowel on nicer and sand less gummy sooner. Strong as hell too. Everglass is what autobody guys use on top of newspaper to fill dents. They even use it to wet out glass!

[spraygun]

I hope I never go to a body shop that uses news papers to fill dents.