Hi
Looking for products readily available in Australia for filling scratches on foils.
Have seen a few overseas tutorials that mention Bondo compound, any equivalent in the Aus market? Also that Blue Planet video that uses a low halogen marker pen, any Aus equivalent?
Thanks
Im not in Australia, but the non-branded term for the product I use to fill scratches is "glazing putty" or "glazing compound". Maybe if you search around for that you will find an equivalent.
For what its worth, bondo makes a few products and for the type of non structural surface repairs it sounds like you are looking to do, you want their light compounds (glazing), versus some of the thicker / heavier filler products.
Haven't used it myself but this was recommended on another thread, available from Officeworks,
www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/sakura-solid-marker-black-xpxsc49
Depends how deep your scratches are. I used superglue on mine (as I had it anyway). Came out really good. I heard you could thicken the super glue with baking powder or such likes, I didn't bother.
People have used superglue and bicarb soda together. Either sprinkle the bicarb then wet out with superglue, or fill the hole with superglue and sprinkle on the bicarb. The bicarb isn't just a filler. There's a chemical reaction that speeds up the setting of the glue and makes it stronger.
I've always used PC-11 and PC-7 epoxy paste. You can buy it from Bunnings. PC-11 is white and soft like toothpaste. PC-7 is dark grey and a bit thicker. I used PC-11 to rebuild the smashed tip of a foil and rode it for 3 years before I did a full repair with carbon and vacuum and all the stuff.
Both are easy to apply and can be smoothed with a finger damped with metho, or even water works well. Let it set for a bit before you smooth it. You can tape over it for a poor man's vacuum job.
Both are easy to sand. Depending on the repair I have painted foils with rattle can paint, mostly Dulux Duramax. It's cheap, dries fast and lasts pretty well. I like to use it as a sacrificial layer that I can sand without rubbing away the carbon of the foil.
If you use a putty that is a different colour than the foil you end up having to paint it. JBWeld Marine is a 2 part epoxy putty that is soft like toothpaste and is light grey - if it isn't in your local hardware store ebay or amazon usually stock it. ( I sometimes use superglue gel with charcoal ground to a powder, it's a very low cost solution and seems to last forever )
You should discover the joy of UV-cured gel resins (e.g: Solarez, Dura Rezn, ...) with an UV lamp.
Being able to take as much time as you want to fill the scratch properly and remove the extra resin on the side, and in seconds, when you are ready cure it with the UV lamp is a game changer for plenty of repairs (ask dentists!). And UV lamps are quite cheap nowadays.
Be wary however that:
- each resin has a specific UV wavelength for curing. Just ask the maker. For Solarez 385nm, for Dura Rezn 395nm
- you cannot add black pigments or lots of glass (fibers or microspheres) to it: light must penetrate the resin to cure it, and glass is opaque to UVs. Solarez and others have glass fibers in them, but not enough to cut all the light.
- you must work indoors or out of sunlight. Glass windows protect from UVs.
- you must cover the resin with tape or film non-UV-opaque during curing, otherwise the surface of the resin will combine to the oxygen of the air and form a sticky layer.
Sharpie pen. Then clean excess with acetone. Then, Superglue and powdered graphite.
I used to mess around with superglue, resin and stuff, but since I found this one, I don't use anything else. It's very easy and quick.
Bondo spotting putty. Comes premixed in a squeeze tube. Easy to apply, quick curing, and easy to sand flush. Only down side is that it is red -so follow up with a sharpie or paint.
Don't use it on your board or anything else with a styrene core as it will dissolve the foam.
