As The Wheel Turns: Not a Bondo-ing experience.

(Picture 1-mask at greenware Picture 2- mask after bisque)

I've used all sorts of adhesives from regular glue to fancy epoxy.  I've soldered copper and done mitered joints.  I've even used escutcheon pins which are tiny, rounded headed copper nails.  So, I'm no stranger to using hardware or hardware products in my art making.  

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I've heard about Bondo, an automotive repair material, for years from various artists as a great way to repair or reconstruct or form sections of sculptures.  When the nose blew off my recent mask, I decided it was time to give it a try.  Before getting into a large sculpting job, I decided to start small and I'm glad I did.

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This black porcelain mask cracked on the chin in such a way that my normal epoxy would fill it without leaving a shiny bump.  The white mask had a small crack on the right side which I could use one of my normal glues to fill but since I was going to experiment, I decided to use it as another test for Bondo.

It worked.  But I hated it.

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The fumes were instant and powerful.  I had to open all the windows in my studio just to work with it.  The first try filled the small crack fine.  The second try on the black mask became an instant bumpy mess that had to be ground down with a dremel tool. 

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I decided that using it to fix the cat mask nose would not work for me.  A large area would mean more smell.  It mixed up into a horrible pepto bismol pink.  And the speedy set up did not give me enough time to use it to re-sculpt the nose before it hardened into a bumpy, lumpy mess.

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The question from last time was - fix it or forget it?  The answer this time: Forget it.

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Bondo and I, regrettably, did not form a lasting bond.

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