True - a dust mask protects against dust - which is what I was working with. The putty men? Let's just say there were more than a few of those three-foot Patton "air mover" fans around the shop, and work didn't happen without the roll-up doors being at least half-open...I have a friend who once worked for a couple of weeks for a shady competitor to Bondo to do simple packing work, packing polyester-based auto body filler in boxes day in and day out, without respirator. He and his workmates got a headache every day, just from the fumes seeping out of the sealed tubes and tubs. A dust mask does not protect against fumes from cured body filler - you would need a proper respirator. I have used epoxy with colloidal silica (Cabosil) and microballoons with sometimes good results, depending on the mix. If you use too much epoxy to filler it gets difficult to sand. The curing time depends on the epoxy you use. You could use talcum powder as well. AFAIK, Bondo contains polyester resin, microballoons and talcum powder. Mind you, epoxy is also toxic, it just doesn't smell as bad.
I sometimes use that to create an "anchor" for softer filler or epoxy clay. Very useful on edges.noob talkin... for very limited amounts, I have seen that you can mix baking soda and superglue for filling cracks or pits?
Already seen and liked.I have used talc as an epoxy thickener, and it worked just fine. I don't use polyester based products in my shop if I can avoid it, and my go to epoxy is West Systems or any of the epoxy based wood fillers. Did a short video about it a while back:
...are glass bubbles the same thing as micro balloons? I think they call it that around here.