using Rondo
- Thread starter Gijohn
- Start date
UkkosTrombone
Member
I too have questions about rondo. What are you working on? I'm wondering about using it on EVA foam.
UkkosTrombone
Member
Rondo is a mix of Bondo and fiberglass resin. I’ve never used it, but it is supposed to create a really solid finish. I’ve been wondering if it would be cool on eva foam helmets or props.
Rondo is polyester body filler mixed with polyester resin to create something runnier than body filler, but thicker than gel coat.
The final properties will depend on the type/brand of body filler, and to a lesser extent, the resin. If you use the cheap Bondo-brand filler, the harder to sand and more crumbly it will be. If you mix a higher grade body filler with the resin, like Evercoat Metal Glaze, the final product will have better flexibility and sandability.
I would abandon the use of smelly polyester-based fillers and resins altogether, though. The future is here, and it is epoxy. Mix odorless room-temperature-cure epoxy laminating resin (not the thick smell stuff you get in tubes at stores) with a filler powder such as West Systems 404 High Density Filler (essentially powdered calcium carbonate) and you'll have an epoxy gel coat, or filler paste (with more powder used) that will be strong, flexible, and WON'T SMELL. Add microballoons and/or talc powder to increase sandability.
jaolinquo
New Member
I'll second this. Been using epoxies with various fillers for years. You can get different properties depending on what you add, it's far safer to use (with the proper safety equipment), and won't stink up your space with toxic fumes.
UkkosTrombone
Member
When you say Epoxy, you mean something like this?
http://a.co/8j0udSj
- - - Updated - - -
Also, could I make a helmet out of EVA foam, then give it a couple coats of this Epoxy to make it look and feel a bit more "real?"
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UkkosTrombone
Member
Oops, how do I delete a post?
I tried a rondo mix many years ago and found that it suffered from considerable shrinkage during curing. There's really nothing to recommend it over a conventional gelcoat except ease of availability if you are unable to order stuff online. But since you're here, that seems unlikely.
It's worth mentioning that epoxy is much more adhesive than polyester, and using it will shorten the life of your moulds considerably. You will also need a fibreglass mat that is designed for use with epoxy. Also it's considerably more expensive. It's great and all, but it does have its own set of cons.
It's worth mentioning that epoxy is much more adhesive than polyester, and using it will shorten the life of your moulds considerably. You will also need a fibreglass mat that is designed for use with epoxy. Also it's considerably more expensive. It's great and all, but it does have its own set of cons.
Yep. Don't know anything about that brand, but that's the stuff.
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UkkosTrombone
Member
Thanks, I’ll give it a shot!
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