 3M's Bondo logo | |
| Product type | Automotive body filler |
|---|---|
| Produced by | 3M |
| Introduced | 1955 |
Bondo is a polyester putty product originally marketed as an automotive body filler. Nowadays the brand name is used by 3M for a line of American-made products for automotive, marine and household repairs. [1] [2] The term Bondo is trademarked by 3M, but is commonly used to refer to any brand of automotive repair putty due to its popularity. [3] [4] It is also used by sculptors. [5]
Before the 1950s, body solder was often used to repair large imperfections prior to painting [6] in both new cars and vehicle repair shops. [6] Solder repairs were conducted using a flame and wooden paddles covered in tallow or motor oil, which prevented the half-molten lead from sticking.
After World War II, automotive panels became thinner and larger, with a greater susceptibility to warping, making hot solder unsuitable. [7] The earliest 'plastic solder' can be traced to around 1940, a do-it-yourself solution to panel beating. This gave the consumer the ability to attempt reasonably priced and long lasting repairs. These early fillers were epoxy-based and one-part, drying by outgassing. Originally, the plastic fillers performed badly compared to solder, but later improvements addressed this. [7]
Bondo, a two-part mix (resin with hardener added) of talc and plastic, was introduced in 1955. [7] It was developed by WWII veteran and automotive repair shop owner Robert Merton Spink of Miami, Florida. [8] Bondo was acquired by 3M in 2007. [9]
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited is a Canadian retail company which operates in the automotive, hardware, sports, leisure and housewares sectors. Its Canadian operations include: Canadian Tire, Mark's, FGL Sports, PartSource, and the Canadian operations of Party City. Canadian Tire acquired the Norwegian clothing and textile company Helly Hansen from the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in 2018.
The automotive aftermarket is the secondary parts market of the automotive industry, concerned with the manufacturing, remanufacturing, distribution, retailing, and installation of all vehicle parts, chemicals, equipment, and accessories, after the sale of the automobile by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to the consumer. The parts, accessories, etc. for sale may or may not be manufactured by the OEM.
AutoZone, Inc. is an American retailer of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories, the largest in the United States. Founded in 1979, AutoZone has 7,014 stores across the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil and the US Virgin Islands. The company is based in Memphis, Tennessee.
Putty is a material with high plasticity, similar in texture to clay or dough, typically used in domestic construction and repair as a sealant or filler. Although some types of putty slowly polymerise and become stiff, many putties can be reworked indefinitely, in contrast to other types of filler which typically set solid relatively rapidly.
Pep Boys is an American automotive aftermarket service chain. Originally named Pep Auto Supply, the company was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1921 by Emanuel "Manny" Rosenfeld, Maurice "Moe" Strauss, W. Graham "Jack" Jackson, and Moe Radavitz. Pep Boys is headquartered in the Philadelphia suburb of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
The J-B Weld Company is an international company that produces epoxy products. The home office is based in Sulphur Springs, Texas. J-B Weld is the name of their flagship product: a specialized, high-temperature epoxy adhesive for use in bonding materials together. The company has run advertisements showing engine block repair with J-B Weld.
An auto mechanic is a mechanic who services and repairs automobiles, sometimes specializing in one or more automobile brands or sometimes working with any brand. In fixing cars, their main role is to diagnose and repair the problem accurately and quickly. Seasoned auto repair shops start with a (Digital) Inspection to determine the vehicle conditions, independent of the customers concern. Based on the concern, the inspection results and preventative maintenance needs, the mechanic/technician returns the findings to the service advisor who then gets approval for any or all of the proposed work. The approved work will be assigned to the mechanic on a work order. Their work may involve the repair of a specific part or the replacement of one or more parts as assemblies. Basic vehicle maintenance is a fundamental part of a mechanic's work in modern industrialized countries, while in others they are only consulted when a vehicle is already showing signs of malfunction.
Trak Auto Corporation was an American retail chain specializing in automotive parts and accessories based in Landover, Maryland. Founded by Robert Haft in 1979, at its peak in 1993 it operated 333 stores around the United States under the Trak Auto, Super Trak, and Super Trak Warehouse concepts. A declining market, stiff competition, and management problems led to a steep decline and bankruptcy, with its remaining stores acquired by and converted to Advance Auto Parts in 2002.
Carquest Corporation is an American automotive parts distribution network that is currently owned and operated by Advance Auto Parts via independent retailers associated with the network. As of October 4, 2014 Advance operated 5,305 stores, 109 Worldpac branches. Advance Auto Parts and Carquest Auto Parts employs approximately 75,000 employees.
A lead sled is a standard production automobile with a body heavily modified in particular ways(see below); especially, though not exclusively, a 1949, 1950, or 1951 model year Ford 'Shoebox' or Mercury Eight car. In the name, "lead" refers to the use of lead as a bodyfiller in early days, and "sled" refers to the lowering of the vehicle, giving these vehicles the appearance that they were "slip sliding" down the highway.
An automobile repair shop is an establishment where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and technicians. The customer interface is typically a service advisor, traditionally called a service writer.
Ziebart International Corporation is a privately owned corporation based in Troy, Michigan, and is the worldwide franchisor of the Ziebart brand of automotive aftermarket stores.
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is an American automotive aftermarket parts provider. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, it serves both professional installer and do it yourself (DIY) customers. As of July 13, 2019, Advance operated 4,912 stores and 150 Worldpac branches in the United States and Canada. The Company also serves 1,250 independently owned Carquest-branded stores in the U.S., Mexico, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and British Virgin Islands.
BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik AG is a high-performance automobile wheel design company headquartered in Schiltach, Germany. BBS produces wheels for motorsport, OEM, and aftermarket applications. The company is often credited as pioneering the three-piece wheel and advancing the aluminum wheel industry over many decades, and remains one of the largest producers of automobile wheels in the world.
Soudal is a Belgian company whose headquarters is located in Turnhout (Belgium). The company has developed into one of the most important independent producers of silicone and caulks, polyurethane-foams, and adhesives in Europe.
Bathtub refinishing also known as bathtub resurfacing is the process of refreshing the surface of a worn or damaged bathtub to a like-new condition. This process starts by accessing the damages that the bathtub currently has and determining what repairs need to be made. Some things that help determine if the bathtub needs to be repaired is if it has chips and cracks, rust, corrosion or does not hold water anymore. If a bathtub has serious rust or corrosion than the bathtub most likely can not be repaired properly, and it should be replaced. If the bathtub is not holding water and has chips or cracks you can repair these issues using Bondo or another type of polyester putty.After bondo or polyester putty is used on the bathtub the surface is prepped with an acid etching. Etching and wet sanding provide mechanical adhesion and clean the surface. Porcelain, enamel, and fiberglass tubs are non-porous and do not provide a good substrate for the new coating to attach to. Etching the surface provides a porous surface that will allow proper adhesion. Another possible method is to apply an adhesion-promoting bonding agent like silane to the surface before applying the coating. The two methods can be used in unison or independently. The greatest adhesion is generally achieved by using both methods together however, some newer refinishing processes claim they do not require the use of etching, by relying on silane alone.
Body solder is a type of solder used to smooth the surface of automobile bodies before painting. It has been largely supplanted by polyester body fillers, such as Bondo, and others, but many purists and auto customizers continue to use body solder, asserting that it bonds better to sheet metal, feels better, wears better, resists higher temperatures, and can be powder coated or otherwise chemically plated.
Soldering is a process of joining two metal surfaces together using a filler metal called solder. The soldering process involves heating the surfaces to be joined and melting the solder, which is then allowed to cool and solidify, creating a strong and durable joint.
Bolt On Technology is an American business-to-business software development company based in Southampton, Pennsylvania, that designs, develops and sells add-on software for the automotive aftermarket industry in North America.
Akemi GmbH is a company in the chemical industry which is active worldwide. Its headquarters are in Nuremberg in Germany and its core competence is the manufacturing of two-component adhesive systems. The chemical-technical specialist factory manufactures adhesives, fillers as well as cleaning and care products for the natural stone sector. In addition, it produces fillers and repair materials, sealants, protective coatings, varnishes as well as cleaning and car care products for the automotive branch.
3M is well known for ... Its abrasives and metal-smoothing Bondo putties are standard in wreck repair shops nationwide.
Bondo (BON-doe) n. Any polyester-based auto body filler. The extreme popularity of the Bondo brand has led to its name being used in a generic manner.
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