Bondo is a

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include natural ...

putty 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 (typically those using linseed oil) slowly polymerise and be ...

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. The term Bondo is trademarked by 3M, but is commonly used to refer to any brand of automotive repair putty due to its popularity. It is also used by

sculptors Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

History

Before the 1950s, body solder was often used to repair large imperfections prior to painting in both new cars and vehicle repair shops.

Solder Solder (; NA: ) is a fusible metal alloy used to create a permanent bond between metal workpieces. Solder is melted in order to wet the parts of the joint, where it adheres to and connects the pieces after cooling. Metals or alloys suitable ...

repairs were conducted using a flame and wooden paddles covered in

tallow Tallow is a rendering (industrial), rendered form of beef or mutton fat, primarily made up of triglycerides. In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton fat. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain techn ...

or motor oil, which prevented the half-molten

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

from sticking. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, automotive panels became thinner and larger, with a greater susceptibility to warping, making hot solder unsuitable. The earliest 'plastic solder' can be traced to around 1940, a

do-it-yourself "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...

solution to panel beating. This gave the consumer the ability to attempt reasonably priced and long lasting repairs. These early fillers were

epoxy Epoxy is the family of basic components or cured end products of epoxy resins. Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. The epoxide functional group is also coll ...

-based and one part, drying by out gassing. Originally, the plastic fillers performed badly compared to solder, but later improvements addressed this. Bondo, a two-part (

resin In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on natu ...

with hardener added) mix of talc and plastic, was introduced in 1955. It was developed by WWII veteran and automotive repair shop owner Robert Merton Spink of

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. Bondo was acquired by 3M in 2007.Staff, aftermarketNews. (2007, November 7). 3M to Acquire Bondo Corp. AftermarketNews. https://www.aftermarketnews.com/3m-to-acquire-bondo-corp/

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bondo (Putty) 3M brands Brand name materials Automotive technologies Polyesters