Bondo (putty)
{{Short description|Automotive body filler brand}}
{{Infobox brand
| name = Bondo
| logo = Bondo putty logo.svg
| logo_upright =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption = 3M's Bondo logo
| image =
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption =
| producttype = Automotive body filler
| currentowner =
| producedby = 3M
| country =
| introduced = 1955
| discontinued =
| related =
| markets =
| previousowners =
| trademarkregistrations =
| ambassadors =
| tagline =
| website =
| module =
| module1 =
}}
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.{{cite web |last1=DePass |first1=Dee |title=Innovation Manufacturing; 3M Offers Easier Way to Bring the Shine Back to Headlights; the Kit Is Made for Do-It-Yourselfers to Use on Any Car. No Tools Needed |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-420137955.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914022509/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-420137955.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 September 2018 |website= |publisher=Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) |accessdate=13 September 2018 |date=28 June 2015 |quote=3M is well known for ... Its abrasives and metal-smoothing Bondo putties are standard in wreck repair shops nationwide.}}{{cite web |title=Bondo finds second life in NASCAR garages |url=https://autoweek.com/article/nascar-sprint-cup/bondo-finds-second-life-nascar-garages |website=Autoweek |accessdate=13 September 2018}} The term Bondo is trademarked by 3M, but is commonly used to refer to any brand of automotive repair putty due to its popularity.{{cite book |last1=Breitenstein |first1=Jeff |title=Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary: A-Bombs to Zoomies |publisher=MotorBooks International |isbn=9781610592352 |pages=30 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OtKWmLLiuTgC&pg=PA30 |accessdate=14 September 2018 |language=en |quote=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.}}{{cite web |title=Bondo |url=http://directory.designnews.com/bondo-comp231711.html |website=directory.designnews.com |accessdate=13 September 2018 |language=en}} It is also used by sculptors.[https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-199087225 "Bronze Studio Thrives."]{{dl|date=July 2021}} The Register Guard (Eugene, OR). McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 2009. 14 September 2018. ("In 1992, when he was working at an auto body repair shop, he began sculpting with Bondo, the putty used to fill in dents, He entered an early sculpture into the Lane County Fair, where it took first place.")
History
Before the 1950s, body solder was often used to repair large imperfections prior to painting{{cite book |last1=Tilton |first1=John E. |title=Material Substitution: Lessons from Tin-Using Industries |date=2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317312031 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0i9EDwAAQBAJ&q=lead+body+solder+-product+-sale+-buy+-blog+-forum+-chat&pg=PT137 |accessdate=14 September 2018 |language=en}} in both new cars and vehicle repair shops. 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. 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.
Bondo, a two-part mix (resin with hardener added) of talc and plastic, was introduced in 1955.{{cite book |last1=Duffy |first1=James E. |title=Auto Body Repair Technology |date=2014 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=9781305176447 |pages=367 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d6LvAwAAQBAJ&q=1940+plastic+body+solder+-product+-sale+-buy+-blog+-forum+-chat&pg=PA367 |accessdate=14 September 2018 |language=en}} It was developed by WWII veteran and automotive repair shop owner Robert Merton Spink of Miami, Florida.{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/news-journalonline/obituary.aspx?n=robert-merton-spink&pid=145769198 |title= Robert Merton Spink > Obituary |publisher=legacy.com |date=2010-10-04 |accessdate=2014-03-26}} Bondo was acquired by 3M in 2007.{{Cite web |date=November 7, 2007 |title=3M to Acquire Bondo Corp |url=https://www.aftermarketnews.com/3m-to-acquire-bondo-corp/ |access-date=28 May 2024 |website=aftermarketnews.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/bondo-us/}}
{{3M}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bondo (Putty)}}