Bondo on machine tools?

[strantor]

I'm refurbishing my old Lagun CNC and while sanding off a few layers of bad paint jobs, I started sanding into what looks like bondo. I guess that makes sense; castings aren't perfect and filling them in with Bondo is logical. But how common is that? Does it mean anything? Do all the machine tool manufacturers do that? Or is it a sign of a "nice" machine, that they would take the time to fill in aesthetic imperfections on something so utilitarian?

 

[Chips O'Toole]

I just built an arbor press stand, and I'm seriously considering putting some Bondo on it. It's easier than learning how to make beautiful welds.

 

[FOMOGO]

Pretty common across the board. If it's solid, leave it in place and add to it to get the finish that you want. Mike

 

[Cadillac]

I don't know if it's exactly bondo but yes just about every machine tool will have fillers to smooth out the casting to some degree.

 

[MontanaLon]

Bondo or some other filler. Many of the machines made during WWII were given a "war finish" which lacked filler and in many cases were only given a cursory coat of paint in order to slow down the rust. The gear cover on my South Bend is a rough casting with no effort going in to making it look pretty. In the long run the bondo really does nothing to make the machine work better, it just makes it look better which is entirely in the eyes of the beholder.

 

[strantor]

I just built an arbor press stand, and I'm seriously considering putting some Bondo on it. It's easier than learning how to make beautiful welds.

Learning to make beautiful welds is fun though; why would you deprive yourself?

 

[strantor]

Pretty common across the board. If it's solid, leave it in place and add to it to get the finish that you want. Mike

Yeah I considered doing that and now that it's painted, I wish I had. Hammertone paint doesn't disguise gnarly topography nearly as well as I'd hoped. I'm just going to live with it though. I'm to lazy to redo it and too eager to put the machine to use.

 

[MikeInOr]

I don't think I have ever stripped a big casting for repainting that didn't have some filler on it. They almost always end up with more filler than they started with by the time I am done. Bondo is great stuff!!! It also does a fantastic job on wood working projects that are going to be painted.

I built a shelf to raise our washing machine and dryer 18" off the floor 15 years ago and filled in all the joints and imperfectons with the cheap Bondo. 15 years of a washing machine bouncing on top of the plywood shelf and it doesn't even show a hairline crack.