Challenge budget ruling on bodo

So im doing bodywork. I suck at this. At least 1/2 of tje filler i apply is sanded right back off. Do i count the while gallin, or pro-rate to 1/2?

Sorry, I'm sitting here at an event laughing.

No answer, but thanks for the comedic thread.

You're welcome. I think.

I remember this very idea in a thread long long time ago.

Prorate. It basically went to the same idea as, "You budget what is on/in the car when it's being used."

Dusterbd13 wrote: You're welcome. I think.

It's still awesome that you are doing a challenge car. One that I don't remember being there before.

But the question is like if you are a crappyy painter and sand 3/4 off to get a good finish. Wait, exactly the same...

Unless you have a precise way to quantify 1/2, I think you're stuck with it.
If you weighed a bit of bondo before and after curing to establish any weight loss during curing, and then you weighed the part, applied bondo, let it cure, sanded, weighed again, did some math to establish the percentage of origional bondo remaining, figure out how much that would have been pre-cured per ounce and then.......I'm pretty sure if you go through all that then someone will get lost in your equations and allow it.

I'm betting that bondo doesn't lose any weight during cure. If it was "air cured", then I would say that there may be measurable loss, but it's a two part system, where you add a catalyst to make the curing happen. Probably not much loss in that reaction.

I love how we can overengineer everything here.

By the same argument, we should be able to reduce our budget for paint, because 70% or more of the vehicle, binder, etc evaporates and is therefore not on the car as presented at the Challenge.

But I really think you are over thinking it!

In reply to Dusterbd13:

Just put a fresh trash bag into the trashcan, use it only for your sanding dust you sweep up, and weigh it when done. Weigh the can of bondo vs. its original weight, then subtract the weight of your sanding dust from the portion used.

Im doing this outsude in the gravel. So theres nothing to sweep up....

Sounds like i need to count the whole gallon. Thanks guys.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

No, I think the guidelines are pretty clear- if it's not on the car at the Challenge, it does not have to be in the budget.

So in theory, yes you can reduce your budget by the amount you remove.

The problem is that you are going to have to make a credible case for how you came to the determination.

I think it would be fairly amusing.

Yeah, we've allowed pro-rating for stuff like zip ties, but don't go overboard and start pro-rating bulk Koni shocks from a lot of 5,000 or anything crazy.

As far as pro-rating bondo–go for it. PLEASE. I want to see detailed formulas, sample weights per unit of volume cured and uncured, etc. Over engineer this and give me an interesting story for our readers.

Now I'm wondering what I can make out of bondo dust to prove wheels777 wrong. Sweep it up, mix it with a little binder, make a shift knob? Christmas ornaments?

Cup holder?

Hmm... can you save money by porting?

i just had a stroke of genius. Or a regular stroke. One or the other I'm sure.

wheels777 wrote:

mazdeuce wrote: Now I'm wondering what I can make out of bondo dust to prove wheels777 wrong. Sweep it up, mix it with a little binder, make a shift knob? Christmas ornaments?

Go for it. I am going to keep working on our challenge cat.

Meow.

I'm taking a break and we're taking the kids exploring to the old subway downtown. Then when i get home i'm getting all mathematical with my materials before i start applying anything

Here's another thought about accounting for it... although it's more work.

Go to the thrift store a pick up a small soccer ball (unless you already have one). Then use a 1 ft by 1 ft square of t-shirt and two of mat and build up a 1sqft fender example. Weigh it before bondo-ing. Then bondo it, weighing along the way... they we can measure up the the fenders and use the weight of the test piece to figure things out.

This you'll only work if you have metal behind it but take a piece of sheet metal of similar gauge and steel. Apply varring thicknesses of bonds and let dry. Use a magnet and a fish scale to determine pull force on the various thicknesses. Extrapolate depth of bondo on the car from pull tests performed on car. Use the lowest pull number as your average over a given area to be fair and calculate the volume of bondo from the depth and area. Back calculate that against what percentage of the can it is and you can then calculate the $$$$$$

You can even run pull tests for the judges just remember to use the came magnet and scale otherwise you will have to re calibrate another magnet to the fish scale. Or bring your test sheet and show the judges the calibration test as well.

There's an eclipse coming!

Surely we can device a method that includes the calculations of the reduced gravitational pull of the sun when blocked by the moon, or something, right??

There is going to be an eclipse during the challenge??? Well that changes everything

Sell the Bondo dust to druggies, a baggie at a time. Deduction!

As long as it is accounted for somehow, I would allow it. Thing is, I would have kept quiet until I got to the event; its one of those things that has enough sheer genius that it would sail through on merit alone. More power to you if you can do it with the high build primer and MIG wire.

To do this properly, you need to weigh a standard portion of mixed filler before and after it dries.

I tend to agree with Wheels777 on this one. Once it's out of the can, it is "spent" and can't be used again.