[pimpbot]

Hey all,

I've started doing a low-rent repaint of a Stumpjumper I got for my wife. I'm in the process of prepping the frame for a rattle-can finish. So far, I've sanded a bunch of the frame down, and smoothed it out, and I'm getting ready to hit it with primer. There are a few places where there is some gouging of the alu tubing, like chainsuck areas, and where the previous owner hung a chain and lock around the seat and top tube. There are a few minor gouges and a slight dent or two here and there.

How well will something like Bondo work as a filler for these areas? Will it stick well enough, and if the frame flexes, will it crack and chip out?

In reality, my wife will probably only ride the thing maybe 100 miles in the next few years. She weighs about 105, and is not going to huck anything, so maybe flex isn't really an issue.

I just want it to look like a smooth pro finish. I got a nice finish when I did this on my Trek SS, but I didn't fill any of the gouges.

Second question: When applying factory stickers, do you just apply them over the last color coat, then cover the whole thing in many layers of clear coat?

 

[Krause]

Dont use bondo it very well could chip out if it flexes ;/

Just sand/file down the areas that have the guges so there are no burs, and then just paint over it. Its not worth tryin to smoth out cause if it does chip out later it might take some paint off the other surrounding areas with it.

 

[lebikerboy]

I was sand blasting a friends Rocky Mountain frame for paint prep and guess what I found filling a small dimple in the right seat stay...you guessed it Bondo. Looks like even the bike manufacturers use it to make everything appear smooth.

 

[LyNx]

Don't know about bondo and spray can jobs, but I do know about proper 2 pk automotive paint. For the 2pk paint there's a spray filler/primer you can use just for such stuff, just spray it on thick where there's dents and sand down.

 

[kevin6s]

It depends on how hard the bike will be riden. Eventually vibrations will knock the Bondo out. It happens a lot on cars, people use Bondo and it falls out after normal road use (or a huge pothole).