Soften Bondo?

Still working like a dog on the Baja, ran into a situation.....
Since the angle of the dash didn't match the angle of the plywood behind, someone, maybe orig. mfgr? put a few "globs" of what looks like (and smells like when ground) bondo.
I want to clean all that off and make sure the new backing plywood actually mates cleanly to the dash. This stuff is like rock, have been sanding but there's allot of it and allot of dust in a cramped area. Question is....
does anybody know of a way to soften this crap? I could keep grinding and sanding but it's slllllooooowwwww going and time is of the essence....101/2 months to the Rumble! or at the very least our camping trip to Instigators front yard!
Thanks Guys!

Scott,

I used to work at a body shop and I don't know of anything that will soften Bondo. A grinder or dremmel along with a shop vac held by the work area works great. Also chisels work well. Good luck!

I found that Berryman carb & choke cleaner will soften it up.

Industrial paint/epoxy removers will soften it, but only the surface. Would take many coats to work the way you want. Anything that will soften a polyester filler will also soften and damage your gel coat and glass resin.

Stay with the sander with a coarse grit and the vac;)

I talked with my Brother, he's a body man..
he says theres nothing you can use that want mess the fiberglass up..

Later, Larry

:(

When Scott sands the baja...lots of it ends up all over the garage and him....he turns out the color of blue by the end of the night. Is it bad to breathe in..... I am assuming that is why you keep the shop vac handy......

When it comes to working on Hulls...
About any thing you use is bad to breathe, I'm sure Bondo is very bad..

Larry

http://www.goldenplasma.f2s.com/foru...confused09.gifThanks for your Info...on smiles....

Jeez, he should be wearing a mask at the LEAST. A spray painters mask with filters for dust would be best - even though it is hot.

He wears a mask.... but there are times where I don't see him with one and he is covered from head to toe....


Great I can see it now....I will have a finished baja and no Scott!



Just concerned here about what he is breathing in.....


(my phone should be ringing any min.) lol


your welcome shipbear!

well now.......looks as if I may be on the only tack available. Did I say Tack, geezzzz, sorry guys!

I use a mask, it helps, and the shop vac is a plus.

I love the lines of the Baja, but as for construction tech. not as impressed. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here, it is an old boat, maybe someone prior made this mess, but it looks original. The gap that was allowed to exist really precipitated the rot of the wood, allowing water to get in behind the gauges.

Will continue with the rotary rasp and a certian ammount of cussin under my breath!

As always thanks to all those who have replied or will reply, you all have hepled to make this a very fun project.

Hang tough Scott. I did a job like that on an old Checkmate. There will be a nice sunny day not too far off, and you'll be tooling around at 3-4000 rpm, shirt off, Kathy next to you, and you'll be king of the world.....believe me!

Painted that mental picture a hundred times! Usually at the end of the days work on Baja, I'll spend a little time just lookin at what I have done, and plannin what I need to do next and at the very end I can just see it at the bottom of the S&F home page, Kath on the Bow and me grinnin ear to ear! Of course by then the frberglass gets to itchin so bad I can't stand it and I have to turn off the lights and get cleaned up! Back to reality!