Well I completed my first whitetail mount this weekend. I learned some very valuable lessons. First one is that this is alot of work. You guys certainly earn your money. Anyway I am quite pleased with the outcome. Its not perfect but it looks very nice for a first time.I did have some real problems with my ears. I used the bonded ear method described in Breakthrough and Sally Dahmes book. I ordered the ear kit and followed the directions to a tee. I mixed equal parts of layup resin and Bondo. Used the right amount of hardner and filled my ears. Problem is that the #@*%#@ bondo never set up and I had to remove the sloppy mess from inside the ear. I then figured maybe I needed more hardner so I added more mixed well and did it again. You guessed it. Same problem. Well I cleaned it out again and used regular automotive bondo and it worked fine. Can someone please tell me what I did wrong. It is probably something stupid but I can not figure it out. Thanks for all your help. The reading I have done here and the questions you have answered really helped me out.
Mike C
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I'm not sure what the directions are for it, but I never use nearly that much resin. I mix it using maybe 1/4 resin (if that), just enough to make it smooth and more thin, but not to the point of being easily poured. Then I add the hardener, mix, then add the fiberglass chop. I have had no problems at all (I buy the regular Bondo at Wally World.) The resin WILL retart set-up time. More the resin, longer the set-up time. Actually, I ran out of resin recently and have been doing fine without it. You just have to work faster, or it will set before you have the air bubbles, etc. worked out and the shaping done.
A lot of people don't realize how much work it takes just to mount a deer, much less make it look 'alive.' Good luck on your future deer, you will get faster!
=)
Before George gets on here and starts screaming for you to switch to Ear Liners with built-in earebuts...(Iike I'm doing mow...if you want a better looking mount)...the two cans (A + B) were probably just "A" instead of one being the "B" catalyst...it's happened to others as previously posted on the forums.
That's why your Auto Store Bondo worked okay...the kit contained both A + B components. That Bondo is the same as the other stuff you bought...just packaged differently.
Congratulations on your first White Tail Deer Head Mount...I'm sure you're very proud of it...as you well should be.
~ ETCC
Thanks for the help. I dont think that both cans are part A because they have very different consistancies. I will try to mix up a batch with only a little bit of resin and see what happens.
Thanks again for the help.
Mike
Exactly what kind of bondo is that A and B parts I don't understand?
I use regular automobile repair bondo ,if the bondo is fresh it will be sufficiently soft that you don't have to use any polyester resin if the bondo has becomed somewhat hard then just use a little bit of polyester resin but Half and half mixture it will be too runny for my taste and that is all I do is bondo ear method, you probably didn't allow enough time for your ears to dry.
Part 'B" is the Resin added to Part "A"...the Bondo...as you already use it.
~ ETCC