Railroad Forums 

  • BNSF #5969 Decides to take a Shortcut

  • Discussion related to BNSF operations. Official site: BNSF.COM
Discussion related to BNSF operations. Official site: BNSF.COM

Moderator: Komachi

 #350672  by Komachi
 
Pablo,

No, Bondo didn't exist until the late 60's - early 70's.

What they used to do (and what is now a lost art) was lead. Lasts longer and shapes as easy (altbit more toxic and causes more problems in cleanup... "heavy metals" and whatnot). Heat the lead up to softening temperature (not melting) temperature and drip it onto the body panel you're working on, then work it with a wax-coated, wooden spatula. File the surface down as needed.

Bondo, on the other hand, is just mix, apply with a plastic applicator, sand to your needed contour (repeated as many times as necessary), seal, prime and paint.

(And, yes, I'm oversimplifying the explanation of both processes, for the sake of discussion. Others who have done either type of body work can feel free to chime in for a more detailed explanation if they so choose.)
 #350675  by ExEMDLOCOTester
 
Komachi wrote:Pablo,

No, Bondo didn't exist until the late 60's - early 70's.

What they used to do (and what is now a lost art) was lead. Lasts longer and shapes as easy (altbit more toxic and causes more problems in cleanup... "heavy metals" and whatnot). Heat the lead up to softening temperature (not melting) temperature and drip it onto the body panel you're working on, then work it with a wax-coated, wooden spatula. File the surface down as needed.

Bondo, on the other hand, is just mix, apply with a plastic applicator, sand to your needed contour (repeated as many times as necessary), seal, prime and paint.

(And, yes, I'm oversimplifying the explanation of both processes, for the sake of discussion. Others who have done either type of body work can feel free to chime in for a more detailed explanation if they so choose.)
No, Bondo didn't exist until the late 60's - early 70's.

Bull .... :wink: I had that crap all over my hands in 1964....

 #350690  by pablo
 
Forgive me...I was under the impression that it was Bondo (or whatever it could have been called a really long time ago) that was used on the noses of the F's and E's, etc., with the complex curves.

Dave Becker
 #350932  by Komachi
 
ExEMDLOCOTester,

As I noted above, I will defer to those "in the know."

Personally speaking, I've never had the pleasure of working with bondo (don't have a project car to work on... although I have my eye on a Javelin), so I will yield to your knowledge.

So, anybody know if most of the damage was superficial, or was there something more serious here? Just wondering.
 #350983  by ExEMDLOCOTester
 
Komachi wrote:ExEMDLOCOTester,

As I noted above, I will defer to those "in the know."

Personally speaking, I've never had the pleasure of working with bondo (don't have a project car to work on... although I have my eye on a Javelin), so I will yield to your knowledge.

So, anybody know if most of the damage was superficial, or was there something more serious here? Just wondering.
No Sir ...... Bull was the first word that entered my head B4 I laughed. NO disrespect intended. :-D
 #351571  by Komachi
 
ExEMDLOCOTester said...

"No Sir ...... Bull was the first word that entered my head B4 I laughed. NO disrespect intended. :-D"


No disrespect taken. Actually, I talked to a friend of mine who has been into the custom car/hot rod scene for as long (if not longer) as he has trains. He mentioned that plastic body filler (Bondo) was used by George Barris in his custom creations. Bondo has been around for all of my 30 years, and I assumed it was created shortly before I was born, as the "old school" way of repair was the lead work. I assumed that custom cars like what George did (and still does) was mostly steel fabrication with a little custom fiberglass work if not lead. I stand corrected (and am not ashamed to be so).


That being said (and trying to re-direct the conversation back to the topic at hand...), let me ask you this...

What's the standard proceedure once they haul an engine off the ground. Obviously a severely wrecked unit would be evaluated for rebuild or scrapping, but what about a case like the 5969? It appears that the unit didn't really sustain a lot of damage... but, as they say, appearances can be deceiving. I would think that they'll inspect the traction motors (TM), wheels and axles (hey, all kinds of forces acting on the wheelsets when you go "on the ground...") and trucks... especially the joint where the body sits on the trucks. I would also think they'd check the rest of the engine to see if anything else was jarred loose in the process.

Maybe I'm overthinking this, but I think there'll actually be more than a replacement plow in the 5969's future. Then again, I've been wrong before :wink: .

 #352413  by ExEMDLOCOTester
 
From what I seen in the rebuild area of EMD, (the building is now gone) when rebuilding damaged skin, the smoke wrench removed the krinkled area and new plate was installed. Never seen any Bondo....
Last edited by ExEMDLOCOTester on Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 #352840  by Engineer James
 
Oh no, I just like the Photos. I feel really bad for the New locomotive.

 #353230  by GOLDEN-ARM
 
Fear not, young Jimmy. I have passed along your feelings, to the roundhouse foreman. He told the loco, you had it in your thoughts, and the loco says thanks............ :P
 #353286  by Komachi
 
G-A,

(Your friendly neighborhood moderator slowly turns his head in your direction, looking very stern. His lip starts to quiver until it unfolds in a very wide smirk. In fact, it looks something like this --> :-D <--. He also appears to be chuckling a bit.) Nice.


ExEMDLOCOTester,

Yeah, this Bondo thing has gotten a little out of hand. I started it as a joke, about a "quick patch" repair. One tends to forget there are people here who don't know about Bondo... or Rubick's Cubes, rabbit ears, slide-rules, American Motors, 8-tracks, Zenith radioes, RKO, dictionaries and encyclopedias...

Ah, the "joys" of getting older. :(


Oh well, at least the unit will be back plying the rails again soon.

 #354382  by Engineer James
 
Photos updated!!!! (Sorry, the Only size I could make them)
 #354606  by ExEMDLOCOTester
 
Komachi wrote:Bondo.
NOW that I can SEE what all the fuss is about :wink:

Why Bondo a gear case cover???? :P

 #355068  by Engineer James
 
I like Bondo. My grandpa still has a few bottles around.....

 #356648  by Jtgshu
 
Engineer James wrote:I like Bondo. My grandpa still has a few bottles around.....
Jeez, its not like Bondo is not sold any more!!! I just saw it the other day in the local auto shop!!

They will rerail the loco, either with a crane or dragging it back on the rails using re-railers and or wooden blocks, take it to the closest shop and inspect the loco for any kind of damage - I believe there are FRA regs as to what must be inspected after a loco has derailed.

 #356660  by ExEMDLOCOTester
 
Jtgshu wrote: They will rerail the loco, either with a crane or dragging it back on the rails using re-railers and or wooden blocks, take it to the closest shop and inspect the loco for any kind of damage - I believe there are FRA regs as to what must be inspected after a loco has derailed.
Gear case covers (the gears if the cover is damaged), Traction motor covers (I don't know what they would to AC motors), Traction motors if the covers have been compromised, Traction Motor cables, Traction motor bearing covers, Axle bearing caps on the traction motors, Journals, Brake Rigging, Brake shoes, Fuel Tank, Air lines, Sanding hoses, da, de, da, da ..........