[SEL] Casting Filler

[Curt]

Rick,
Too bad you weren't ramming molds back then, as filler would not be 
necessary. But on the down side you'd be old as dirt by now!
Bondo has been my choice of filler for engines I have slicked and so far 
is holding up. Icing would be far too expensive. You can thin your Bondo 
slightly with a little lacquer thinner to make it more the consistency 
of Icing. I only thin the amount I am going to use. I do not add thinner 
to the can. If you add too much it will not set right so play around 
with what you can get away with.

On a different note, what about the use of old fashioned plaster? Not 
sheet rock compound, but real old plaster. It used to be applied to 
metal lath (correct word?) and it stuck fine. It ought to stick to clean 
cast iron. Plaster is dirt cheap and considering the amount of surface 
you are trying to smooth it might be an option. A good brushing of latex 
paint 30 days later ought to make a decent look for a good while if 
indoors/out of the weather. Anybody used plaster on an engine?

Curt Holland
Gastonia, NC


Tod Engine wrote:

>What material was used for filling imperfections in castings around 1910 or so?  The Tod Engine castings have a filler that is dark grey in color and sort of looks like graphite when I hit it with a wire wheel.  Most of it is flaking off and eventually I will need to refill the castings when I go to do a professional paint job on her.
>
>So what material was the original filler and what would be the material to use today?  Due to the size of these castings and inexpensive nature of bondo that's my first choice. 
>
>Rick Rowlands
>Executive Director
>Tod Engine Heritage Park
>William Tod 34" x 68" x 60" Cross Compound Steam Engine
>Youngstown, OH
>http://www.todengine.org/
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