What’s up this is Tim with Tactics Boardshop,
today we’re gonna show you how to use Body Filler aka Bondo to fix a skate spot.
If you’ve gone out searching for skate spots, you’ve most likely come across a spot that seems perfect,
but then you find that there’s either a huge crack on the run up or right where you’re supposed to pop,
a hole in the landing, or a chunk is missing from the ledge.
Rather than dismissing the spot as unskatable,
you can use stuff called Body Filler to fill in the cracks and other imperfections
to smooth them out and make the spot more approachable.
Just a quick disclaimer,
I don’t recommend doing this at a place where you will get in trouble or fined if you get caught.
Use your best discretion and don’t do this on somebody’s front porch
or out in broad daylight someplace with a high bust factor.
Just be discreet, do the job quickly, use common sense and you should be fine.
If you have an orange vest, bring that along so you look like you’re supposed to be there.
The first thing you’ll need is: A Can of Body filler.
Bondo is the most popular brand among skaters but you can use a different brand if you want to.
You can find it at most hardware and automotive stores.
And make sure you have the hardener too.
Usually a tube of hardener is included with the can, but if not make sure you get some otherwise it won’t work.
You’ll need at least one spreader, a broom, some Duct tape or masking tape,
and some kind of mixing palette for the filler.
You can use the can lid, a paint tray, a piece of cardboard, or even the back sheet from some griptape.
It’s also helpful to have a mixing stick so you can combine the bondo and hardener more quickly.
You’ll need some gritty sandpaper,
you could also use some griptape, but it’ll end up ruining the grip, so you might as well stick to sand paper.
And you might want some gloves too.
Also, if you plan on filling more than just one crack and are going to make multiple batches,
I highly recommend having a tub with some water in it so you can clean off your spreading tools between batches.
If you let the bondo harden on the spreader, it pretty much ruins the tool.
So if you want to reuse the spreaders, have some water to clean them with.
Just for context, one big 6 pound can of Bondo can fill about 10 normal sized cracks,
but if you’re filling big areas, or filling in the whole length of the crack, then it might not last as long.
Alright, let’s fix up the spot.
The first thing you’ll want to do is to thoroughly sweep out the crack you want to fill.
If the crack is full of dirt, the bondo won’t adhere to the concrete and it will just peel out.
So clear out as much debris from the crack as you can before starting.
Next, closely lay down the tape around the area that you’re going to fill.
Duct tape works great because it’s wide giving you a little extra space to catch the filler.
If you have thin masking tape, it might be best to lay down a couple strips so the filler doesn’t spill over.
Now it’s time to open up the Bondo.
Pour enough filler onto your mixing surface to fill the crack.
It’s better to have more than you need than to not have enough.
And now is a good time to put on those gloves.
Now we add the hardener. The can says the ratio of Bondo to hardener should be 50:1
You can just eyeball it, but you don’t need to add very much hardener for it to work.
The more you add, the quicker it will harden.
So if you add too much it will harden too fast and you won't have enough time to fill in the crack before it’s unworkable.
Quickly mix in the hardener until it’s one solid color.
Don’t take too long because the hardener is already doing it’s thing.
When it’s fully mixed, scoop it into the crack and wipe lengthwise until it’s smooth.
Get it nice and even, but don’t fuss about getting it perfect ‘cause we're gonna sand it after it hardens.
The less you mess with it after it’s placed the better.
Also try not to smudge it past the tape ‘cause that just more mess to clean up.
As soon as you’re done, toss the spreaders into the water so you can clean them.
Give the Bondo 10 to 15 minutes to cure.
Give it a check, if it’s still rubbery give it some more time.
If it’s hardened, gently peel up the tape, and be careful not to let the tape pull the bondo out of the crack with it.
Take your sandpaper and go over the edges where the tape was,
and if the bondo is bulging up, sand it down a little until it’s level with the sidewalk.
And now you’re done, it’s ready to skate.
It’s important to get it clean and professional looking so it doesn’t get detected right away.
If it looks awful, then they’ll know it wasn’t done by someone that they hired, so they might tear it out.
A bright pink strip right in front of a stair set is usually pretty conspicuous.
So something extra you can do to make the Bondo look even more professional is,
to add some coloring paste to the mixture before laying it down to match the color of the sidewalk.
You can make it look like it’s supposed to be there and it’ll be less likely to get torn out.
You can essentially use the same process to fix missing chunks in ledges and pool coping.
Since a ledge takes more abuse than just a crack in the sidewalk,
you may need to use a harder and more durable material than regular Bondo,
such as a Fiberglass infused body filler or Super Strength anchoring adhesive.
Filling in the chunks on a ledge won’t be a permanent solution,
but it should last a few months or longer as long as you don’t repeatedly land directly onto the filler.
To give it some extra protection you can spray on some clear lacquer or enamel before waxing it.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy skating your newly unlocked spot!
If you got any comments or questions just leave them in the box down below...
Now go and fix some spots. Peace!