TUF Repair and Buildup Materials

Watch The Video

Freeman’s Tuf line of polyester repair and filler compounds is one of the broadest, most versatile in the industry; working exceptionally well with a variety of materials and in the most demanding of applications. Our Tuf line features longer working times, higher performance, and and a much better finish than automotive-type body fillers.


Tuf-Carv is a lower density material, often used to repair softer woods such as pine. This material sets up medium-hard so it can be easily formed to exact shape requirements with hand tools.

It comes in three colors: pine, mahogany and white.

The proper mix ratio is 100 parts resin to 1.5 parts hardener. However, measuring equipment is really not required for Tuf products. Instead, we estimate about a golf ball size portion of the resin to a one inch bead of hardener, and then mix it on a flat piece of wood, plastic, or masonite.

Notice the thicker viscosity, this ensures that the material will remain in the repaired area, even on vertical surfaces.

Once mixed, we have about 6-12 minutes of working time, so we don’t want to mix large amounts. If we need more material, it is best to mix another batch.

Here we are repairing a slit in a small wood plank by applying the material with a putty knife or a fillet shaper.

Since this material will shrink slightly, we want to leave some additional material above the required surface and subsequently sand the excess to product the desired repair.

This is what the unfinished application looks like.

About 15 minutes later, the material has hardened and we’re ready to remove the excess. Tuf-Carv sands easily using most any type of sandpaper.

After sanding the entire surface flush, this is what the completed repair looks like.


Perhaps our most unique formulation is Quick-Fil, which is especially formulated for the repair of modeling boards, like RenShape 450, shown here. Quik-Fil features the lowest density and lowest viscosity of the Tuf line. And since it so closely matches the hardness of RenShape 450 and 460, only Quik-Fil enables such a smooth, easy, and virtually undetectable repair.


Tuf-Fil includes three separate formulations in six colors for the repair of harder materials


Here’s a piece of Honduras Mahogany that also needs to be repaired.
For this job, we’re going to use Tuf-fil, a denser, harder, and more abrasive-resistant repair material which better matches the qualities of the Mahogany being repaired.

We’re applying this material using the same procedure as the Tuf-Carv repair.

Once it is solidified, our unfinished application looks like this. Although harder than Tuf-Carv, Tuf-Fil can be still be worked with sand paper.

Once we’ve sanded the Tuf-Fil flush to the surface, here’s what the completed repair looks like. Tuf-Fil is also available in pine, white, and aluminum colors.


Here’s an example of a repair required on a piece of aluminum. For this, we’ve used Tuf-fil aluminum, which is a very hard, abrasive resistant repair material that closely resembles the color of aluminum.

Only 15 minutes after application, we’re able to sand off any excess material to create a smooth, durable repair for this aluminum part.


Here’s an example of a part cast with Repro 83 gray. Repairing a part that will be used in a high-temperature application such as vacuum forming, requires Tuf-Fil High Temp, which can withstand continuous exposure up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here’s an example of an unfinished application.

And in 15 minutes, it is able to be sanded to produce a durable, heat-resistant repair.


Fillet

Our Tuf product line not only makes a great repair material, but it is also an excellent material for creating fillets, blending, or adding additional stock to patterns or molds.

To apply our Tuf-Carv, we recommend Freeman’s Fillet Shapers which feature a variety of specific radii for various applications.

We’ll be creating a fillet in the corner of these two pieces of pine.

Again we mix the material using a flat board.

And then place the material in the corner.

Then by choosing the correct radius of the fillet shaper, we form a smooth, even fillet.

In 15 minutes, we can sand the surface to achieve a smooth, durable round corner that blends nicely in the pine wood.

This process also works with our other formulations and colors in our Tuf line, such as our Mahogany Tuf-Fil, shown here.