What is Selleys Tradie's Bog, and where should you use it?

Selleys Tradie's Bog is a two-part polyester building filler that is easy to sand and provides fast repairs to timber and most common building materials. You mix a base with a hardener, apply it with a spatula, and it sets hard in about 20 minutes — at which point it can be sawn, drilled, sanded and painted.

The number that governs how you use it is the working time: approximately 5 minutes at 23°C. That is the window between mixing and the filler becoming unworkable, and it is short enough that the job has to be set up first. Prepare the surface, have the spatula ready, then mix — and mix only as much as you can place in five minutes.

What the key numbers mean in practice

• Approximately 5 minutes at 23°C — the working time after the hardener goes in.
• Sets hard in about 20 minutes — then sand, saw, drill or paint.
• Shrinks minimally — enough that Selleys tells you to overfill slightly, but not enough to need a second fill.

Twenty minutes to a hard, sandable repair is what the product is for. On a job with a dozen small repairs, you are not waiting until tomorrow to sand — you fill, wait out a smoko, and finish. The constraint is at the other end: five minutes of working time means one batch equals one repair, or a small cluster of repairs close together.

There is a timing trick in Selleys' own advice that saves real effort. It is easier to smooth off most of the excess with a Surform or Dreadnought file before the filler becomes rock hard. Ordinary files or sandpaper can be used once it is rock hard. In other words, there is a window shortly after it stiffens where the material cuts easily, and shaping it then is far quicker than sanding a fully hardened repair back to profile later.

Where to use it

Selleys lists Tradie's Bog as suitable for:

• Timber
• Plasterboard
• Concrete
• Brick
• Fibreglass
• Metal
• Tiles

That spread — timber through to fibreglass and tile — is what makes it a general repair filler rather than a substrate-specific one. It is also colourable before use, so it can be tinted at the mixing stage. Selleys covers this in its rigid fillers advice, including a question specifically on tinting Plasti-Bond or Tradie's Bog.

For a comparable two-part putty aimed at filling, bonding and moulding work, see Plasti-Bond Heavy Duty on the specialist fillers and putty page.

How to apply it

1. Mix the base with the hardener on a clean surface until the colour is uniform. The clean mixing surface matters: contamination picked up at this stage goes straight into the repair. Uniform colour is the signal the hardener is distributed through the batch.
2. Apply to the prepared surface with a spatula.
3. Shape it, and overfill slightly — the product shrinks minimally, and the small excess is what you shape back to a flush finish.
4. Allow it to harden, about 20 minutes.
5. Sand, saw, drill or paint as required. If you can catch it just before rock hard, take the bulk of the excess off with a Surform or Dreadnought file first.

Limitations — where Tradie's Bog should not be used

These are the manufacturer's stated limits:

• Not suitable for areas of constant water immersion.
• Will not bond to polyethylene, polypropylene or PTFE. These plastics are outside its range regardless of how well you prepare them.
• Not flexible — avoid using it where movement is expected. A rigid polyester filler in a moving joint cracks or lets go. If the joint moves, a flexible filler such as the Selleys No More Gaps range is the right category.

Two safety data sheets apply — one for the bog and one for the hardener — because it is a two-component product.

Storage

Store it in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Keep the base and hardener separate until you are ready to mix; a polyester filler only has a working time once the two are combined.

Hazard classification — the two parts differ

Classified as hazardous under Safe Work Australia GHS 7, with the signal word Danger.

A two-part polyester filler. The filler and the hardener are classified separately and quite differently, and both matter.

• Part A (filler) — H361: suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child (reproductive toxicity, Category 2).
• Part A — H372: causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
• Part A — H226: flammable liquid and vapour. H315: skin irritation. H317: may cause an allergic skin reaction. H319: serious eye irritation. H335: may cause respiratory irritation.
• Part B (hardener) — Organic peroxides, Type E. H242: heating may cause a fire.
• Part B — H317: may cause an allergic skin reaction. H319: causes serious eye irritation.

What is in it

Chemical entity	CAS number	Proportion (w/w)
Styrene (Part A)	100-42-5	30–60%
Polyester resin (Part A)	—	30–60%
Filler material (Part A)	—	<30%
Dibenzoyl peroxide (Part B hardener)	94-36-0	Principal component

Styrene is why Part A carries H361. At 30 to 60% it is the bulk of the filler, it is the sharp smell, and it is a suspected reproductive toxicant. That makes this a product to avoid entirely if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, and one to use with serious ventilation in any case — not a garage with the door half open.

The hardener is an organic peroxide. Type E with H242, heating may cause a fire, means dibenzoyl peroxide can decompose exothermically if it gets hot. Keep the hardener tube away from heat and sunlight, never store it in a hot vehicle, and do not mix larger quantities than you need — a big mass of catalysed filler generates its own heat as it cures.

Both parts carry H317. Epoxy and polyester systems sensitise skin through repeated casual contact, so wear gloves for mixing and application, every time.

Sanding cured filler produces respirable dust. Use a dust mask and eye protection, and prefer wet sanding or extraction where practical.

Protection

• Respiratory protection — an organic vapour respirator where the product is sprayed, dispensed or mixed in quantity; a dust mask for sanding cured material.
• Gloves — nitrile rubber; essential where a sensitisation classification applies.
• Eye protection — chemical goggles or safety glasses.
• Ventilation — active ventilation, not an open door. Do not work in a confined space.

First aid

Exposure	What to do
Inhalation	Move the person to fresh air at once and keep them at rest. If breathing difficulty, wheeze or tightness develops, seek medical attention immediately and say the product contains isocyanates or solvents as applicable — symptoms can be delayed by several hours.
Eyes	Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes, removing contact lenses if present and easy to do, then keep rinsing. If irritation persists, get medical advice.
Skin	Wash with soap and water. Remove contaminated clothing and wash before reuse. If a rash or itching develops, including hours later, get medical advice — this may indicate sensitisation.
Swallowed	Do not induce vomiting. Rinse the mouth and seek medical advice immediately.

If poisoning occurs, contact a doctor or the Poisons Information Centre — 131 126 in Australia, 0800 764 766 in New Zealand — with the container to hand. Selleys emergency line: 1800 220 770 in Australia, 0800 220 770 in New Zealand.

Common questions about Selleys Tradie's Bog

How long do I have to work with it?

Approximately 5 minutes at 23°C after mixing. Mix small batches.

How long before I can sand it?

It sets hard in about 20 minutes, after which you can sand, saw, drill or paint.

Is there a way to reduce the sanding?

Yes. Take most of the excess off with a Surform or Dreadnought file before the filler goes rock hard. Once it is rock hard, use ordinary files or sandpaper.

Should I overfill?

Slightly, yes. The product shrinks minimally and Selleys directs you to shape and overfill slightly.

What surfaces can I use it on?

Timber, plasterboard, concrete, brick, fibreglass, metal and tiles.

Will it stick to plastic?

Not to polyethylene, polypropylene or PTFE.

Can I use it somewhere permanently wet?

No. It is not suitable for areas of constant water immersion.

Can I use it in a joint that moves?

No. It is not flexible, so avoid it where movement is expected.

Can I paint it?

Yes, once cured.

Can I colour it before applying?

Yes — it is colourable before use, so the tint goes in when you mix.

Can I drill or screw into a repair?

It can be sawn, drilled, sanded and painted once hard.

How should I store it?

In a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.