When bearded banshee Billy Mays screams at me through my TV while I'm up late watching yet another
Deadliest Catch marathon on Discovery (is it me, or is that show 80% of the programming on that station), it's hard to ignore anything he's selling. The other night he's yelling about Mighty Putty. And how it'll fix or seal anything. I've got some broken and leaking stuff, so I figure I'll give it a try. If only to make Billy stop yelling.
Basically Mighty Putty is very similar to the epoxy putty you can buy in any hardware store - two ingredients rolled into a clay-like form, that when kneaded together, become rock hard after about 20 minutes. (Insert your own Viagra joke here.)
Like most products you see on TV - which are always a little more complicated, and a little less amazing, than they look - Mighty Putty is a decent solution to most repairs, just don't expect miracles and keep your expectations in check. It did well on the "fix a mug handle" and the "stop a leaky pipe" tests, but I wouldn't put too much faith in the "pull a truck" test.
And listen carefully to the words Billy uses (I'd turn down the volume first), he says it works on "most" surfaces. So I would check the bond on what you're using it on before hanging anything valuable.
When using, be prepared to knead for a while - more than the commercial shows - and if you've ever worked with certain epoxies before, you already know about the smell. Also, and I can't say this enough: Read The Damn Directions. Sure Billy puts it on a shelf and hangs a bunch of stuff on it right away, but according to the directions, it may dry in 20-30 minutes, but it cures in 24 hours. Start loading up the weight too soon, and you'll more broken stuff to fix.
Overall Mighty Putty is a pretty good solution to minor repairs around the house and yard. I wouldn't say to use it to repair the chain on your boat trailer. And since it's also available in a lot of stores, I'd say buying it in one of them is a lot better than paying the almost $9 shipping you'll pay ordering from the infomercial. And you don't have to listen to Billy scream when you order.
Available in Wal-Mart, Target and Linens N Things and other large retailers.
www.mightyputty.com