It embarases me to ask this, but I had to put aside a kit a while ago because I was not sure how to fix Seams/gaps where the parts of the hull meet, without destroying the detail.
It was a German Panzer Rail tank, it had the diamond pattern metal on both sides on the top of the car. (It was like a flat bed, with a turret in the middle) There gaps were on the top, along side the diamond pattern. If I glue putty sand it, the nice raised detail goes away. Any suggestions? I dont wana junk it, its a nice kit (granted, it has made me not want to buy trumpeter kits ever again. They were LAZY! with their design. Has a cylinder, for the front of it (2 of them) the bumpers on the front of the trains. You had to drill your own hole onto the top to attach a part to it. It took forever to get even, never did… (I just cut the pegs off the thing that went on top, and glued it on sitting in the right spot)
I have no urge to build a Trumpeter ever again. (Im like alienating companies here, I really dislike Italiari because I bought a tank trap and barbed wire set, and it didnt come with… barbed wire, just the things you string it though, they said nothing about that on the box, and trumpeter for their crappy fits)
Use a solvent glue like Tenax (just don’t get any in your mouth [yuck]) and squeeze the parts together as they’re drying. That will force some excess material upwards and then you can use a razor chisel (just one of the many blades avalable for your exacto handle) and scrape away the excess. And when you’re done - no more seam.
Well, my problem has always been seams. No matter what technique I use (gluing and puttying, over gluing and cutting off, over gluing and sanding down) Whatever technique. I alwasy end up using half a danged tube of putty. As good as I am getting, seams give me the worst problems.
I will try using the glue and scrape method.
I use testors RED glue. Right now. Also have Gorilla glue (not the best for modeling)
Just have to find this monstrocity… Its in a box somewhere so I dont toss it out the window.
Edit: funny little anticdote. I am a musician, I am taking Brass Methods this year (2 semesters for one course) its to learn how to play and teach brass instruments.
My professor told us a story about one of his teachers. Teaching the trumpet to anyone is frustrating for them, Especially to little kids, its a hard instrument. Everyone (and I can vouch for this) has had to urge to throw it accross the room against the wall. So The teacher would take old, beat up, barley (if at all) working trumpets and give them to the kids, as well as their good 1000$ ones. When the kid got frustrated and POed at the trumpet, they would take the beat up one, and chuck it accross the room, or stomp on it, or whatever to get out their frustration.
Maybe we should do this with some of our old model kits, heh. That panzer not going to gether well? Whip out an old kit and start stomping. Or, like I like to do, Take a razor saw and cut it in half
Another thing you can do is mask up the areas either side of your seam so you don’t get excess putty all over the place. Thin the putty out with lacquer thinner or liquid cement and paint it on in thin layers.
Alternatively, you can use something like Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer to fill your seams (it may take several applications). When dry, you can wipe off the excess with a rag or paper towel moistened with denatured (ethyl) alcohol. No sanding required.
I have been using Squadron Green Putty and apply it with a finger dipped into isopropyl alcohol, seems to thin it well and smooth better. The sand off.
Funny I have tubes that are years and years old and still are fine. I make sure to clean the threads before returning the cap and snugging it on…not over tight. If there is a solid buildup I use my knife to excise it away to free access so the good putty can flow from the tube. Roll tube from the bottom, don’t squeeze the snot out of it.
here’s another thing you can do to protect raised detail around a seam.
use regular nail polish remover on a cotton swab to smooth out your putty. Mask off your seam, fill it with putty, and then after about 20 minutes go over it with nail polish remover…it cleans off all the putty but leaves a nice smooth filled seam.
Works great with Squadron Green (and white for that matter)
I know many modelers will “poo-poo” this because it’s not hi-tech enough, but I like the Testor’s putty for small jobs like seams and wing fillets, and small gaps in figure poses as well as building up the joints on arms & legs, and necks as well… It’s easy to work, and you can thin it with rubbing alcohol to get it into tight areas better, even brush it smooth for a minimum of sanding… Add to it being white, making it easy to paint over… And I use Testor’s Liquid Cement AND the thicker Testor’s Liquid in the plastic bottle with needle applicator. I’ve tried the Polly-RAZZAMATAZ-R2968/37s Supersticker 9000 and always go back to Testor’s… Same with super glues… 8 bucks for a bottle of CA in a hobby shop? Puh-lease… 1.19 for 5 tubes at the grocery store. It’s so cheap it doesn’t matter if it the cap won’t come off after a few uses, lol…