I’ve used a lot of different seam fillers over the years (ZAP-A-GAP, Squadron White/Green putty, Testors, etc.)with mixed results. Before I start on my next project I wanted to find out what the Forum thinks is best choice for the following:
Filling gaps and seams on aircrafts fuselages and low stress wing areas.
Joints were wing and fuselage meet and where fuselage halves come together; as we all know, sometime the fit is not always perfect.
Appreciate the help.
Dragonfire,
You’ve entered one of those areas where a lot of people think that what they use is what everyone should use. And I don’t necessarly agree with that. I would reccommend that you try two or three small projects using the different reccomendations that you get from this thread to find what you feel most comfortable with.
What works for me is the following:
CA - I use this when I want to fill and strengthen an area and around windows because it polishes out very clear.
Laquer based automotive body putty - I use a DuPont product called Spot n Glaze (it comes in three colors, red - slowest drying, blue - medium drying time, light green - very rapid drying, I use the red it drys in thin layers in about 15 to 20 minutes - the green dries in 5 minutes or less and the blue somewhere in between). I also like it because I can thin it to consistancy of paint and apply it with a paint brush. Being laquer based, the putty tends to “bite” into the plastic so this is one of the reasons you need to apply it in thin layers (I don’t use it on kits with thin plastic or vacu-forms - it just melts them). Another reason to apply two or three thin coats (sanding between each coat) rather than one thick coat is that a very thick coat will shrink. And finally the putty is very fine grained making for very smooth finish.
Milliput - I’ve just started using this but what I’ve seen so far indicates that I’m going to like it - it takes a little work to apply it but can be formed very easily using a wetted finger and sands down very nicely.
That’s basically what I use and hope you will give them a try.
…hhhmmmmmmm…not so sure there is a best, just what you like to use better than others or maybe even what’s at hand and more readily available…
here’s a link to this very same discussion posted in the not too distant past…
posted by Woody on 10 June…
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21787
or…posted by Foster7155 on 07 August in Techniques on page 2…
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25180
best 'o luck to ya…[^]
Tamiya putty form most filling work. CA /accelerator combination for quick work and around transparencies. Liquid Paper for shallow seams, ejector pin marks or scratches and good old PVA cut with water for filling the canopy/fuselage seams if not too bad.
Different stuff for different applications.
cheers
Mike
I like using Tamiya and Testors. They both give good results for filling seams.
I use Squadron White for my general filling and Milliput for others. It’s an epoxy putty that can be formed and smoothed with your favorite tools and a little bit of water. This really cuts down on the sanding when you’re working in critical areas where you don’t want to sand away detail.
Thanks to everyone for their input; I really appreciate it. [:)] Now the hard part, which project to start on after we move. Too many models, so little time. [8D] Thanks again!
I read a tip in a back-issue of FSM about using correction tape for small (less than 1/32") seams. Seems like it could be a good idea…getting some tonight. [:D]
I use Sqaudron white and testors contour putty i like testor’s because it can be turned into a liqiud form when paint thinner is added.
Tried this last night on my 1/48 Hasegawa F-16C and it worked pretty well. A little tedious to work with, but then most fillers are. It’s sorta like taping seams when doing drywall work, same concept anyway. I’ll probably be painting up the F-16 tonight, let you all now how it goes.
I also like the auto body filler. I, too, use a product made by DuPont. Basically, the material is nothing more than a thickened lacquer primer. Ditto on the thin coats. Because of it’s exceptionally fine grain, it makes a great filler. I have found that it doesn’t work quite as well in very shallow depressions (like sinkholes).
Of course, the going trend in seam fillers is super glue, and it fills the need of the "I-want-to-sand-it-right-now crowd. Used with a little accelerator, you can sand it immediately. And it doesn’t shrink like other fillers. You just need to sand it within several minutes of application, or the glue will become harder than the styrene or resin you applied it to.
Gip Winecoff
I found out the hard way about letting superglue harden too much. I had to use my Dremel to aid in sanding the filled gap flush.
Hi [:D], tell me the best way to fill (and level) areas which were injected with not enough pressure causing depressions like small valleys (i.e. on wings) avoiding to affect scribed or raised panels [?] [?], ca works fine but it is too hard and always take the lines off.
Use liquid paper (get the pen type applicator). Easy to sand and cures within minutes. I use 1000 grit wetr and dry to cut the liquid paper back to the surface and then polish with 1200, used wet.
Works a treat and protects raised or recessed detail.
cheers
Mike