Hi All.
Any tricks of the trade, I had just used ZAP a GAP super glue to fill seam lines and I have to sand down longer than the build should take.
Depens on how large the gap is. Sometimes it is the only way to go and yes you do spend a lot of time sanding. Try building Revell’s 1/48 F/A-18E sometime and see. But for $12.99 and a nice model with a lot of filling and samding that’s what you get.
If real large fill gap with a spare piece of plastic. For smaller gaps you can try Mr. Surfacer or Tamiya’s Surface Primer which is about the same as Mr. Surface. Mr. Surfacer comes in different grades of thicker to thinner (500-1000). Also there is Milliput and Squadron putty which is like a paste that you spread and let dry and then sand. Sometims a combination of several or all is needed.
Hope this helps. Pam
A hint that I can pass on is to sand right away, at least within 24 hours. Cyano-acrylate (CA) glues continue to harden after initially setting. If you don’t get to it within a day, the CA will be harder than the surrounding plastic.
When filling a seam with CA, I will fill with CA, hit it with some accelerator then sand right away. Repeat as necessary.
Don’t let the CA set too long or it will turn rock hard & make sanding down more difficult. When I use CA as a filler, I only work on small sections of the seam at a time. No more than an inch or so. Let the CA set for only a few minutes, 2-3 is usually enough. Sand down fully & then move on to the next section of the seam. Takes a while, but sanding is much easier & the seam will completely disappear.
Regards, Rick
I use both the techniques listed below as well. Hit it with some accelerator and sand right away. But for large gaps a bit of stretched sprue will help a lot. Use the sprue from the kit and some Liquid Weld or Tenax 7R and you will get a good match to the existing styrene around the gap.
One aspect of CA (super) glue that I like is that as it dries, it shrinks! This reduces the gap to better approximate the proportions.
Mike T.
I agree with most everyone above. One thing I’ll do, if neccessary, is to use a small file to knock the bulk of the CA lump down, then finish up with sanding sticks.
I use CA for 95% of my filling.
Jerry
Sorry to butt in, but when I have used CA to do this, it often seems to burn & stain the plastic near the repair - sometimes causing as much problem as the seam was to start with.
I assume I’m doing something wrong?
Avoid the gap and when you can’t use similar material to fill it…styrene. Stronger and will have the same consistancy as the surrounding area…also you don’t have to hurry to sand it before it becomes too hard to work and potentially cause damage to the surrounding plastic when you do file or sand it. Perfect Seams!
When you are in the sanding phase, use strips of masking tape or the like to protect the detail of the surrounding area, like rivets, panel lines, etc!
Thanks Pam, it worked…
Pam,
I am currently working on the Revell 1/48 F/A-18E Super Bug and your 100% spot on. I used Bondo Glazing putty, Squadron Green putty and brush on Krazy Glue to fill in those insane HUGE gaps. Wet sanding works best. The hard part was rescribing over the recessed detail I sanded away. It did indeed need a combination of all three to get those nasty gaps and seams filled.
I love gap-filling superglue!
Its my primary adhesive for putting together kits, and indeed often for filling seams.
My recommendation is to use regular big-roll masking tape to help control where you put CA and where you don’t. Then pull the tape off and spray it with an accelerator. You can carve the stuff with a sharp exacto knife before sanding, which is often a much easier way to remove the bulk excess.
If you don’t have it: get an accelerator. The stuff has completely revolutionized my use of gap-filling CA. It also seems to eliminate the “white fumes” effect, even making it possible to apply clear canopies with CA.
I use microballoons. I put super glue in the seam than sprinkle with microballoons. It drys instantly, is softer than the plastic very easy to sand (no file needed) and the best part is you can see the where it was placed by the color of the balloons. It gives you a great finish for NMF paint jobs.