I am new to this hobby only done 3 ships and now working on my new Revell 1:72 pirate ship, I am trying to be as careful as I can in order to make a model as good as posible.
I have run into a problem which I do not know if is because I have made a mistake or because of the parts thenselves are no created to fit perfecly.
The problem is that some parts, after they are joined, they leave openings, and cracks, by reading other posts apparentrly there is some sort of fill that can be use to cover those cracks. Can someone kidly tell me what is use to fill those cracks?
Thanks
PD I think I have finally figure out how to post photos, maybe next week I will have some to share with this forum.
There are many options. Putties such as Tamiya, Squadron green or white putty, Perfect Plastic Putty, even Bond at the auto part stores. Super glue is used by some, others use melted sprue/glue mixes. I’d suggest getting Tamiya white putty initially, it’s very good, and try the other options as you gain in skill.
The above mentioned putties are great. A couple more options…
To fill a small/hairline seam you can run a thin line of super glue over the seam, then sprinkle baking soda over it. It will instantly cure the super glue. You have to sand it within 20 minutes or so, otherwise it will cure very hard and become difficult to sand. Go easy with your sanding board, paper, or file- pressing harder does not remove material faster, it just clogs the abrasive and makes gouges.
Modeling Putty which is like bondo but for plastic parts and fills small cracks or seams. I’ve used this many times because the part attached or molded into the model tree doesn’t turn out right and leaves a mold mark. In this instance, once the subject has been glued together, us the knife edge held at a 45degree angle and score down the two mold edge or seam. Then fill with the putty, allow to dry then sand.
If the gap is big enough, you can slide some plastic into it. In the old days of going to a hobby shop on a Saturday afternoon, I would suggest having some Evergreen Plastic strips of various sizes available.
Nowadays, if you don’t already have some on hand, you can try slicing off some of the sprue/runner/tree that the parts were attached to. Plug that into the gap, then you can fill around the edges with Bondo or whatever. Putty is difficult for big wide open gaps.
There three things I use.A flat sanding board bigger than the parts. Sprue melted into Heavy, Medium and Thin filler and of course Tamiya white putty. The nice part about the melted sprue is that it’s plastic, so you will not have a Difference in material when you sand it down.
When you make “SprueGlue” as I call it, this is the formula. First and foremost.The Glue must be New and Clean. This is not hard though. Do you have a couple of empty glue bottles?
Take your full bottle of glue and get your empty. Now that empty has to be clean as a new bottle. Take about a third of the empty and fill it with glue. Then drop in little beads of sprue that you’ve cut into 1/16 beads. Color really doesn’t matter. If you want to be a purist then make sure it is the color of most of the models you build.
Fill the bottle till the beads are just at the top of the glue and let sit for about thirty six hours, sealed tightly. Come back and shake or stir well, and continue to let it sit. This is only for your first bottle of it. After you’ve made one bottle you can make more later and with the original all you have to do is add more glue and sprue.
I keep three. One is the consistancy of Elmers. One is the consistancy of Honey and the last is about as thick as Split Pea soup. Why three? Well, a small seam or hole does not need the thickest. You may have sink marks . This will require the thinnest mix so it flows like leveling compound, like they use on floors.
The thickest is for the jobs where you have a big hole or some really bad fitting panels which is rare. I do this because of the scratch built ships I build, as a filler putty on the curved surfaces to really get a clean smooth curve at bows and sterns.
Putty requires too many steps in the sanding process. With “SprueGlue” you can, when it’s dry, wet sand with any grit you want to use to level the seam then finish with your fine wet-sandpaper. Drying time is slower when you use large amounts, so try to make the seams and parts fit as tightly as possible first and keep the layers Thin!
Another thing that help here is this . Squeeze the parts at the joint while clamped after you apply the glue. Then as it sets let it relax a little .This will cause the plastic to rise in the seam making the necessity for filler less.
If you have any questions then contact me in messages and I will guide you through whatever it is I can help with.
Be careful, because Bondo is a brand name and they sell several different forms of filler. They became famous for their catalysed car body putty, which yuo have to mix an activator or catylist to. For modeling work they have a drying putty which is just like other tube stuff, you apply it from the tube and let it dry. The car body putty generates considerable heat from the reaction and can melt or warp. Plastic. Some of the other brands of car body putty sell an air drying filler which is just like the mode putty I use the latter because it is cheaper than the stuff sold for models- however it is only sold in large tubes and you have to put the cap on faithfully right after you sqeeze it out or it will eventually harden in the tube.
Ditto on what Don said above. I also use the Red Bondo. It comes in a large tube but it lasts a long time if you keep the cap on tight. I have a small bottle that I put some of the Bondo in and then add lacquer thinner till I get it to the consistency of paint. I add this to the crevices with a toothpick after putting masking tape on either side of the crevice. It sands easily. If the Bondo starts to dry up in the bottle, just add more lacquer thinner. If you can get the Blue Bondo (tube), it is a little finer grain. I can’t seem to get it around here any more.
And good to know for the Bondo. I’ve used the car bondo and remember it can get pretty hot. Was wondering how you guys were using (not using!) that stuff
The bondo that most folks use is a non-catalysed version that air dries, not the polyester that is mixed up before use. Bondo is a brand name and they make several different types of product.
Test-fit parts before you attach them. That helps identify potential fit problems. With this particular kit, I’m not surprised that there are fit issues.
Another way to handle seams is to use fine liquid styrene cement, eg, Tamiya’s extra fine, Testor’s liquid cement, among many other products. Hold the parts together and flow the cement along the seam. Capillary action will allow the cement to flow into it. Apply a little pressure until you see a bead of melted plastic get extruded along the seam. Hold the pieces together as necessary (rubber bands, clamps, tape, your hands, etc) till the glue cures and the plastic is solid again. When the glue has cured, you can use a hobby knife to scrape away that bead of plastic, and it will leave a clean seam
Following on the suggestions to use sprue or styrene sheet to fill gaps-for fine seams, you can take a piece of the kit sprue, heat it over a candle, and stretch it into thin pieces. Takes a little practice, but stretched sprue is a great material to have. Stretch a piece or pieces to the appropriate width, lay it into the seam, and then flow liquid styrene cement over it. When it cures, again, you have a solid piece of plastic and much less seam cleaning to do.
I also use Squadron putty and acetone to fill seams. I do this in either one of two ways. I will put putty in the seam with a knife, a toothpick, etc, then use a cotton swab soaked in acetone to remove the excess. Or I mix a blob of putty with the solvent in a little jar, and apply it to the seam with an old paintbrush. Either way, I wind up with putty in the seam and very little cleanup after.
