Putty: anyone use 3M Acryl Blue, Red or Super Red??

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Techniques
1

I’m on the endless search for a good and easy to use general-use putty for my models… I’ve tried a few and read the forums (the “best” putty DOES seem to be an endless debate with no single answer), but I was wondering if anyone has used 3M Acryl Blue. I read that it was a good choice, I think on this forum. When I Googled it, I also found Acryl Red (sounds good for minor imperfections) and Super Red (supposedly self leveling).

Has anyone used this? What were your results, good or bad, will it attack the plastic? Is it toxic?

Just to share info with the community this is what I’ve used and why I like or don’t like it:

Miliput White- my favorite for large gaps, but hard to fill minor scractches w/o getting it everywhere… requires lots of cleanup with water before it hardens or LOTS of sanding afterwards (this stuff cured is like a rock!!)

Kyneedadite… whatever, the “green stuff”- 2nd favorite, great for large gaps but doesn’t adhere in thin strips for minor gaps, even after curing (peels right off)

automotive 2-part putty- like the first two, two-part putties are sometimes inconvenient to mix unless your going to use a large amount before it hardens

Squadron Green and Testors Countour- can never get a smooth surface no matter how much sanding I do (always leaves holes; more filling and sanding creates new holes); does not adhere well to plastic in small amounts

Mr. Surfacer 1000- great for very small imperfections, but can’t brush on for large gaps w/o having to throw brush away (dries too fast)

gap-filling superglue- works great for holes or gaps that are not too big OR too small, but next time I won’t use accelerator first!!

I guess the best scenario would be to use Squadron Green then fill the holes with superglue or Mr. Surfacer, but I haven’t tried this yet and am not sure if there would be any interaction between the two that would show up later (like ghosting or fisheyes showing through the paint). Anyone have an opinion?

The best thing may actually be to use many, many thin layers of Mr. Surfacer to build up a thick layer for large gaps… toothpicks are cheap.

Please share any ideas…

2

White out (correction fluid) works well for small areas.

3

I think you have a good grasp on things. I use Bondo Glaze & Spot putty – basically the same stuff as 3m Red or Testors Red (It’s made by the parent company of Testors). I thin it with nail polish remover (with acetone) and brush it on. Works fine more me. I also have Kneadtite/Green Stuff.

4

For years I’ve used 3 Ms Spot-N-Glaze red putty which is a laquer based putty. I’ve tried others (3m Acryl Blue - It dries too fast, Bondo - the surface isn’t as fine etc) but have always come back to the Spot-N-Glaze. And it can be thinned to the consitency of paint with laquer thinner.

5

And if you do go for Bondo, remember that Bondo is a company/brand name that makes a variety of fillers and putties. While some people use the 2 part stuff, I find the one part Bondo Spot & Glaze putty is the way to go for me. Bondo works fine, but the 3M stuff is about as good as it gets though.

6

Sweet, thanks for the tips! White out… never heard of that one but I guess it’s worth a try and that what the forums are for, hearing about new ideas.

I’ll try the one-part spot and glaze putty… sounds like it works, and I like the fact that it’s not a two-part mixture. After I wrote my question I went to the hobby store for plastic strip and they actually had Mr. Surfacer 500. Most stores around me, if they even carry Mr. Surfacer, only have 1000 and 1200; I hear the 500 is thicker so between that and the 1000 and the Spot and Glaze I should be good.

Thanks again!

7

3M Blue gives you very little working time and shrinks badly when it dries. I recommend Model Master Red. It gives you plenty of working time, it dries within half an hour, it can be easily thinned using liquid cement, it sands smooth, and it is red so you know where you have and haven’t applied it. Enamels can easily cover over MM Red with one coat. I’m not sure about acrylics.

8

Personally, I love the two part putties, as they dry very, very fast and are much stronger, particularly on edges - an important consideration as I build r/c models. You can mix up batches the size of a pea or smaller - I put a small amount of putty and hardner on opposite sides of a paper pie plate, and use a toothpick to pick up a bit of the putty and a bit of the hardener to make what I need at the time. The stuff feathers out better than any other putty I have used, and doesn’t seem to shrink very much, if at all. I prefer the smell over laquer based putties, but all of these should be used in a well ventiated space.

Kurt

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ive used 3m and bondo and nason body filler in my dads body shop for a number of years tried it bondo once on a model car but its chemical reaction makes the filler get hot and melt the plastic. I figure leve the body filler to the profeshinal buisness and use the plastic model putty to do plastic models. but thats from my own experiance.

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The Bondo 1 part red spot & glaze putty is the exact same stuff as testors/model master red putty. They’re both owned by the same parent company and it’s exactly the same stuff in different branded tubes. Any filler, even dedicated hobby putty, can get too hot and damage the plastic if the wrong thinner or proportions are used. As seaphoto mentioned, some people really like the 2 part stuff for strength.

But you are quite right. If you start using putties that are meant for fiberglass or metal car bodies on styrene, that’s certainly taking a risk compared to using putties designed for hobby applications. Some of the auto-body stuff melts styrene really easily, some of it doesn’t. Another thing I noticed is that people seem to miss that Bondo is a company that makes many different putties. Not everything that says “Bondo” on it is the same putty. They have super toxic two part resins with little fibreglass strands, to 1 part acetone thinned putties meant for less than a mm thick applications. Sometimes I wonder when people say they used “Bondo” or “3M” putty what they actually used. Do they mean Evercoat? Spot & Glaze putty? 2 part resin? Something else?

11

For heavy builds I use Evercoat or Tamiya polyester putties. For minor builds or skim coats I use Acryl red, Acryl blue, Tamiya silver/grey, Squadron white and the top coat id Spies-Hecker Permacron 7715. Mr. Surfacer is great for scratches. Always change putty or hardener color when doing another coat and work in thin layers.

12

Smokinguns3 is exactly correct. 3M putties are designed for use on body fillers used on 1:1 vehicles. They’re used to fill pinholes and scratches in the fillers after first sandings; not as stand-alone fillers. The putties ar nothing more that thick lacquer paint. Commercial fillers are too course for modeling except for the Evercoat stuff. It’s made extra fine as well a expensive. [:)] For model use, the best choice are the fillers designed for models. Most problems people have with modeling fillers come from poor prep. For filling large cracks, try 15-minute epoxy.

13

Regarding Acryl Blue. This great stuff is the only filler that i use. For seams or small gaps, minor depressions, pinholes etc you can thin with 70% denatured alcohol which depending on the amount used will make it almost into a cream which you can Paint onto the area needing to be filled. Just put some Acryl Blue in one of those epoxy mixing cups add some alcohol and stir up to the cosistency you want then pour out the left over alcohol. It does not effect the surrounding plastic. For large depressions you may want to apply in layers after each layer is throughly dry and wet sanded. The stuff feather sands just beautiful. After you get the area looking just the way you want just prime ( a must ) and paint. Blue is a little pricey at the automotive paint store but the tube is so big it lasts forever and will do many, many, many kits

14

I’ll have to fully agree with you on the acryl blue, I never found it to shrink at all. I use Acetone to thin mine down, works wonderfully.

15

i use bondo micro filler in the tube. it works very similar at much less cost and greater availability.

16

No one has mentioned Perfect Plastic Putty by Deluxe. It is water based and very easy to use and works well with smal scratches to big gaps. I used it to fill a turret opening on a B-29 Fortress to Silverplate conversion.

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Because it didn’t exist 10 years ago when the question was asked. [:)]

18

Lucky lads ten years back. Perfect Plastic Putty is…terrible. If you can afford a new batch for every use - go ahead - I love water based stuff and PPP works well. But it dries in the tube really fast. I’ve had four batches and have never come close to finishing a tube before it dried up completely - and yes, I had the cap on tight. This stuff goes about $7 a pop, so it’s no small matter.

Eric

19

Hi ;

I read all the posts with interest .Ever since I owned a body shop in the late seventies I have used 3-M Acryl Blue or Red .Why ? well for one thing thay seem comfortable with any of the spray can primers I use .

Sure they shrink . But when you get it right it is awesome . Plus it makes you look at that model closer and then you discover spots you didn’t see Before primer .It works eithr way , but sticks better that without .Why ? well it is in essence paint . With a thickener added or liquid brewed away .I don’t know the exact process ( Probably Proprietary anyway ) but I can thin it as paint with lacquer thinner and spray it too !

The thing to remember is it is "Glazing " putty .That means for little dits after all that sanding . Don’t ever use it for a thick bruise or blemish . Use melted sprue putty for that ! If you use it to cover thick spots it will take time to gas out . What’s it doing during that time ? Shrinking and Cracking !!

I probably have bought enough ot the stuff to fill a mold and build my own Bass boat ! !Just a side note here . I like the Acryl Blue for model cars specifically

20

I also use the 3M red. I have had it for nearly five years, and although half the tube is left, it has hardened in the tube so badly I need to buy a new tube. I believe I am money ahead versus using the small tubes sold as model putty. Yeah, the big tubes are expensive, but I am a heavy putty user, and that half tube has done many, many models. I like the stuff.