There’s an interesting tip in the current article of Finescale - check the Corsair build. For seams the author suggests filing a bit off the fuselage sides (didn’t specifiy one side or both) and create a kind of “V” when put together. Then, run some CA “Kicker” down the “V” when assembling the halves. Follow that with CA on a needle - enough to fill the trough created by the first step. Sand the CA within a few minutes before it goes rock hard.
I’ve never tried this. I’d heard of people doing the “V” filing and then filling it with Aves Apoxie Sculpt, but never CA. Actually it does sound interesting. Anyone out there used this technique? One trouble is that it would take a kit assembly to try it out - nice to have some input first.
It seems silly to make a small seam a bigger seam. I get the idea/principal, though.
Personally, I glue/cement as is. After sanding, I’ll hold the model up to a light, at all angles. You’ll see if the seams isn’t completely filled. I will then run a bead of CA (I use scrap stretched sprue as an applicator, rather than a needle or toothpick), to fill the gap…sand and repeat as needed.
I use ca if I know I’ll be rescribing, because I can’t get a consistent panel line through the putty. I’m with you, G, it’s a pain to sand, even when you start immediately, which is crucial. Creating a groove, though, uh, nope…
My guess someone used superglue and baking soda - not flour. Baking soda works a lot like kicker. I’ve got an old 1/72 P-40 in my stash - I think I might try this down the line. I think the idea is very interesting. I’ll report in if it works. Eric
I use stretched sprue taken from the kit I’m working on and use Japanese liquid cement on the seams. So long as the sprue melts down into the seam completely, rescribing is no problem, and I have yet to get “ghost” seams reappearing.
The first time I tried this, the kit had massive low spots at the join lines, so I kept laying strands of stretched sprue and sanding between applications until the join was level. I scribed lost panel lines through this mess and had no trouble with chipping or changes in hardness. I didn’t use strip plastic as the kit surface was very uneven. I build really slow, so this kit has sat with a coat of primer for several years, and no ghost seams so far.
Personally, I would not cut a vee groove at join lines, as it just makes for more work. My mantra is “more test fitting, less seam filling”.
I agree with not widening the crack. Also, I’m one of the people who don’t like sanding CA. What I do for a narrow seam is use paint. My goto paint is Testors enamel. As most of you know, that stuff precipitates out quickly, and ordinarily needs to be thoroughly stirred.
But, if you do not stir, you can take a glob of very thick paint from the bottom of the jar and use it as a filler. I use only matt colors for filling, as they dry reasonably fast, whereas the gloss enamel takes days to dry.
I’ve used the baking soda / CA method with good results but it’s kinda hard to work with. My prefered method is using sprue goo. it sands well and performs just like styrene for rescribing etc. but you hafta let it cure for at least over night, and it usually takes more than one application to fill bad seams.
I don’t get the mag so I don’t know what the Corsair build scale is. I think this idea would be successful on big scale projects, but a challenge on the smaller scales.
GM - From the look and color of the filler, I take it when you say “bondo”, you are referring to their laquer spot putty in the tube? no mixing of a hardner in it.
Since the paint companies has pretty much done away with laquers (in the automotive segment) it can be hard to come by except in some parts stores and box stores in the DIY fluids section
I must say that auto body spot/glazing putty, like the bondo and other brands, is my goto for seam filling. I only use the paint method I mentioned above when crack is very fine.
Those big tubes of the body putty are nice. I forget how many years ago I bought my current tube. I have learned to put the cap back on immediately, to prevent the stuff drying up in the tube. That stuff really dries fast!
It’s not the be-all, end-all. But as Don said, it dries quickly. It also sands well and takes paint well.
It doesn’t scribe that well.
I’m going to make an unsolicited comment here. I looked at the putty toot that is attached to a drop-down here. There are so many things done on that that I think aren’t right, it’s hard to know where to start.
So I’ll just call out one. As mentioned here, the whole operation can create more additional problems than it solves. Smearing on gobs of putty without control just creates a mess that is wholly avoidable.
I read that and don’t understand why he doesn’t just use Tamiya Extra Thin with it’s capillary flow it works great and not near the work. I’d never make a seam wider but to each his own because we all do it the way we prefer.
I’m with you. I like to use the “squeeze” method when assembling pieces with long seams, like a fuselage-applying enough pressure to extrude a little bead of melted plastic. When it cures, the seam is filled and I can scrape or sand that bead away. If I do get a seam, I like using the kit sprue and liquid styrene cement to fill it, if I can. If I have a larger gap, I’ll fill it with thicker pieces of sprue, or scraps of sheet styrene. I like having the same material throughout.
When I do use putty, I use Squadron white; I’ve never had any issues with it. I use acetone in sparing amounts, to thin the putty and to remove excess.
My two-part epoxy putty is for sculpting, not filling seams or gaps.
I tried the method described by the author who built the corsair, and it worked. You don’t need to create a big gap, just a couple light passes with the side of a blade to create a slight bevel. And use a tiny amount of CA. Has the added advantage of strengthening the joint.
Now if there was an easy way to fix the dreaded Revellogram step seam!
There is another problem with treating the seams. Sometimes with fuselage halves the two sides are not perfect mirror images- the height of one side does not match the other. This causes a slight step at the seam. Even if you apply putty to the seam, it will not look right. Fortunately this type of problem may take less putty then a gap. But it can sure take a lot of sanding. I usually use a needle file instead of sandpaper on seams like this.
