Squadron Green Putty

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Techniques
1

OK 1st off hi all,

I have been building models for a long time and I NEVER could figure out how to work with the Squadron Putty. I use to put it on and let it dry and sand it off but that did not work good at all. I would like to know some of your ideas.

Thanks

Bud

2

There’s several ways around filling seams, but the best advice I can offer is to ditch the green putty and try using the white instead.

If you have the option, Tamiya’s Basic Putty is very good, gap-filling superglue is a tried-and-true technique.

I currently working on a story on various seam-filling techniques. Stay tuned.

Jeff

3

White, Green no diffent to me, but I will try it. So I put on the putty and what then. Wate for it to dry and sand ? Or wipe it clean then ? I just dont know how to use it ?

Thanks all

Bud

4

Squadron Green putty is a lot easier to work with when you thin it a little. You can thin it with Testors liquid cement (the thin type in the glass jar) or any other liquid cement for that matter, acetone or at a pinch, lacquer thinner.

  • Do not apply direct from the tube - that’s just a mess waiting to happen. I use an artist’s spatula to apply putty
  • Apply multiple thin layers, allowing time to dry in between, rather than a single thick one. The solvents in putty are similar to those in plasic cement. Apply too thick a layer and it will soften/melt the plastic underneath.
  • this type of putty shrinks as it dries and may shrink even further between “dry” and “fully cured” so allow for that.
  • if you are filling a seam, mask it up with masking tape so that the putty doesn’t affect the surrounding area.
  • Squadron putty is very porous when dry, which may result in a visible difference in “sheen” of your finish, as it will absorb some paint. Apply an “overall” primer coat or “spot prime” using something like Tamiya’s “Liquid Surface Primer”, a lacquer based sealer similar to Mr Surfacer, only finer, which can be brushed on where required, or thinned for airbrushing.
  • Once you have “rough sanded” the puttied areas to the approximate contour, “wet sand” it to the final finish, starting with around a 600 grit wet/dry paper, and finishing with around a 1200 grit or finer.
5

I’ll try to answer your question. Check back when Jeff finishes his article on varied filler materials and methods. .

Squadron Green, Squadron White, Dr Microtools Red and others are solvent puttys. They work by having a thick “plastic” paste suspended in a solvent. When the solvent evaporates the putty hardens and dries. Solvent putties also tend to melt plastic – so they attach themselves well to plastic, There are other types of putties which harden by chemical reaction – Jeff will cover them in his article.

The basic thing you need to remember is the more putty you put on – the more putty you need to remove. So go lightly. Also the solvent in the putty may melt fine details if you put too much on. I once tried to add weight to an airplanes nose with a big glob of putty inside – it melted and deformed the nose.

If after gluing a seam doesn’t close tightly, spread some putty across the seam - pushing some into the gap. Use a toothpick, popsicle stick, back of a modeling knife or similar tool to spread it. Leave just a bit mounded up proud of the seam. Let it harden – it will likely take overnight. When dry go back with a sanding stick and sand across the seam. If you go with the seam it tends to dig the putty out. Sand carefully to maintain as much of the surrounding details. Work from coarser grits to finer grits of sandpaper. Your finest grit should feather the edges of the putty smooth with the plastic.

Jeff’s recommendation about the white putty over the green is twofold. The green may be a little coarser grain than the white. This comes into play when you are trying to feather the edges. The green is also harder to cover with a single coat of paint. It takes primer and/or several coats of paint which may hide details.

Don’t be tied only to putties with a model manufacturer’s brand name. Many of the best putties are found in the auto body repair department of the auto parts store. This is where most of the modeing putties got their start – the custom car modelers of the 50s and 60s used auto body putty to shape their custom creations. Some of the names to look for are Bondo Glazing Putty or 3M Acryl Blue. A large-sized tube of putty from an auto parts store may be less expensive than a smaller tube with a model brand (and it is likely the same stuff).

As you develop your skills you will learn other techniques that can be used in your modeling. You will also learn about other materials which can be used for filling seams and gaps.

6

Jeff, Phil and Ed,

Thank you for the tips :):):slight_smile: I think I have the idea now.

Thanks

Bud

7

bump

Hey, Jeff. Any update on the release of your putty article? I haven’t seen it in FSM yet. I was just about to go invest in some putty, and am doing some up-to-date research before I do so.

8

I have only used automotive spot putty and never had any problems. The key is to spread it thin, even if you have to do it in layers to cover a spot. I use either one of those cheap black rubber applicators or those “already approved credit cards” because they are really thin and flexible. Each layer seems to dry quick enough that I can sand it within a few hours as long as it was thin enough. I like to wet sand the spot putty working to a really fine grit paper feathering each layer as needed. Give one or two shots of primer to the puttied area before priming the entire piece seems to help blend in the body work.

[2c]

9

I’ve paid my dues and joined the Bondo automotive spot putty club. This stuff is much easier to work with than the Squadron products. It doesn’t dry as fast on me, and is softer, easier to form and level. And getting twice as much for the same price sweetens the deal. 4.5 oz for ~$2.

I’m a convert. The Squadron green just went into the trash.

Oh, and a trick I used while using that product was that a Qtip wet with nail polish remover worked great for smoothing the wet putty into crevices, as well as cleaning up before it started to set. My problem was STILL the patches you saw under paint. I could never seal the putty correctly. :confused:

10

Bud:

Swanny has a couple of “how-to” articles on his website, in the “Tools & Tips” section, these might be helpful.

http://www.swannysmodels.com/Seams.html

http://www.swannysmodels.com/Surfacer.html

Mitch

11

Thanks Mitch

Bud