Hi everyone.
I have built two models since I last posted here and neither of them were good enough to display or post here. I can do a pretty good build but my painting and detailing is very poor.They ended up in the garbage can with all my other builds. I have a clean room now and am working on a Revell F-118A in 1/32 scale. I have some filling and sanding to do. The green putty I have is a little too thick for my liking. Is there a way to thin this out to make it easier to work with?
Or does anyone have a link to filling and sanding?
…
Thanks in advance, Bill.
Iused to thin it with laquer thinner and brush it on with an old brush that I nolonger needed. Have’nt used that brand in a long time, not since I went to using the 3M stuff. I thin 3M the same way. you might try that. It is beast to place it in a metal pallet type container though. Hope this helps.
Check out this thread:
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25180
Try your local hardware store or Wal Mart automotive section and pick up a tube of Bondo. It is normally intended to repairing small dings in cars. The tube is only about $3 instead of buying a qt or gallon can. It is easy to use, dries in less than hour, (thin coat) and sands very easily. The one drawback is that it sometimes attacks styrene. Use it sparingly.[alien]
You can also try a little liquid cement. It gives it a little more “bite” on harder plastics.
funny thing you asked, I’ve been meaning to post this today but kept forgetting. I usually used alcohol to thin mine but last night on a whim I tried Tamiya acrylic thinner on my squadron green and… BAM!!! the stuff melted like hot butter and flowed down nice and even on the model… took a tad longer to dry than with just alcohol, I suspect because of the thinner possibly having a retarder in it…
so if ya got a bottle check it out!
—edit—
check out the post Robert (Foster) listed, he goes into detail on this… he’s the one who steered me to doing it this way and I thank him everytime I have a seam to fill!!!
This is one of those mantras I repeat on here all the time, but keep in mind that Sqadron Green putty is mixed with plastic cement (well, the same solvent that we use as plastic cement, anyway, some type of toluol or toluene or whatever nasty chemical that is). This is so it will bond to the plastic. So keep this in mind if you thin with laquer thinner or liquid cement because you’re making it more “potent”. Use great care with the thinned putty because it can eat all the way through a wing or fuselage if you aren’t careful.
I’m old fashioned I guess, because I still use Squadron Green, but only for small sunken areas or the occasional bad wing/fuselage joint. And does anyone remember when modelers used that home grown “putty” using scrap plastic melted in liquid cement?
But, back to the question, can’t you thin Squadron Green with a little enamel thinner without consequences?
Tom
After reading all the replys I have to wonder why the Squadron Green people do not sell their own thinner for Squadron Green?
Thanks for all the great replys and if you have more tips for filling and sanding keep em coming, Bill.
Have you tried filling gaps between joints, like the wing to fuselage joint, with stretched sprue. Take a piece of the “tree” that the model parts are attached to, also called sprue, and heat it in the middle with a lighter or candle. When it starts to melt, but before it catches on fire, start pulling the piece apart.
The farther you pull the thinner it will get. If you want it thick pull slowly. Once you have a piece the thickness you need to fill the gap, lay it in the gap and apply liquid cement to the joined pieces, and the sprue. Sand it smooth and apply putty to any low areas, or areas that need contour.
And as stated above you can thin the Sqaudron Green putty. These “spot” putties are essentially thick primer. Most of the automotive putties are lacquer based, but the 3 M putty mentioned is acrylic based. Sqaudron’s Green putty is essentially the same as the automotive spot putties, including the “Bondo” spot putty mentioned above.
Any areas that will be under stress should be filled with plastic, such as sheet plastic or sprue. This is because the putty will crack. You can finish the area with putty but “weld” it together with “plastic-to-plastic” and liquid glue.
Let the putty dry, and shrink, at least overnight. Because of the shrinkage I like to apply the putty in at least two coats. The second coat should fill in the areas that shrank. Sand between coats. You can shape it with 360 or 400 wet or dry sandpaper, but do the finish sanding with 600 wet/dry. You get a better finish if you wet sand the putty.
Just some thoughts. If you decide to try making stretched sprue please be careful not to start any fires. Keep a pan of water handy. rangerj
Here’s my thinking on this subject. Why green putty? I now use Squadron “white” putty. Dies quickly, is easy to sand if you don’t let it get to hard and is easy to remove with finger nail polish remover when it is still moist. I recently read a post here that suggested using blue masking tape on each side of the joint, applying white putty, and wiping the excess off with polish remover applyied to a Q-Tip. It works beautifully! BTW, never throw away your bad builds. No matter how bad they are. Several reasons: 1) There is almost always something you can use from them. 2) As you get more experienced, you may want to go back and redo them. 3) They are a reminder of how far you have (hopefully) progressed in this wonderful hobby. Happy modeling.
Ed
The masking tape and clean up with nail polish remover trick is posted over on Swanny’s web site. My questions is whats the difference between white putty and green putty? can green putty not be thinned with ascetone based polish remover?
White Putty is a finer grade then green… thats the only different. you use Nail Polish remover with acetate to thin it but thats not nessessary(sp?). Just take 2 pieces of masking tape about 3-4 inches long and place it on either side of the seam. Using a toothpick or whatever (I use Squadron’s own tool) and apply it to the seam. Immediatly take a cue-tip soaked in the nail polish remover that contains acetate and rub the putty. Viola it goes in the seam with almost no sanding, and send 5 bucks to Swanny now [;)]. Works like a charm.
I started to use Gunze’s Mr Surfacer 500 for smaller seams. The stuff works GOOD and dries fast. Sands well too.
My suggestion for you is to g to a thread here on airplane forum called “sometimes I amaze myself” or to that effect. The author of that Thread is our very own Swanny and he has a link in his sig you need to save. It will be invaluable to you as a new modeler, and send Swanny another 5 bucks [;)] (actually I am kidding on the 5 buck stuff, he provides his invaluable knowlege and help for free because hes a great modeler and cares about the hobby).
Hope this helps you and good luck.
-Jeff~
What is the “3M stuff” referred to in several of the seam filler and putty questions/comments?
Try this! I used to run my Fathers body shop when his health failed and during the slower winter months I would build my models in the office. One day I ran out of putty so I thought “What the Heck” I tried the 3M finish putty we used in the shop and it worked great!! it is the same consistency as toothpaste and goes on smooth and can be thinned with lacquer or enamel thinner! It does come in a very large tube though, but you can always put it in smaller jars from the dollar store. It also comes in different colors.
It is a body finish paste by 3M used to cover flaws in bondo and to fill small defects in body work after the bondo and primer work have been done. can be purchased at any automotive paint supplier and some automotive outlets. One tube will last years.
I have been using the 3M Body putty for years and I have had excellent results with it. I have used it to replicate “Zimmerit” on tanks (using a trimmed down “popsicle” stick). It is available at any auto body material supply house. I never found a need to thin it but thanks to the “Forum” should the need arise, I now know what to do.