Squadron Putty: White or Green?

Thanks Woody. Maybe I should try that 3M putty. Do you get that stuff at a home hardware store or hobby shop?

  Ron W.

I buy mine online but autobody supply houses should have it if they carry 3M products. One thing though, the tube is big so you'll be covered for a long time. I squirt mine into a small glass jar and use it from there. The tube is like 22oz!

Woody wrote:

I've been told the white is smoother but I really can't tell a difference in consistency. I much prefer Dr MicroTool putty but they are out of business so I switched to 3M Acrylic Blue Putty. Great stuff!

If you liked Dr Microtools red putty, check out Bondo Spot Glazing putty from the auto parts store.   Same stuff.  

I don't buy much hobby-branded materials anymore.  I've found that I can buy the same stuff,  in a larger quantity for a lesser price, by shopping in a auto supply shop, hardware store, or beauty supply store.   

put any of the puttys in a small jar and add laquer thinner to thin it down. thias gives you alot longer working time.

bill

I definatly find white easier to work with.  Its not smoother, its finer.

I do the laquer thing too, I actuially find that if you add 3 to 1 laquer to putty you can make a great texturing thing, I use it all the time to texture kits, also, it fills small seams alot better.

smeagol the vile wrote:

I definatly find white easier to work with.  Its not smoother, its finer. I do the laquer thing too, I actuially find that if you add 3 to 1 laquer to putty you can make a great texturing thing, I use it all the time to texture kits, also, it fills small seams alot better.

Couldn't agree with Smeagol more.  I vary the amount of laquer depending on how thin I want my putty.  I actually recently put a tube of Tamiya putty into a babyfood jar and filled it with thinner (probably between 5 and 10 to 1 thinner to putty).  The result is a really nice, thin... ooze, really.  But like Smeag said, it is great for filling tough to reach seams.  I also am using it for a Zimm pattern that I've been wanting to try.

PS I also agree that Squadron white is the way to go.  I was a green man for a long time, but have recently embraced the white!

jimbot58 wrote:

Do either of those have a longer working time over the Squadron putties? It seems like it's already setting up before I can even spread it in place, and it ends up with the consistancy of dried bread dough....

I use the Bondo glazing and spot putty, I find it much easier to work with. I tried the Squadron and Testors putties and it always seemed like they were half dried up coming out of the tube.

The Bondo putty is also about 1/2 the price since you get much more for the same price. 

I just joined this forum. A couple of weeks ago when my tube of White Squadron putty was almost empty, I was looking to find some place on the web to buy some. Google showed me this forum. I went and looked for the Bondo 'Glazing and Spot Putty', and found it at Wal-mart for $3.29 for a 4.5 oz tube. I have been using it for the past 2 weeks to do my Horizon Iron Man kit "conversion project". I like it a lot better than the green glazing putty I had used, since this Bondo stuff dries a lot faster but is a lot more easier to sand and form. It is also a "usable" substitute for the Squadron White putty, but it doesn't go on as thick as the Squadron can.

thanks, newbie, Ed

Don't waste your money on those lousy ones. The best is 3M Acryl-Blue Glazing Putty.

One tube will last you many years if you seal it good.

http://www.rwmallon.com/catalog.asp?prodid=551433&showprevnext=1

I have used both, couldn't tell the difference between the two but for the color. Squadron should change the lable to indicate what the difference is, if there is one other than color, so folks would know instead of just assuming there's some magical way people will know the difference because of the color difference.

A personal note on the 3M putty. I tried it a number of years ago and didn't like it. I tried the red glazing putty. The stuff dried slower than say, squadron, and it dried much much harder. It took much longer to sand to shape and I lost much more of the surrounding plastic as a result. I may give the blue stuff a try since it comes highly recommened.

hkshooter

 I may give the blue stuff a try since it comes highly recommened.

Definitely try it Shooter, it is fantastic.

The red you tried is made for filling deeper depressions in automotive applications whereas the blue is for more minor things like deep scratches.

It spreads very smoothly and has a very fine grain plus it is only $15-18 for a huge 21 oz tube.