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Zap-a-Gap ond other fillers.

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  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Cardinal USA
Zap-a-Gap ond other fillers.
Posted by AirMedical on Thursday, December 29, 2005 8:51 AM
Hey Gang!

Hope everyone had a nice holiday.  The nice thing about having time off for Christmas is having free time to work on the models.  Woo-hoo!!!

Well, progress has moved forward on the 1/32 BK-117s.  I managed to finish on the interiors and get the bodies assembled.
As I had mentioned in a previous post, The BK's are going to require some gap filling and seam patching due to the poor fit. 
What suggestions do you guys have for gap fillers?  I use the Squadron Putty and use solvent to smooth it out which helps fill gaps pretty well.  What about Zap-a-Gap?
Believe it or not, the heavt-duty liquid nails adhesive caulk works pretty nice.  For heavy, deep, wide, gaps, and it dries pretty hard.  But you do have to take extra care when using it since it likes to sting on ya when handling it.


You can see a lot of the green patching I've had to do.  I have some gap filling to do around the engine housing were it meets the body.   Of course, more pictures to follow as progress moves forward.

I will be getting a tabletop vacuum former this week and will be molding my own External oxygon tanks and radar noze domes.  I'll be using some thicker stock Styrene for that to give it some rigidity.  So I know there will be some gap patching on that. 
I've never did much gap filling and patching in my old days of modeling.  But now that I'm back to building, I'm doing a lot of stuff I've never done before. 

Here's to the New Year.  Best wishes to all.
John

-The more I'm around humans, the more I prefer the company of birds and animals -Even though the voices aren't real, they have some pretty good ideas. -Here's your sign!
  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Australia
Posted by neilsmadabtchoppers on Thursday, December 29, 2005 5:27 PM

Hey

 

Theres no picture there,only an X

Neil

 

BTW Email me with some pic of your BK's They are my favourite chopper

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Cardinal USA
Posted by AirMedical on Friday, December 30, 2005 7:53 AM
Neil,

It must be your browser.  I emailed you a link per your request.
Thanks,

John

-The more I'm around humans, the more I prefer the company of birds and animals -Even though the voices aren't real, they have some pretty good ideas. -Here's your sign!
  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Cardinal USA
Posted by AirMedical on Friday, December 30, 2005 7:58 AM
Anyone?  Zap-a-gap a good product?
I take it my method for filling and patching is o.k.?  Because I'm winging it.....big time.
I'm actually applying my industrial composite practices to the hobby.

Happy New Year!

-The more I'm around humans, the more I prefer the company of birds and animals -Even though the voices aren't real, they have some pretty good ideas. -Here's your sign!
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Maryland
Posted by Par429 on Friday, December 30, 2005 9:16 AM
AirMedical-
I have never used Zap-a-gap, so I can't offer any opinions on it. In my experience, people here use a wide range of fillers, so whatever you find works for you is OK. For example, I use epoxy putty for very large gaps, or recontouring fuselages or car bodies. The cheap stuff you can find in hardware stores works just fine. For finish filling of seams I used a polyester glazing putty. It's an autobody product that has to be mixed with a hardener (a bit of a pain) but it hardens in just a few minutes, is very fine-grained and it doesn't shrink at all. This last part is critically important for car models where a high gloss finish will show any shrinkage of fillers, but it works great for all types of models.

Hope this helps,
Phil
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: phoenix
Posted by grandadjohn on Friday, December 30, 2005 10:06 AM
Never used Zap-a-gap, but I don't see were one brand of CA is any better or worse than another
  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Cardinal USA
Posted by AirMedical on Friday, December 30, 2005 11:32 AM
O.k.  I guess I can't go too wrong with what I'm currently doing then.  I'm not very familiar with all the new products that are out there.  I'll see somthing new and ask around before using it. 

Thanks for the info and input guys!

John


-The more I'm around humans, the more I prefer the company of birds and animals -Even though the voices aren't real, they have some pretty good ideas. -Here's your sign!
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 30, 2005 12:44 PM

 I use a combination of CA and putty. I try to fill the gaps with CA from the inside of the fuselage using a thick glue.. It fills alot of the gap and leaves a strong bed for the putty.

The reason I use this technique is that I have found the hard way (several times...) that most CA's are pretty hardcore and not very sanding friendly once they completely set. If I do use CA to fill a gap from the outside surface, I wait till it has set enough to hold the parts and not smear but not totally cured. There is a sweet spot in the setting process and you have to keep an eye on it since the cure time varies with temp, humidity, etc..... Florida can be ugly for modeling in summer. Usually I will practice on spare sprue to get a good idea of how much time the glue is setting in and then do the real thing.

Good luck!

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Cardinal USA
Posted by AirMedical on Friday, December 30, 2005 3:54 PM
O.k., o.k, I know it's been a while for me.  What is CA?  No, it's not California either.  ;-)
Cheers,
John

-The more I'm around humans, the more I prefer the company of birds and animals -Even though the voices aren't real, they have some pretty good ideas. -Here's your sign!
  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Left forever
Posted by Bgrigg on Friday, December 30, 2005 3:58 PM
CA = CyanoAcrylate. Otherwise known as Superglue, who just happens to make Zap products.

So long folks!

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Cardinal USA
Posted by AirMedical on Saturday, December 31, 2005 8:03 AM

Ah-ha!!!  So it is true.  O.k.  As Elvis would say.  "Thank ya, thank ya very much."

 

Happy New Year to all!

John

-The more I'm around humans, the more I prefer the company of birds and animals -Even though the voices aren't real, they have some pretty good ideas. -Here's your sign!
  • Member since
    July 2013
Posted by DURR on Sunday, January 1, 2006 5:29 PM

i know its me  but i have always had no luck using C A as a filler

how wide is the max. gap u can fill with the stuff ?  may b i am trying to fill too wide of a space

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Cardinal USA
Posted by AirMedical on Sunday, January 1, 2006 10:22 PM

Based on what I've been doing this past week, from what I experianced, it's good for fine, hairline gaps only.  (<1/64") Also, the CA (Superglue) leaves the white-frosted resindue from the fumes, which is why LE use it to lift fingerprints. And it does not leave a smooth finish, so you will have to use a fine grit to sand it down.  It's brittle if used thicker or used for wide gaps.  I don't care for it much. 

I've come to love the Squadron putty because you can use Acitone on a Q-tip to smooth it out like creamy icing. When hard, it sands great.  It's worked very well for me..

My $0.02

Cheers,  John

-The more I'm around humans, the more I prefer the company of birds and animals -Even though the voices aren't real, they have some pretty good ideas. -Here's your sign!
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