Fuselage seam lines

I used to have the same issue but with some trial and error I found a system that works very well for me and I have no more seems and it's less work than some other methods.

I use Tamiya extra thin cement and I glue about one inch at a time and I apply just enough pressure with my fingers to cause the plastic to oose up along the seem. I then move on and do the same thing until I am done. I wait one day and scrape the now raised seems down, sand it smooth and it completely eliminate my seems, every time. I double check the area with my finger nail and eyes closed. If the nail catches at all, I need to do more work there. With your eyes closed you fingers are more sensitive to touch.

Hope this helps and good luck.

BK

It's hard, no doubt. I have learned that paint can never be counted on to hide stuff. maybe it used to, but the stuff now is so fine and thin that it shows detail, as it should. Putty is only slightly more successful, as it eats up details. Where I've had a little more luck (all my models take a LOT of luck) is not necessarily following the directions but like Brandon, concentrating on alignment where it matters the most. For instance, gluing up the top half rather than trying to get it all together at once. Or gluing the top halves of the wings to the fuselage before putting the bottom (s) on.

Time is your friend.  

It helps quite a bit if you let the parts sit for a couple of days after glueing them together.  The softened plastic will shrink a tiny bit as the solvent completely dries.  This can take a few days depending on the brand you use.  So even though the parts seem dry and solid after a few hours there is still potential for some shrinkage.

Also, I try to use light pressure when I sand the seam because it seems like if I use too much pressure I can sand material out of the seam itself.  This could be my imagination but lighter pressure does seem to help.

Hopefully you are using a solvent cement, such as Tamiya extra thin or Tenax or the like. Its important to know when to stop sanding too, so you don't sand away all your putty. Priming is key here. It will show any high or low spots.

I've had some luck with stubborn seams by taking some masking tape and running it down either side of the seam, about 1/8" away from the seam.  Then, I apply putty (I use auto body glazing and spot putty) down the seam, using an artist's putty knife.  Once the putty starts to set, I pull the tape away.  Once dry, I sand most if it away with sanding sticks.  That has worked when nothing else did work.  

For seams that are a little better, the Tenax and a Touch-N-Flow applicator, squeezing the seam a little, then letting that set and scraping the seam, as others have mentioned, works well.  

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

Mark,

On fine seams,I use mutlipile applications of either Mr.Dissolved Putty or Mr.Surfacer. I build up two to three applications worth and carefully wet sand.It may take more than one try to get good results,but the effort is worth it.I hope this helps...Douglas

Seams that need to be filled can be filled with plastic in the form of stretched sprue. Sprue is the plastic that the model parts are attached to. You heat the sprue until it softens and then pull it and it will stretch into a wire like consistency. The slower you pull the thicker the piece will be. You want it thick enough to fill in your gap. Use a liquid glue like tenax 7, Weld-on # 1,2,or #3, or Tamia, that "welds" the plastic together. Let the pieces dry for a day or so and then sand with fine sandpaper like 600, 800, or finer if a natural metal finish is going to be applied. Use the glue sparingly and try not to let it run. You can apply the glue with a fine paint brush. Wide joints, such as the wing to fuselage joint can be filled with sheet stock of the right thickness, such as "evergreen". I keep a stock of .005 up to .060 thickness. This cab give you a good solid plastic to plastic joint. The plastic can be sanded and rescribed whereas putty will chip if you try to scribe it. No one method is better than the others. use whatever method is appropriate for the specific build. Hope this helps.

Thanks to all for those awesome ideas. I will try all of them very soon. I'm using Tamiya Exatra Thin cement which seals an d hardens immediately.

I'm building two 1/32 a/c at present:

Revell MiG 29 single seater in Polish a/f anniversary confiig....and Revell Eurofighter Typhoon. (Luftwaffe).

Thanks again everyone!

Tenax all the way.  Its "hotter" than the others which does a better job at melting the seam.  Sounds like your having some alignment issues too, which explains the excessive sanding.  Make sure the pieces are lined up so there is no "step" at the seam.  If a ghost seam appears, which I get sometimes, add some superglue to the seam, zap it with accelerator, then sand it.  

Another trick I use for checking seams is a silver Sharpie.  Works great.  

Joe  

The method I found that works for me is gluing with the testors liquid cement and then I lay down some painters tape along the seam and follow up with super glue over top (the heavy gap filling kind) with a toothpick or super glue applicator and hit it with some accelerator and sand.  When sanding I use a 3 grit stick (squadron has them) starting with the coarse and working my way to the polishing side so that when complete I have a nice shiny finish.  After that I put down some dymo tape and rescribe.  I also take into account how I intend to display the model.  If it's an aircraft that will be sitting on a non-mirrored surface, the upper seam is crucial, but I don't go nuts on the underside as it won't be visible.

Groot

There have been some good methods posted and each of us has a method we like so here is what works best for me, Plast I Weld or Tenax applied with a Toucn N Flow applicator works every time. About 99% of all my gluing is done this way and just about every time I have no need for putty. Once you master using the Touch N Flow  applicator you won't look back. Go to You tube and search for the product to see how to use it.

I line up the seams and apply the solvent cement to sections at a time then squeeze the sections allowing the melted plastic to form a ridge. After doing the entire fuselage a section at a time clamp things together without disturbing the ridge of melted plastic. Let it cure for 2-4 hours for maximum strength then lightly sand following the surface contour to avoid a flat spot. Follow up with finer grit sanding sticks and the seam is gone. Re scribe any sanded details. Hope this helps.

Ernie,

I've watched the videos on the Touch-n-Flow and the proceedure is lost on me somehow.  Everytime I remove my thumb from the tube all the Plastiweld comes out of the tube in a rush all over everything. Then I just sctratch my head and wonder what I am doing wrong, then remove the glue from my hair (LOL)  I know it works just because you use it but it's obvious you're a better man than I.

question;  is the only use for the plastic squeeze bottle to fill the glass tube ? if so, I always get either too much glue or not enough in the tube when i attempt to fill it . 

Jay

The trick is once you load the glass tube with the squeeze bottle, you keep the tube horizontal, this way the liquid stays put. Once you are ready to glue, you slide the needle away from you while tilting the glass tube to get the flow started. This method keeps the melted plastic from clogging the tip. If it becomes clogged then simply submerge the needle in the glue and it will clear the obstruction. That is how you control the flow depending on how steep you raise the angle of the glass tube. To stop the flow just simply go back to horizontal.

It took me a while to master the tool but once you get it right you will swear by it and not at it.

 Any other issues then shoot me a pm so I can help you out more.

OK and ty PJ,  I will practice this on some scrap styreene today.

Lots of great ideas I plan to try some as I have issues as recently as a few days ago. I was trying to assemble a 1/72 R of Germany(the old one from 2009- found out the moulds were from 1968) and it was seam lines galore!!

BUT

what I discovered was the "orange" top Tamiya glue followed by the "Green" top(extra thin) and WOW it helped a great deal !!!

I've been watching a lot of modeling tip videos on You-Tube and am on a "Quantum Leaping" fast track to learning a lot of skills.

I'm in love with the hobby again!!

After gluing if I have to putty- I use automotive spot putty- it does shrink so be a little generous.

Also I use wet-dry sandpaper always a little wet starting with 400 grit and then 600 then 800 . I go slow and am very TLC light touch. Then set the model section aside for a couple days-easy for me as we have 5 kids a dog etc to keep busy.

It seems to help a lot !!!

I have developed a pretty solid technique over the years:

I found that puttying /sanding obliterated adjacent panel line detail and other belly features which unless re-scribed, was unacceptable.

I use micro thin styrene rod or stretched sprue to fill the gaps. I try not to use ANY cement or putty. I simply "press fit" the thin rod or sprue rope into the joint. Then using a hair dryer on low heat, slowly and carefully weld the sprue into place with heat.

Then using a sharp exacto edge, gently scrape the seam flush. Many times, no further treatment is needed. To eliminate any evidence, a ultra fine sanding stick can be used to gently dress the cooled joint to a mirroe like finish with no evidence of transistion:

img.photobucket.com/.../hell4.jpg

img.photobucket.com/.../P409.jpg

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good luck

Steve

Steve,

I checked out your photobucket pics and first let me say that I'm in awe of your modeling skills...just WOW .

Your sprue / seam technique makes a lot of sense, but I'm afraid that i might warp or melt the area with the hair dryer  as well as the sprue.  Have you had any problems with that ?

There really is no danger of melting as long as you are careful. Keep the dryer on low and don't come closer than an inch and you'll be fine. Once the filler starts to melt, pull away and let things cool down a bit, then proceed.

One thing I have learned is to make that seam as small as possible from the get go.

Work slowly over sections make sure they line up and are 'clamped' tightly.

A little extra effort at that stage goes along way.

Ty for the reply Crocket. This technique is well worth a try.

Yes UM, I think you're technique is essential prep for a good build.  I have modified black binder clamps with surgical tubing, slit lenghtwise and installed on the cylindrical "clamping portion " of the clamp, so i can clamp on the very edge of the wing and tail halves without it popping off the edge, to achieve no gapping on the seams there.

Hi :

      I do what a lot of the guys do and it usually works .One of my favorite ways of dealing with this problem in large aircraft and ships is using the " Sprue Glue method " . If you've done an admirable job gluing , and get the Squish to work , fine . If not the " Sprue Glue " method will solve the problem .

    You , of course , take a quarter bottle of glue and drop little pellets of cut up sprue in the bottle . Wait a week and you'll have a nice soup for filling seams and stuff that is made from the same stuff as the kit -styrene plastic ! Now the nice part .It usually works great with wet sanding and it's usually the same color as the plane you're building , -Light Grey !  Good Luck - -Tanker -  Builder