Hiding mold seam on fuselage halves

I'm a new builder like you, so take this advice with a BIG grain of salt.  I may be telling you to do exactly the wrong thing.  That said, here goes...

For most gluing chores, I use the old, messy, smelly Testors 3512 (the one in the red tube).  This is a gel-type glue.  I put on a little more than I need, enough so it squishes out a little when the parts are joined.  I then use a finger to wipe off the excess and fair the joint.  Once the glue is dry, I sand the joint to smooth it out further.  I've used this technique on fuselage, wing and stabilizer joins and been pleased with the results.

I've also tried the Squadron green putty, but I'm still learning how to work with it.  It seems to dry out pretty quick on me.

--Jeff

I use 3M Acryl Glazing Putty (I have red...need to pick up white, which I've read is a replacement for their discontinued blue that everyone recommends). More workable than squadron putty. But yeah, putty and sand. Good times.

For smaller stuff, Mr. Surfacer 500 can work, too. 

I use Zap a Gap gap filling CA (superglue) nearly exclusively--available from Squadron, maybe other places too.  I apply it, wait an hour then sand.  Some use an accelertator to speed the process.

Zap a Gap is not gel-like, but more fluid.  Tried the gel type, found it too thick for most applications.  Regular thin superglue seems too thin, and dries too quickly.

 

One of the things I don't like about sanding is the sanding off  of any details. uaually not too much of a problem with airliners, more of a problem with riveted skin panels. I guess you could go around it or be finicky when it comes to sanding.

For me, first step, refuse to build anything not released by a company that can't do it right to begin with.

I have found this rule applies to aircraft kits more so than any form of modeling I have ever indulged.

Second step don't build kits that use raised detailing in the first place. Seams are after all recesses not raised ridges.

But when it comes to gluing, I use liguid glue, capiliary action is your friend and as it melts the plastic you squeeze out molten plastic to make the required 'putty' to begin with. Let it harden properly of course which means patience (hardest skill to learn in the hobby :)). And I simply file sand whatever the molten seam smooth.

I learned over the years, that in almost every case (nothing is perfect eh), if you buy from the right source, the kit likely has next to no gap to begin with. Granted, as you go back in time, kits get progressively more and more demanding.

I just plain like the way Tamiya and Hasegawa do their kits. As much as I like some companies for some branches of the hobby, there are some companies that while they do great in one area, they simply don't do great in others.

I am a biased Tamiya fan mainly because what they do good, they do good in the entire catalogue.

Until for instance Dragon can wow me in more than just German tank models, all they will be to me, is a German tank model making company.

HisNHer Tanks

For me, first step, refuse to build anything not released by a company that can't do it right to begin with.

I have found this rule applies to aircraft kits more so than any form of modeling I have ever indulged.

Second step don't build kits that use raised detailing in the first place. Seams are after all recesses not raised ridges.

To each his/her own, but that attitude will leave out the majority of subjects out there. I don't think Tamigawa has sold a DC-8 yet. Also, it's an old argument, but panel seams are not recesses in a sense that makes a difference to a scale model. And in reality, if you are looking at any airframe with any kind of hours on it, there's all kinds of stuff going on- laps, gussets, stiffener plates and so on. For all intents and purposes on a 1/72 kit, which I'm going to guess the Douglas is, or even 1/144, the panels hould be smooth.

But when it comes to gluing, I use liguid glue, capiliary action is your friend and as it melts the plastic you squeeze out molten plastic to make the required 'putty' to begin with. Let it harden properly of course which means patience (hardest skill to learn in the hobby :)). And I simply file sand whatever the molten seam smooth.

I learned over the years, that in almost every case (nothing is perfect eh), if you buy from the right source, the kit likely has next to no gap to begin with. Granted, as you go back in time, kits get progressively more and more demanding.

I just plain like the way Tamiya and Hasegawa do their kits. As much as I like some companies for some branches of the hobby, there are some companies that while they do great in one area, they simply don't do great in others.

I am a biased Tamiya fan mainly because what they do good, they do good in the entire catalogue.

Until for instance Dragon can wow me in more than just German tank models, all they will be to me, is a German tank model making company.

I'm not out to bust any chops here, but that's going to keep you away from about 90% of what's out there. Most anything Airfix, Revell, Italeri, Monogram and on and on.

For advice to a new modeler: it's better to screw up a bunch of cheaper kits and hone your skills.

One other putty tip- mask the area around where you work a seam with tape, to within a 1/16" or so of the seam. You'll see a lot of putty "befores" online where there's globs of putty all over the place.You can't usually hide anything under putty, like with Bondo. The goal is to fill a gap and get it level with the surrounding plastic, and a messy application won't help. When you get a strip of tape down each side of the seam, there should be an area no wider than 1/8" exposed. Put your putty down in the gap and scrape off the excess as best you can while soft. Let it dry, sand it down flat, remove the tape and feather out the little ridges where the tape was.

bondoman

 

...

Well, it was a long post so I won't actually show the text, but what bondoman just posted. Especially on the raised panel line issues. I do love a great Tamiya/Hasegawa etc kit with perfect recessed lines that I find easier to highlight & wash. BUT.... I just finished up a little Fouga Magister from Airfix, a 30-year old kit with raised panels & bumps everywhere. Guess what - it was a great little kit, I enjoyed every minute of it - and how many options do you think I had anyway! Don't scratch something off the list just because it has raised details. Heller also has some older jets in 1/72 that you won't find other places, often European stuff, that are great kits that have happen to have raised details.

VanceCrozier

 

Heller also has some older jets in 1/72 that you won't find other places, often European stuff, that are great kits that have happen to have raised details.

Heller has a superb little 1/72 Saab J-21.

 

Sprue-ce Goose

 

VanceCrozier:

 

Heller also has some older jets in 1/72 that you won't find other places, often European stuff, that are great kits that have happen to have raised details.

 

 

Heller has a superb little 1/72 Saab J-21.

Yes they do, I picked it up second-hand!

Sometimes it pays to be choosy, sometimes you gotta grin and bear it if the subject is a must have I suppose.

I build mainly out of the box, so I tend to require the kit to be great without a lot of work or I would rather take a pass on it. Just too many great subjects made great out of the box, to be desperately insistent on some subjects.

Built a lot of Monogram 1/48th stuff. Fun kits and all, but I would likely not feel the urge to take them more than as goofing off kits myself.

Like as was implied, you need to walk before you can run. I would have a sea of kits here if I never got rid of kits I made when younger. Pity I never kept my Matchbox airforce, I am told those kits are worth a lot to collectors.

I support the idea of making off the area to be puttied. No point in putting on more putty than needs to be removed later during clean up. Often putty work can do more harm than good if done wrong.

Whats the DC-8 model? Is it a Minicraft? There were some others years ago in various scales, Revell in a couple of scales, Aurora, Lindberg.

My father was a performance engineer at UAL for 48 years, 1952 to 2000. I flew in every kind of DC-8 they ever bought except freighters, all over the place. A favorite of mine as well.

Who did you work for?

One of the best tricks is to sand both halves of the fuselage on a flat piece of sand paper.

Do this on a flat surface and it ensures that both surfaces to be joined are straight, and therefore more likely to mate perfectly.

This reduces the amount of filling and sanding, especially if you use one of the old fashioned tube solvents.

Just apply the glue to one side being glued, leave for a minute or so for the solvent to soften the plastic, then put the two parts together.

If you clamp them firmly you should get a small amount of ooze of molten plastic from the seam which fills any minor gaps.

I've learned this the hard way, after years of filling, sanding & re-scribing.

Karl

Thanks for some good advice. I do agree higher end  kits are more enjoyable to bulid  with less work needed to make more detail. In regards to panels lines some may have the wrong picture in regards to airliners. A lot of panels have sealant between the panels and the fairings, such as wing to body. I did a leading edge slat lube on a 757 last weekend and some panels were sealed. Fuselages also have lots of panles and skin sealed. realistically, how would you detail sealed panel lines in lets say, 1/200 or 1/144? And if you have fuel or hydraulic leaks that sealand always swells and pops out.

bondoman

 

<SNIP>

One other putty tip- mask the area around where you work a seam with tape, to within a 1/16" or so of the seam. You'll see a lot of putty "befores" online where there's globs of putty all over the place.You can't usually hide anything under putty, like with Bondo. The goal is to fill a gap and get it level with the surrounding plastic, and a messy application won't help. When you get a strip of tape down each side of the seam, there should be an area no wider than 1/8" exposed. Put your putty down in the gap and scrape off the excess as best you can while soft. Let it dry, sand it down flat, remove the tape and feather out the little ridges where the tape was.

 

^^ What he said!  I tried this on my latest, and it made a HUGE difference over my previous attempt.  Granted, the previous kit was not a good kit, but the seams, and any hint of them are pretty much gone with the 'tape first, putty, then pull the tape before the putty dries' routine.  I'll be doing it again, but will add the trick of laying the kit halves on a flat piece of glass that has some fine sandpaper on it to make sure the joints will be flat. 

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

 

HisNHer Tanks

Built a lot of Monogram 1/48th stuff. Fun kits and all, but I would likely not feel the urge to take them more than as goofing off kits myself.

Did you check out the "Monogram Mafia" GB?