Seam filling aid

I'm not really using filler that much either...mostly glue-melted plastic.

I have continued using the brush on paint technique and I like it. I usually end up sanding most off anyway so it doesn't cause a problem. I t does however help to fill small areas that are hard to see. I've been using MM Med Grey.

good thread, going to try some of these tech. trying to build revell a/c without filler is a disaster waiting to happen.

Yeah, gaps or unintentional seams are a large problem for me, especially when I get a kit that isn't molded perfectly (which would be...just about every kit in existence).

Seeing as how Swanny and the FSM guide both recommend the use of superglue as filler putty, I dug out some Duco Cement from my drawers and I might attempt to use it on future seam issues. Is Duco cement considered superglue, or does it not have the correct chemical makeup to work as a non-shrinking putty?

I use Zap CA myself for a gap filler but I do not recommend accelerator as I believe it hardens moreso than without it. If you put it on thin, wait a minute or so and then sand it is softer than it is immediately after accelerator is used.

Mike

In my mind the biggest challenge to filling any gap, or seam is how to keep it from shrinking. Car modelers have problems with this all the time, especially since they are going for a glass smooth finish, which will show up any flaw. But the one thing I swear by not to shrink is super glue. Not just any kind, though. You want the thick stuff, put it on, and then hit it with accelerator. You only have about 20 minutes till it is hard as a rock, so make sure you file and sand it down really smooth right away. At first it is soft as styrene, so sanding and finishing is not difficult. Just don't let it sit too long, or you'll be sorry. Ask me how I know! And, later, you can drill or scribe it really well, it won't flake off or anything. After that it is still a very good idea to use some kind of primer, but it dosen't have to be thick, and that way it won't shrink.

Hope this helps you out a little.

Best wishes

I have tried thinning filler putty (The Squadron stuff) with a little bit of nail polish remover, that gets the mud down to an easy to spread filler much like drywall mud. I usually take a small plastic lid and mix the nail polish remover with a Q-tip, that way I am only working on a little bit of putty at a time, then spread and fill. I have found that this slows the setting a little, but makes the putty easier to work with.

Any tricks for awkward areas? I'm working on a 1/48 P-51, and the fusilage seam near the belly scoop is kind of hard to get at.

Yes, I' ve done the thick paint thing just like you.

But only after using putty and primer several times. When I think I'm getting close to satisfactory, I slap on a little thick paint, let dry, lightly sand and then hopefully, the final coat of primer.

I've done that technique using Krylon sandable primer in the big spray can. I'll spray it into a container that I can then either paint brush from, or pour into my airbrush and spray onto larger areas. I've found it to be a very good seam sealer for those tiny cracks that only show up after a coat of paint or primer.

My biggest concern about doing this is knowing whether the "filler" paint is fully cured and will no longer shrink.

When you say "fast drying", do you mean dry to the touch? Most paints that dry quickly "to the touch" still have a period of curing in which they continue to evaporate the carrier solvents, and the paint continues to shrink until fully cured. Shrinking isn't bad on surface areas (it's more like a thinning out process of the paint layer), but when used to fill a crack, it will seem ok at first, but that crack may re-develope as the paint solvents evaporate. I've sanded many seams that looked great, but when the final paint was applied, there's that pesky crack again, only a little smaller.

The Krylon that I use is fairly hot, in that it's solvents evaporate quickly, as do most primers. What is the solvent base of the paint you are using? Is it an enamel, lacquer, or is it water based? Lacquers are usually hotter and have a faster cure time. Enamels are slower to cure, and water based depends on the humidity at the time.

stinger

Sand, sand, sand, sand, prime, check, repeat.

I use ascending grits 280-320-400-600-1000. I’ve gotten most seams to completely disappear.

I've read that and it does work. When I do use filler, that's how I do it. Thanks Matt.

However, there's no real advice/information about the final stages of actually making the seams disappear.

Your best bet is to read up on Swanny's site-- he has a good write-up on his technique here:

http://www.swannysmodels.com/Seams.html

Oh, let me also add that I've been working hard to ensure that two parts (fuselage parts for example) line up. However, I never get it 100% perfect. Those are the seems that I have a hard time determining if they will show until I shoot a coat of primer.