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Need help filling in gaps and seams!

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  • Member since
    April 2011
Need help filling in gaps and seams!
Posted by Fatalgrace on Saturday, April 30, 2011 4:25 PM

Guys, 

 

I have a O-2A Skymaster by Testors on the bench atm. There are huge gaps between the assembly between the fuselage and the wing component. I have tried squadron green putty and Zap-a-gap with unsatisfying results.

Method thus far: 

- model washed, fuselage assembled, sanded

- attached wing portion to fuselage. Gaps puttied , waited , sanded. Made a mess with putty a little , and losing some surface detail. The details on this particular model are raised, not the other way round. 

The green putty seems to have small "perforations" in the putty after its dried. This is totally noticeable after priming. These little "microgaps" make me wanna throw this model into the ocean. And I live by one so it would be easy. Further, there is a large step-off between the leading edge of the wing component and the top of cockpit. 

Any help?

Thanks.

  • Member since
    August 2010
  • From: Maine
Posted by Goodness180 on Saturday, April 30, 2011 4:35 PM

Well.  You could allways try and use some sheet styrene and fill the gap with that and then what ever small gaps you had after that the putty would be better.  I use squadrons white putty and it works great for me.  I usually let it set up over night before sanding it though and sometimes requires more then one application but not allways.  I bought a package of evergreen's odds and ends and hit has a hole bunch of stuff to use, here's a link to it http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXF884&P=ML

Also for the raised panel lines ive experimented with putting pasking tape over the datails this works pretty good.  I usually put two layers of tape over the datial just incase not sure if two layers is needed or not.

 

  • Member since
    April 2011
Posted by Fatalgrace on Saturday, April 30, 2011 5:41 PM

Actually , after more research the leading edge of the wing to the fuselage is supposed to have a bit of a stepoff as I can see. I can probably deal with the rest. Thank you Goodness for your suggesstion. Odds and ends is soon to be on order.

 

Anyone have experience with microbubble fillers?

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Neenah, WI
Posted by HawkeyeHobbies on Saturday, April 30, 2011 6:27 PM

Read through this article

 

Perfect Seams

Gerald "Hawkeye" Voigt

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/

 

 

"Its not the workbench that makes the model, it is the modeler at the workbench."

  • Member since
    April 2011
Posted by Fatalgrace on Saturday, April 30, 2011 7:03 PM

Gerry, 

your article is indispensable. I am going to try to find these solvents soon and a TnF. this may be basic, but I have constructed using the pin holes for alignment and crazy glue and have been so disappointed with the results. i think with practice, that this is one of these things that takes a modeller to the next level. 

Do you use crazy glue at all?

 

Thanks,

 

David

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Neenah, WI
Posted by HawkeyeHobbies on Saturday, April 30, 2011 9:41 PM

I rarely use CA, when I do its usually to affix an antenna or something on that order.

Gerald "Hawkeye" Voigt

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/

 

 

"Its not the workbench that makes the model, it is the modeler at the workbench."

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Sunday, May 1, 2011 11:30 AM

While I also use sheet styrene in large gaps to reduce  the gaps for the putty, I don't think that is your problem- those micro holes can occur even in smaller gaps. If I have that problem with putty, I use primer to fill the holes. I use Krylon primer, which has a lot of body and fills pretty good itself.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    April 2011
Posted by nite halk on Friday, May 13, 2011 4:11 PM

I am wondering as I am new ot this,if a person ecould use,painters putty from DAP,I use it at work and can't think why it wouldn't work on a surface that is going to be painted.Where I live most things suggested on here have to be ordered in.

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Friday, May 13, 2011 4:19 PM

One the thing that works well is fill the seam with baking soda, then using a fine tip run THIN C/A glue along the seam. The baking soda soaks up the C/A and hardens almost immediately and sands nice. 

I trowel the baking soda into the seam with a putty blade then carefully run the C/A in. It makes a nice smooth surface.

 

Mark

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Neenah, WI
Posted by HawkeyeHobbies on Friday, May 13, 2011 4:20 PM

You'd find that it shrinks, doesn't feather well (for plastic models) and may react with some paints and thinners. Its fine for its intended use, just not some of the others such as plastic scale modeling.

Gerald "Hawkeye" Voigt

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/

 

 

"Its not the workbench that makes the model, it is the modeler at the workbench."

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