SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

Help! Seams won't go away!

7403 views
34 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Monday, December 16, 2013 7:53 AM

BTW make sure the seam is actually cemented together. I've puttied and sanded seams a dozen times and they would not go away. Found out later that the seam wasn't glued and when I'd put pressure on it with the sanding stick it would 'pop' and I'd end up with a crack again. Worst situation was on a 1/72nd B-29 - the long seams on the top and bottom of the fuselage kept popping loose over and over- took me a while to figure out this was what was happening.  

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    April 2012
Posted by Dodger57 on Monday, December 16, 2013 7:46 AM

Thank you, DeafAviator, for bringing this up! I have been having a hard time with it, too. I haven't tried the MEK/sprue yet but may. Don't you have to be careful about this mixture eating into the piece you are filling?

One thing about using super glue is that it is a bit harder to sand smooth. I used to use super glue for seams but thought I would try putties for easier sanding.

  • Member since
    August 2012
Posted by JimNTENN on Monday, December 16, 2013 7:22 AM

I use CA(super glue) exclusively for filling gaps and seams. I haven't used putty for years. Like modeling putty, CA also shrinks as it cures but the great thing about it is you can spritz a little accelerator on it and it will begin to cure instantly without shrinking which means you can begin sanding or filing it immediately. CA fills the seam better than putty which is why so many model builders like using it for that purpose.  If you do decide to use CA, make sure you use at least a medium viscosity formula. The thin CA would require numerous applications to fill the seam so it's not practical for that.

Current project(s): Hobby Boss: 1/72 F9F-2 Panther

                                  Midwest Products: Skiff(wood model)

                                  

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Monday, December 16, 2013 2:17 AM

Hello!

Well I used to have that problem too - and tried many one-component putties with no good results. Thing is, those shrink while drying. So when you sand the surface flush, they shrink some more and what was under the putty shows through. And they seem to dry forever. But then I read on the forums here, many modellers dissolve leftover plastic - sprue in lacquer thinner (acetone, MEK, stuff like that) and use that for a putty. I thought I'd give it a go. I used a nail lacquer bottle with a brush to do it, and for me it's a hit. You get stuff that's cheap, available anytime, and has the best possible adhesion to plastic there is. About the only disadvantage to it is the drying time - from the application it's best to wait at least 24 hours until you start sanding it smooth. But then it already has done all the shrinking, is just as hard as the surrounding plastic and sands and feathers just great. One cycle and you never have to worry about the spot anymore.

The alternative would be some two-component automotive filler, or CA glue - straight for smaller things like panel lines, or mixed with baking soda for bigger things (just heard about it, haven't used it myself yet). A thing to watch is when the filler is much softer or harder than the surrounding plastic - funny things can happen while sanding then.

It's also good to wrap a small piece of sanding paper around an eraser - to make a mini sanding block and sand wet - gives you a more even surface.

Hope it helps, good luck with your projects and have a nice day

Paweł

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    February 2007
Posted by mitsdude on Monday, December 16, 2013 1:40 AM

I'm right there with you DeafAviator. Definitely one of the modeling skills I need to work on.

I've read articles. Watched videos. Asked for tips and I'm still not where I want to be.

It may not be any help but one thing I found is that in some cases I was removing too much of the putty. In essence I was back where I started or worse.

  • Member since
    September 2013
Help! Seams won't go away!
Posted by DeafAviator on Monday, December 16, 2013 12:23 AM
I am having a real hard time getting seams to disappear using a verity of methods:

Tamiya Putty, Perfect Plastic Putty, and Mr. Surfacer 500, both sanding (sanding sticks or sanding paper) and dissolving using respectve solvents. The same thing happens every time: just when it's starting to maybe look okay, the seam re-appears! Seams meaning both joints as well as filling panel lines. Part of the problem is that if I stop before the seam disappears, the edges of the filler aren't feathered out enough... What am I doing wrong?? Feel free to ask for more descriptives or pictures if you need them, but I am really stumped by this!

Todd Barker - Colorado Springs, CO

Current Projects:

  • 1/48 Beechcraft Bonanza - N51HM (Commission)
  • 1/48 B-25 Mitchell - Back Burner/Scheme TBD
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.