filler for gaps

I retract my statement about spackle being cheaper. It is, that is not the problem.  In thinking about it, why worry about the cheapness of the filler.  You use so little of any kind of filler that it is not a significant amount of money spent compared to the price of the kit, and of PE or resin aftermarket.  Use good filler, paint, etc.  Anything else is false economy.

Spackle is water based and works well on wood. You need solvent based putty to work on styrene so it attaches to the plastic. Spackle in large amounts even on wood can crack later on.

Bill

This what you may be using,  Bondo Spot Glazing Putty is a one-part solvent based putty.   Often called Bondo Red,   it is the same stuff as the DrMicroTools hobby putty.  It is available in a larger tube at less cost.  It works well, but  the solvent may etch plastic.    It takes a while, often overnight, for the solvent to evaporate and the putty to harden.   If you put this material, or any solvent putty in an enclosed space, such as inside of a fuselage to mount nose weight it will warp the plastic as the solvent evaporates.. Otherwise, it is fine grained and sands/feathers well.    I have used it and it is in my toolbox.

Bondo Body Putty is a two part epoxy filler putty.    The advantage of a two-part putty is that it hardens in a matter of minutes allowing you to continue working.    Since it does not harden by evaporation it can he used inside of a fuselage to mount weight.

Put a quarter-sized dab of putty and a pea-sized drop of hardener (sold with the product & also available separately) on a piece of wax paper.   Mix,  apply and smooth.   Work quickly.  There may be waste if you mix too much.  Experience will guide you on how much to mix.

Bondo Body Putty is a little coarser grained,  but still sands smooth and feathers well.   Use this where you need to build up some structure.

Bondo Pro Glazing Putty is also a two-part epoxy putty.   Same advantages as the body putty,  but the grain is extremely fine.   You may be able to fill a seam without having to sand.   I've been using this instead of the Body Putty recently and am impressed with it.

Most model hobby puttys started with products originally developed and sold for other businesses/purposes.    The model companies repackage them into smaller sizes and charge more because of their logo.   Squadron Green Putty was originally sold in response to custom car modelers who were using actual automotive filler putties as they re-sculpted the body contours on their wild creations.   What goes around comes around. 

Oh, BTW Bondo also makes a UV activated putty,  just like Tamiya's stuff.

All of these products are available at your local auto supply shop,  Pep Boys,  Auto Zone, O'Reilly's, etc.  You may also find some of them at Lowes or Home Despot.

The two part auto body fillers were first marketed by Bondo, and some of us refer to them as the Bondo type.  They are polyester resin and a hardener.  The mixture will mildly dissolve styrene, so you need to be a bit careful but it is not a problem unless you are trying to fill a big gap and use a lot of it.  It is a lot more bother than the one-part also, as it needs to be mixed.

I use auto glazing putty as well. If you get some, beware there is a 2 part putty and a single part putty. I don't know what  the difference is, but I use one part and very pleased with it.

hmm..  well its a food for thought.  haha

I have used it, and it works okay, though I have found it does not bond as well as the auto glazing putty I ordinarlly use. It is cheaper, though.

welcome marcus..

and texgunner i mean the putty stuff you use to fill holes (say you wanted to a hang a picture or shelf. then the next month you had to move.. you use the putty to fill the hole.. then paint over it haha

its the same texture as model putty so i guess ill see how it goes in a year or so

If you are talking about dry-wall joint compound, commonly referred to as dry-wall "mud" in the trade, I would be very concerned about it cracking over time.  That's sure something to watch out for!  Good luck with it.

Gary

Never gave it a thought, thanks for the heads up.