Filling and Sanding Dilemma

Since it is large and deep do not just fill with putty, it will shrink and crack over and over and when you paint it the moisture from the paint may make it crack again.  Fill the majority of it with sprue, styrene discs that you cut from sheet or some form of plastic this will work with your solvent glue. 

Once it is mostly filled use a putty that can be wiped away rather then sanded.  Use perfect plastic putty or mr surfacer 500 or bondo thinned with acetone to make a paste.  This way only a minimum amount of putty is needed.  Depending on which putty used you can use water, acetone or lacquer thinner to wipe away excess putty once dry with cotton swabs.

Once you feel it is mostly smooth you can finally do a light wet sand with fine sandpaper like 800 grit or higher.

Ditto above. If you are completely trying to eliminate that feature, you'll have to cut a plug, then fill around the edges.

If you are just trying to eliminate that seam, cut a very thing circle out of something like clear report cover plastic, then glue it in there.

If you are referring to the dish shaped depressions on the side of the command module, you could heat form sheet plastic over a bead.  Trim to the correct outer diameter, drill and sand out the molded dish, then drop in the formed replacement.

Does the molded-in detail have radial ribbing?  If so, it might be better to stretch some sprue to a similar diameter to the rib detail and glue short lengths into the seams.

Post a photo of the problem area and we might be able to give better advice.

HTH

Thanks everybody for your replies and suggestions! RealG if you click on where it says Eagle 1 under my name in the original post you should be able to see a picture of what I am asking about. Sorry, I couldn't post a pic for everyone to see, I used to be on Photobucket and haven't tried any of the other options out there.

Tom

Tom, thought that you might be interested to know that Paragrafix makes a photo etch set for this kit which includes inserts for covering this problem area. The pieces are relief etched, so it offers a little more detail and it really is as simple as dropping the part into place. The PG website has a .PDF of the instruction sheet to make iinstallation a little clearer.

http://www.paragrafix.biz/product_detail.asp?PPartNum=pgx177

Thanks KnightTemplar! That appears to be what I am looking for although I have tried photoetch parts in the past without much luck. Would they just sell me the parts I need or, would I have to buy the whole set?

Tom

Normally, you would need to buy a complete set. Paragrafix kits are usually pretty simple affairs which are very easy additions to install - normally, there's very little work beyond just tacking things down. It looks like the only real challenge to this set is the landing gear modifications, but the plastic parts from the kit make that pretty much an option. If you've struggled in the past with PE, this should be a pretty easy set to install.

That being said, it probably wouldn't hurt to drop Paul Bodensiek a line to ask if he would happen to have any rejected or returned frets for your build. His quality control is normally on point, but it never hurts to ask if he has spares laying around. 

I reached out to Paul on Friday about getting just what I need and have not gotten a response so far. I will wait a couple more days and if doesn't reply then maybe I will just purchase the entire set.

You should buy the whole set.

It‘ll be a good addition to the build.

Also, you are asking a favor, no harm if it isn’t granted.

Saw that kit at my LHS. Nice looking ship.