acetone and putty?

Hey williamG. I think this is the best article on the subject. Have fun!!!
http://www.swannysmodels.com/Seams.html

You say you're new?

OK, about the putty. I use Squadrons green putty (I don't know what the difference is between the green and the white; maybe someone else knows) and thin it with nail polish remover, the kind with acetone. Somewhere, maybe it was here, I heard that it's not a good idea to use straight acetone. I've never tried this, so I always use the nail polish. I have a small block of wood that I use to thin putty on. I put some putty on the block and then add a few drops of the nail polish and then mix it with a toothpick. If I need it to be a little thinner, I'll add a few more drops untill I get the consistency I need.

I have used the Testors putty, but I like the Squadron much better. Haven't heard about the red paint though.

Anyway, hope this helps.

on Swanny's method, it works well too.

pure acetone can harm the plastic if you aren't careful... I've used this method and LOVE it!!!!a lot less sanding and the putty gets where I want it.

Squadrons white putty has a finer grit than the green... it's better for filling at the surface as it sands smoother. Some people say they don't notice a difference, some do...

O.k., thankyou so much guys, you big time modelers really do know ur stuff!! I have no fear in the modeling arts as long as you guys are around.. Knowing I have expert help to support me this is going to be an exciting adventure. Thankyou once again! (I think the thing that has impressed me the most so far is how nice ya'll have been, I used to play online games and I was beginning to think everybody in the world was a #@$%&*, was I wrong! Glad of it too.) Ya'll be good and take care

as a former online game player I understand you.. yes this is a different world and by and far the majority of the people here are beyond nice...

good luck to you! just go down to the supermarket and get you some nail polish remover and you are all set!!! You have about 5 min maybe more from the time you soften the putty till its too dry to work well with anymore.

And ditto on the comment on swanny's website... check out his filling and sanding section. using the tape on either side of the seam helps a LOT!!! also being able to use a Qtip dipped in nail polish remover to smooth down the putty to the tape level helps in sanding...

great info, thankyou so much guys! Man, I am so glad I found ya'll!

be good and will talk to ya'll soon I hope.
Bill

I'm always do things different because I'm a cheapskate when it comes to modeling and the stuff I use works. For putty I've gone to the nearest auto or variety store like Target, KMart or Wal-Mart and buy Bondo Glazing & Spotty Putty in the orange tube. I get a big 4.5 oz. tube of the putty for about $3. Squadron putty couldn't get near the price or the amount of Bondo putty I get just about anywhere.

After I apply and let the putty dry for about 20 minutes I use nail polish remover to take off excess putty. Yup, the nail polish remover works for Bondo too.

Hello Roosterfish,
If no one has any objections I might go your route cuz until I can prove that I can build a model just half as good as ya'll can I will be limited to the amount of funding for my new craft (the art of model building). You say after the putty dries you rub off the excess putty with nail polish?Do you use a Q-tip? I realize I need to find these things out 4 myself but a little expert forewarning certainly wont hurt, especially in the phase I am in, which is like "beginning beginner", wish I had known how much fun and how much was involved in it to produce a "work of art" like ya'll do. I like skills that require this. Anyhoo, i'm on my way to Wal-Mart 4 the putty. Roosterfish, R those real lights in ur Star Trek ship? And is that damge to the engine nacelle lighted up also? TOTALLY AWESOME!! Thankyou 4 taking time to give me an explanation, I realize I can find an answer to just about any question I can concieve on models but the personal attention is soo worth a ALOT! Like a soldier going off by himself with a battalion of Abrams cruising behind him


live long and prosper,
William

I use Q-tip dip in nail polish remover, and I usually don't even wait for the putty to dry completely. Seems to still work, great for impatient people like me. :)

I use a multi-prong attack with the putty. Big area of putty get cleaned off with T-shirt rags. Like waikong says for smaller areas a Q-tip works very good. Using 1000 grit sandpaper is also another tool but I use that mostly to smooth down areas of putty.

Practice and you'll get good at filling. The nail polish remover works quickly and is quite a time saver.

Thanks for the compliment on the little model. The saucer is about 1 1/2 inches wide. There is no internal lighting in the model. I used glow powder mixed in epoxy glue for the lights. Damage was a mixture of Future Floor Polish and glow powder airbrushed on. The 'smoke' is a pulled cotton ball that was dipped in Future Floor Polish. While the smoke was drying I put more glow powder on the smoke. The model lights well after a five minute dose of sunlight but when you have the lights on in a room and put a black light about 6 inches away from the ship then, well, you can see the results from my picture! Make it glow!

The nice part with premium glow powder is that the glow effect lasts a long time. It glows for 8 to 12 hours.

I use Cutex regular nail polish remover. The one with acetone, yes. Pure acetone will destroy plastic.

I've found that Tamiya putty must be applied at least 2 (maybe 3) times to make a good filling.

Careful where your excess and stray putty goes. It is very harmful to plastic. Darn thing wouldn't stay in the gap but a stray gob WILL eat plastic elsewhere!

I use 3M Acryl Putty and thin mine down with Acetone, I find it works alot better than Lacquer thinner. I would never put the Acetone down directly on the plastic though, as it might eat it up.

Thx evry1 4 the great info.

I use Cutex acetone. It's relatively harmless to your kit plastic. Just don't get too much of it in the molding details! BTW, I use Tamiya basic putty.

You can go to this webpage for more details:

www.aircraftresourcecenter.com
tools n tips --> filling --> filling without sanding

I've heard about Bondo. When I run out of squadron green, I'll have to pick some up!