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Reading the Seam

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  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Neenah, WI
Posted by HawkeyeHobbies on Friday, January 4, 2008 10:29 PM

The obvious sometimes needs to be restated from time to time. If you concentrate on the basics, the end results will be better. So it goes for seams too. Do the proper prep work and you'll have less work...seam filling. But when you do your best and still have a seam well, that is the whole point of this thread...how to read them and what to do about them.

 

Filling resources are:

Some modelers don't even consider using styrene as a filler. It does take a little effort but if you ask an old body man, he'll tell you metal, there's no replacement for it. So it goes for styrene as well. When you use styrene, you get a strong bond made of similar material. CA works as a good filler but it has its own little set of rules. You must work with it fast before it fully cures, if you wait you'll be sanding away at a rock hard material surrounded by softer real estate. Not necessarily a good thing and much more work.

Putties, well everyone has their preferences, as I have mine. I've probably tried every kind out there including window glazing...and yes it does work. When I need a filler putty, my preferred choices are 3M and Squadron. Regardless of what you use, use it sparingly. Glopping on loads of putty will only create more work. Several thin applications are best.

If you have any specific questions just ask. I'll see if I can provide the answer. More to follow... 

 

Gerald "Hawkeye" Voigt

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/

 

 

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

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: South Central Wisconsin
Posted by Daywalker on Friday, January 4, 2008 8:47 PM
Excellent info Gerald!  I thought I knew more about seams, but your photos and explanations really made things "click".  Thanks, and please post more! Tongue [:P]

Frank 

 

  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: Souther California
Posted by rong on Friday, January 4, 2008 8:25 PM

Yep, I've bought some products from him.  Thanks for the heads up anyway.

cheers,

Ron 

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by namrednef on Friday, January 4, 2008 7:15 PM
 rong wrote:

Good info and quite helpful to a novice modeler.  Yes, I would like see more.

Ron

Check out Gerry's site......lot's more there! Hawkeyeshobbies.com 

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Ajax, Ontario Canada
Posted by dlowman on Friday, January 4, 2008 4:24 PM
Smile [:)] Yes, please keep coming with the info. It is "very" useful and much apprciated. Thanx.
working on Tamiya 1/48 A-10A Thunderbolt II and trying something different a Tamiya 1/35 Chieftain Mk. 5 Tank
  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: Souther California
Posted by rong on Friday, January 4, 2008 1:27 PM

Good info and quite helpful to a novice modeler.  Yes, I would like see more.

Ron

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by namrednef on Thursday, January 3, 2008 4:43 PM

Gerry, of course it's helpful!

Personally when I first used the 'new' liquid solvent cements in a former modeling life (25 years ago.....I 'accidentally' discovered that getting a glue seam that could be sanded down rather than filled was a great advantage on fuselages, some wing halves, some cowling halves etc.

 I'm going to delve deeper into your site than I have!

 (I even tried the technique on the corrugated wings of the Mono TBD.....of course I had to nick the risen area of the seam in the corrugations with an X-acto or a tri-corn needle file....maybe took 10 minutes. Best wing seams I ever got on that kit!)

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Neenah, WI
Reading the Seam
Posted by HawkeyeHobbies on Thursday, January 3, 2008 3:22 PM

On my website I published an article about perfect seams and I've started to boil down the contents of part two of that article. Here is a excerpt from it, hope this helps some of you.

Using liquid solvent you want to apply enough solvent and pressure to create a bubbled ridge along the seam. 

By reading the seam you can avoid glaring blemishes that the paint excentuates. If you can see the dust from polishing along the seam, the seam is going to show through the paint. 

Using polishing sticks and thin fillers such as Mr Surfacer you can eliminate seam blemishes. Of course the goal is to have an invisible solid seam that requires no fillers. 

 

 

Do you want more?

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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