Best putty?

I second Gerald's recommendation.

I've had good luck with Squadron's white putty, but I'm always open to improvement. What are the advantages of the Acryl-Blue? Is it actually blue?

It is about the same exact color as the blue on the tube you see in my hand.....kind of a sky blue or powder blue I would say.

It dries fast, it feathers beautifully and you can thin it with lacquer thinner and put it into a seam with a paintbrush.

I will let Gerald expound more on it as he is far more familiar with it than I.

I bought it under his recommendation.  

Is the Acryl Blue available at auto shops?

I see the 3m on it, and it made me curious.

 It's the thinning part that piqued my interest.

 Thanks.

It isn't available at stores like PepBoys, AutoZone, O'Reillys, etc.   You can get stuff like Bondo Glazing Putty and/or Bondo (Evercoat) catalyzed putty at one of these places however.

You need to go to an auto body paint & supplies shop which stocks 3-M.

It is indeed a very pale blue. Compared to the Squadron putties it has a much finer grain to it. Which is why autobody artisans us it for filling fine imperfections. The neutral blue color is easily covered by light colors. The 3M Acryl glazing bits well into the plastic and holds without shrinkage. It dries fast and can be sanded within 30 minutes...unless you glob it on really thick.

It can be thinned with alcohol or lacquer thinner for application with a brush or as is using a putty blade, pallete knife, finger or hobby knife. It does have a noticable odor, but I use it in small quanities and return the cap back on to the tube, never leaving it off any longer than it takes to transfer the putty onto the surface I want it.

Working time is short, so if you reach a point where it is beginning to 'crumble', stop and let it dry before going any further. Several light applications are better than one deep troweled on one. It sands and feathers so smooth, I can apply a NMF directly over it! 

jmathewstn wrote:

Sorry to drag up an old thread... I've also seen 3M Acryl-Green. When I ordered my Acryl-Blue, the guy said it was the same thing except dried a little quicker. Anybody know? Thanks!

The 3-m Green and Red is not as good IMO, its basically 1970's tech compared to the blue. Problem with the red and green is shrinkage. Most Body men despise the stuff due to it coming back with Haunting Problems later down the road. The red and green was real popular in the 1980's for filling in stone chips or bad Mud work full of pinholes before repainting. But down the road it would shrink and leave little depressions that stuck out like an Oak Tree.  My guess is they want to sell you the stuff as nobody wants it. In case your wondering what I am judging this on ,is one of my other hobbies is Restoring First Gen. Camaros' since 1985..

corvettemike wrote:

I said it once and I'll say it again.....BONDO SPOT AND GLAZING PUTTY!!! It can be found at about any auto parts store and maybe Wal-Mart.

Works for me.  Cheap.  Can be thinned with lacquer thinner.  Sands nicely.

I have Tamiya basic putty. It's alright, but when I sand it some of the putty that infiltrated the seems gets gauged out also. Why does this happen? i have to re-putty the seem and begin sanding. Though, second time round it's usually all good.

Was in the LHS today and saw Tamiya Light-Curing putty and testors contour putty. Are these better in any/every way?

Cheers!

Sounds like your Tamiya putty simply hasn't adhered to the surface properly - this can happen for any number of reasons - eg. not being worked into the seam properly, it could be old stock or you may have taken too long to apply it (ie allowing it to dry slightly on your spatula before applying).

I haven't tried the "light curing" putty - seems a tad expensive to me. As for Testors Contour Putty, avoid it at all cost. It seems to have all the properties of 1:1 scale concrete: Huge grain, and if it doesn't set rock hard, it crumbles and falls off and is near impossible to smooth out. Of all the putties on the market, Testors Contour Putty is easily the worst.

The first tube I got seemed a little dry from the start. Probobly old stock. The second one I got last week for my other house so I could start building there again, was and still is liquidy clay. I assume that's how it's supposed to be, but I'm finding it hard to use. Even with the dryer, first tube I got I coudn't keep the putty norrawly contained to the seem or concave I was filling. I use a tiny spatula, but it always seems to deviate away from the desired area. This leads me to believe that puttying is a practicable art form.

Is it just me, or do you seem to answer half of my posts, Phil?

Putties used in modeling imho are personal preferences.  Some modelers prefer the modeling putty they buy at an LHS or on line store.  Others prefer automotive putties and still others prefer Super Glues. (For that matter, the same thing applies to paints, thinners, and even particular brand names).  You may find that what I prefer to use/recommend won't work for you for one reason or another.  Which is perfectly all right and natural.  You need to use something that is in your comfort zone.  If I (or anyone else) recommend something, don't just take it at face value.  Try to find the smallest amount of the product available and try it.  And then make a decision as to whether they work for you.

Having said that, I will have to say my favorite putty is no longer available (never mind I have at  least a 5 year supply on hand).  It was a 3M laquer based red putty called "Spot-n-Glaze".  Can be thinned either with laquer thinner or enamel thinner.  Came in three flavors, blue/fast dry, green/medium dry and red/slow dry (I rather suspect the 3M Acrylics are the same).  I prefer the slow dry as there is far less shrinkage than with the other two colors.  When I run out of the current supply, I will most likely move to the 3M Acrylic putties  

somenewguy wrote:

Even with the dryer, first tube I got I coudn't keep the putty norrawly contained to the seem or concave I was filling. I use a tiny spatula, but it always seems to deviate away from the desired area. This leads me to believe that puttying is a practicable art form. Is it just me, or do you seem to answer half of my posts, Phil?

I do seem to answer a lot of your posts don't I? But then again, I answer a lot of posts here ..

One thing you can do to minimise your putty going astray and making a mess is to mask up close on either side of the seam you're filling. Lay it down with the spatula and level it to the thickness of the masking tape. This ensures that your seam is filled and you have a paper thin layer of putty, only in the vicinity of the area you're filling. Remove the masking before the putty sets up and you're good to go..