I'm new to this game, and am keen to find out which is your recommended filler. I have used fine fillers before from hardware stores with poor results. I now have some Milliput but dont know how easy it is to sand. It says it dries rock hard in 3hrs and the whole epoxy thing makes me concerned that I'm never going to get it off the model. What are your views/alternatives? I'm sure we mostly want the same thing ie fills fine cracks, is easy to work with and sands easily.

Thanks,
James

It really depends on the gap you're filling and how much work you need to do to that part of the model. Very fine gaps can be filled with glue - polystyrene cement or superglue. Tipp-Ex works too, if you use the stuff with the tricholorethane solvent. All such filling will need repeat applciations, since it shrinks as it dries. Sanding: cement dissolves the plastic so you're just sanding plastic; superglue is very hard, usually harder than the plastic, but sands smoothly; Tipp-Ex can flake, especially if it's thickly applied.

Wider gaps need a filler with more body, for which there's a wealth of choice. I mainly use fine Milliput. It does set rock-hard if you get the proportions right (which is a bit of an art) and it's easy to sand. I'd wait at least six hours, though, not three. Don't worry that it'll stick too tightly - it comes away readily with sanding, but generally stays where you want it to. One-part fillers like Squadron Green Stuff are less wieldy, I find. They expand slightly on leaving the tube, they don't seem to stick so readily, and they won't sand properly at all - it all comes away in flakes.

I've heard that Isopon and other car body fillers are quite good but I've not yet tried them. You're stuck with an expensive bottle of gunk if you don't like the results.

Then, of course, there's filling with plastic shims. Not always possible, but unbeatable for really wide gaps.

Sound information. Didnt occur to me to use normal cement/glue. Thank you. I have some fine milliput. You said there is at art to mixing it. Please enlighten me.

James

Well, you need exactly the same amount of each component. Too much hardener and it sets instantly; too much of the soft stuff and it never sets. The fine version's components are nearly the same colour so it's hard to know which is which, especially after a bit of time. And if you use only small quantities, a small difference between them is proportionately greater and so will have a greater adverse effect. On the whole I favour using slightly too much hardener, since it generally leaves enough time to work the stuff, while also reducing setting time. But only when I can remember which is which!

Don't forget also that Milliput is a dream to shape when wet - using tools on it with a little drop of water (not mixed in, just on the surface) makes life very easy.

I'm going to try it right now. Ta muchly.

about filling gaps, there is a thread here on aeroscale forum called: "reading the seams".

You easily find it with the google search of the site

Its obligatoy reading as it will solve all your questions

Here you go

Reading the seams

Best place to look for this and many other tips would be the Tips and Techniques forum.

Hope this helps

I use CA glue for filler. One BIG caution, DO NOT let it set for more than 30 minutes or so!! It gets harder than the surrounding plactic.
I let it set for about 10 minutes and use water to sand away the excess.

Bo Roberts