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Material to patch holes or small cracks

wrlyders
 

If I have a nail hole or small crack in my plater wall at home I use patching plaster to cover it.

 

But what can I use if I have a drill hole or small crack in my plastic/styrene model to make a smooth surface?

 

And extra heavy paint should not be the answer.

 

Thanks,  

 

Bill L

 
Paul Doggett
 

Bill 

I use Squadron green putty I think that they do other colours as well.

Paul Doggett 


On 20 Mar 2023, at 11:46, wrlyders via groups.io <blyders@...> wrote:



If I have a nail hole or small crack in my plater wall at home I use patching plaster to cover it.

 

But what can I use if I have a drill hole or small crack in my plastic/styrene model to make a smooth surface?

 

And extra heavy paint should not be the answer.

 

Thanks,  

 

Bill L

 
Kevin Macomber
 

You will need to glue something to back side, if you can reach it, and then fill with putty.

Kevin
NGMC

On 2023-03-20 07:46, wrlyders via groups.io wrote:
If I have a nail hole or small crack in my plater wall at home I use
patching plaster to cover it.
But what can I use if I have a drill hole or small crack in my
plastic/styrene model to make a smooth surface?
And extra heavy paint should not be the answer.
Thanks,
Bill L
Links:
------
[1] https://RealSTMFC.groups.io/g/main/message/199790
[2] https://groups.io/mt/97728967/645454
[3] https://RealSTMFC.groups.io/g/main/post
[4] https://RealSTMFC.groups.io/g/main/editsub/645454
[5] https://RealSTMFC.groups.io/g/main/leave/11334620/645454/765963421/xyzzy
--
Kevin Macomber
NGMC
(717) 474-8399
www.narrowgaugemodeling.com
Will Jamison
 

I use 3M Bondo spot putty #907. Comes in a 4.5 oz tube and is $5 - $6 at Walmart. Find it in the automotive section. 
Goes on smooth, dries quickly, and sands easily. 
Hudson Leighton
 

Save some scraps from the model and dissolve them in solvent and make a putty to fill the hole.

Spruces are good for this, for larger hole use sprues as plugs.

-Hudson
JGG KahnSr
 

But, sadly, doesn't have a very long shelf life once it is first opened.

Jace Kahn


From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of Will Jamison via groups.io <ironwill77@...>
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2023 8:20 AM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Material to patch holes or small cracks
 
I use 3M Bondo spot putty #907. Comes in a 4.5 oz tube and is $5 - $6 at Walmart. Find it in the automotive section. 
Goes on smooth, dries quickly, and sands easily. 

Bruce Smith
 

Bill,

 

As Indicated by others, there are a variety of methods to use to fill holes like this:

 

  1. Glue in a piece of plastic rod, sprue, or whatever was meant to go in the hole originally, let the glue set, and trim the  plastic flush with the surface and sand.
  2. Fill with putty. So many brands. I use Bondo glazing putty, other use Squadron Green, and many other brands. Some people make their own using waste plastic dissolved in MEK or other plastic dissolving glues. Putty may require multiple applications as it may shrink and need to be reapplied. Sand the surface when dry.
  3. Fill with Cyaonoacrylate (CA/ACC) glue. Some folks prefer the “thick” for this, other use thin, others use CA mixed with baking soda. It often pays to sand it once dry, but not fully cured as it can get kinda hard.

 

Regardless of method, you may want to make mini-sanding sticks to just get that area. I use a piece of .1 x .1 or similar styrene or wood cut at 45 degrees with some 320 grit sand paper glued on the ends. There are also commercial sanding sticks and other products like mini-sanding blocks (e.g. National Scale Car).

 

Regards,

Bruce

Bruce Smith

Auburn, AL

 

 

From: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of "wrlyders via groups.io" <blyders@...>
Reply-To: "main@RealSTMFC.groups.io" <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
Date: Monday, March 20, 2023 at 6:46 AM
To: "main@RealSTMFC.groups.io" <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
Subject: [EXT] [RealSTMFC] Material to patch holes or small cracks

 

CAUTION: Email Originated Outside of Auburn.

If I have a nail hole or small crack in my plater wall at home I use patching plaster to cover it.

 

But what can I use if I have a drill hole or small crack in my plastic/styrene model to make a smooth surface?

 

And extra heavy paint should not be the answer.

 

Thanks,  

 

Bill L

 
Bill Parks
 

On Mon, Mar 20, 2023 at 09:30 AM, JGG KahnSr wrote:
But, sadly, doesn't have a very long shelf life once it is first opened
I have never tried 3M Bondo, but can you mix it with water to extend the shelf life?  I have done this before with Squadron Green, and other putties.  Just curious.
 
--
Bill Parks
Cumming, GA
Modelling the Seaboard Airline in Central Florida
Tony Thompson
 

\Paul Doggett \wrote:

I use Squadron green putty I think that they do other colours as well.

I used that stuff for years, and liked it, but the Tamiya putty really is better.

Tony Thompson
Claus Schlund &#92;(HGM&#92;)
 

Hi List Members,


I agree with Tony, Squadron Green (and also Squadron White) is OK, but the TAMIYA putty is much easier to work with


When I want a more fluid putty, I have in the past placed a bit of the TAMIYA putty and a drop of Scalecoat Washaway paint remover onto a plastic surface and used an artists micro-spatula to mix them. This gives a more liquidy putty, but at the expense of additional shrinkage as it sets up


Claus Schlund


On 20-Mar-23 14:47, Tony Thompson wrote:

\Paul Doggett \wrote:

I use Squadron green putty I think that they do other colours as well.

I used that stuff for years, and liked it, but the Tamiya putty really is better.

Tony Thompson
frograbbit602
 

It was stated, “But, sadly, doesn't have a very long shelf life once it is first opened.” It being scrap plastic melted in MEK which I call MEK Goop (photo).

Once opened if you add more MEK to the MEK Goop via eyedropper each week or after each use it will have a never ending shelf life.

Lester Breuer
Plymouth, MN
Kevin Macomber
 

As a side note, there is another alternative to this 'goop' and that is dissolving white styrofoam into acetone.

Kevin
NGMC

On 2023-03-21 08:00, frograbbit602 via groups.io wrote:
It was stated, “But, sadly, doesn't have a very long shelf life once
it is first opened.” It being scrap plastic melted in MEK which I
call MEK Goop (photo).
Once opened if you add more MEK to the MEK Goop via eyedropper each
week or after each use it will have a never ending shelf life.
Lester Breuer
Plymouth, MN
Links:
------
[1] https://RealSTMFC.groups.io/g/main/message/199808
[2] https://groups.io/mt/97728967/645454
[3] https://RealSTMFC.groups.io/g/main/post
[4] https://RealSTMFC.groups.io/g/main/editsub/645454
[5] https://RealSTMFC.groups.io/g/main/leave/11334620/645454/765963421/xyzzy
--
Kevin Macomber
NGMC
(717) 474-8399
www.narrowgaugemodeling.com
Dave Wetterstroem
 

You can also use 3d printing resin and a uv flashlight. It has to go on in thin coats but cures as soon as you hit it with uv light. It sands very well. 
Ron Merrick
 

I've used ACC.  Does need sanding or filing afterwards, usually.  And it may take more than one application.  My choice is Loctite super glue in the 0.35 oz triangular bottle (the thin ACC), applied with a straight pin.

Ron Merrick
Dave Lawler
 

Good day all,

I’ve had great success over the years using a marine product called iNTERLUX SURFACING PUTTY.

I have an 8oz. can that I’ve had for over 60 years. I have built Great Lakes ship models for museums

and private collections as well as being an avid model railroader. The stuff works very well on wood

as well as styrene and clean resin. If it thickens up I bring it back with lacquer thinner.

I checked their website and it is still available mostly from marine dealers.

Dave Lawler

Avon Lake, Ohio

 

Sent from Mail for Windows

 
Charles Greene
 

I also use Squadron putty and have had good results. 

Chuck Greene
St. Charles, IL
B.L. Griffith
 

 

Many long years ago (early 60s), I had become dissatisfied with the small tube of “body” filler packaged in some of the model car customizing kits of the time.  After I migrated to bottles of Testers liquid cement from tube glue and discovered if you cut parts sprues into small pieces and dropped them into the liquid cement remaining at the bottom of partially used bottles, the resulting goo could seamlessly fill gaps if allowed to fully harden when the solvents evaporated, it became my “go to” filler.  Adjusting the ratio by adding more sprue or cement made it easy to get a workable solution.  
The major drawback was the time it took for the solvents to evaporate (sometimes days), allowing the “goo” to fully harden, and remembering to use undiluted cement on the mating surfaces before hand to soften them so it would bond them into one part.  
Ted Larson
 

Regarding using Testors liquid cement for dissolving runners, and what is in it; 
See this link for its contents. 








--
Ted Larson
trainweb.org/mhrr/        --------        NASG.org        --------        https://www.nasg.org/Clubs/RegionsMinnesota.php
GN in 1965

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