Covering up fuselage joints/lines

[Guest]

Now have a stock of plastic cards of different thicknesses. If I get anything other than a minor crack, so to speak, I cut a slither of card the required thickness. Also used oblong plastic & shape where one end is bigger than the other.

Great satisfaction when the infill fits snuggly may say a smug feeling.

Being a close fit I use thin Tamiya cement and then use Tamiya liquid filler to finish the joint.

Had massive problems on the Revell Mosquito & this worked perfectly without the sign of a join. Does take time & immense care though to get it right. It is I found a couple of days effort. With intervals of course : for tea.

Laurie

[mossiepilot]

Thanks guys, the gap is only a mm or so, but runs the whole width of the wing, which is, I think, why the "tippex" is not sinking into the gap. I think I'll try the stretched sprue trick as my confidence with CA isn't up to speed. I'm trying out different glues at the moment and my only experience of this is from one build, the Typhoon, and I scared myself when doing it. But the advice on trying CA/talc on a scrap piece is good, I never really thought about practicing new skills on something I would throw away, its a bit of a new idea. I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Tony.

[Guest]

1) I use thin Tamiya tape to mask the seams (a piece either side) and then apply Tamiya filler.

Once it's dried fully, I wet and dry the filler until I can run my finger across the fuselage and not feel a ridge. Losing any surface detail is hopefully avoided by masking as close along the seam as possible, although sanding will eventually 'scruff' up the masking tape. When this happens simply apply more tape over the original.

2) Another method is as mentioned by others: Glue the two halves together and allow a small amount of glue to ooze out (not too much mind), and then mask off along the seam before sanding down as above.

3) An old method I used was to run super-glue long the seam and then sprinkle some (was it baking powder or talc?..I can't quite remember), but basically this almost immediately dries the glue which can then be sanded down straight away (remember to mask the seam as above if doing this).

4) Vallejo putty has been of questionable use to me. I use it on hairline cracks only, and even then it sometimes breaks away..........not any good for a nice strong fill.

As with all methods, once I'm happy the seam is filled, I brush some grey Vallejo primer along. More than not there's still a faint line still showing, so I repeat my chosen method until happy. At least by brushing primer along the seams it saves me the aggro of airbrushing the whole model only to find I've wasted hours....grrrrr LOL

[Guest]

A method i've used in the past that gives a little more strength.

If you get a thin slither of balsa wood and squeeze it in the joint then apply super glue all along, it will harden and become quite strong. it's able to be sanded but you'll need wet and dry type paper.

Probably not the best solution if there's detailing next to the join but if a strong seam is needed then this works a treat.

[Guest]

Guys - can someone possibly give me a dummies guide to using plastic weld - i've looked at loads of threads and sites, am I right in thinking that I get the dry fit perfect, then hold the 2 halves of the fuselage together with no glue or tape, and the nose up / tail down vertically (almost) and then just let a bead of weld run down the length of the join using capillary action, so obviously not squeezing too tight until it has run the length, and then squeezing tighter to get a bead to form on the surface.ThanksMike

[Guest]

Guys - can someone possibly give me a dummies guide to using plastic weld - i've looked at loads of threads and sites, am I right in thinking that I get the dry fit perfect, then hold the 2 halves of the fuselage together with no glue or tape, and the nose up / tail down vertically (almost) and then just let a bead of weld run down the length of the join using capillary action, so obviously not squeezing too tight until it has run the length, and then squeezing tighter to get a bead to form on the surface.ThanksMike

You are on the right trail Mike. - Tutorail videos

I got my technique via Phil Flory. I have amended it to suit me but it gives a great grounding in the basics. You have to subscribe £3:00 to get acess per month. But there are about 20 tutorials there which for just a month is great value.

I basically put the halves together then tape in various strategic places. Then using the weld glue I tack various points. As I think it was Steve (Stona) who said do not get the stuff near the tape as it gums up the whole lot. This glue travels by capillary action a long way form the point of contact. Then I remove the tape after the tacks have cured, not before. Then if necessary tape other points to clue up the joint & tack. Then finish by applying the weld glue to the un-welded joints.

Just to be pedantic. Not a glue. As in a steel metal weld you are melting the two surfaces together to form a joint. Glues such as superglue (c/a) & others (forgotten the name) actually stick to both surfaces (if you are lucky) with the glue hardening between the two halves.

There are many ways & if you see Flory I am sure you will then devise your own technique. I find he is a bit gungho but he certainly produces the goods his way.

Laurie

[Guest]

this is great - thanks. Stupid question - by tack do you mean blue tac to stop the weld hitting the tape? Thanks!

[Guest]

thanks Laurie - this makes sense - gonna buy a cheap practice model first!

how do you apply to keep it clean? Toothpicks?

[Guest]

thanks Laurie - this makes sense - gonna buy a cheap practice model first!how do you apply to keep it clean? Toothpicks?

If you look on the shop Mike you will find Albion Alloys stuff model supplies, model making supplies, model making tools, uk cheap

This gives a way of doing it.

At the moment I am using Tamiya Thin Cement Glue which is for all intents & purposes is the same as Plasti-Weld. Tamiya has a brush attached to the lid. I seem to have emigrated to Tamiya without any good reason, except that it was handy laying there, but an ordinary brush is OK. I just drag the brush over the joint in as thin a line as possible. Not to thick you do not need much. It evaporates quickly but if you apply to much, ie puddle, then you are in danger of damage to the plastic surface. Applied thinly & there is no discernible damage & it is more than enough to form the weld on the seam.

I would park the brush in a glass jar when you are using it in case it comes in contact with plastic parts. Keep the lid on when not in use as Plasi-Weld will disappear into the ether like a scared ghost.

Others have their ways which includes squeezing out melted plastic between the joint. Had some success with this method on small items but Flory's method suits me. His method includes using Tamiya fluid filler which I have found to be the best filler around. It does not break away when sanded. Came to the conclusion it is has some properties like Plasti-Weld & Tamiya Thin Cement it slightly melts into the surface.

Laurie

[Guest]

great stuff - i ordered ambroid pro weld from the shop last night - ill look at florys once im out of work - thanks again!

[Guest]

i've used testors Clear Parts Cement and Window Maker (basically elmer's white glue - not sure what you guys call that across the pond). i lay a line down on the seam, let it sit for a couple seconds to spread out to wherever it's going to go. then take a damp q-tip and run it along the seam. you can easily wipe off any excess glue since it's water soluble and it doesn't affect and panel lines. you might need to do a couple passes if the glue recedes too far, but you won't lose any detail. i've used this method several times with success.

here's a link to the product in case i wasn't clear: Scalehobbyist.com: Clear Parts Cement and Window Maker by Testors Models and Paints

[BarryW]

On the subject of cements and Phil Flory - his news show of the 17th Feb included a comparison of cements and welds. He compared Tamiya Extra Thin (his normal favourite), Mr Cement S, Plastic Weld and Mek Pak. He was surprised to see that Mr Cement S came out on top. It was an interesting exercise and well worth watching.

[Guest]

I'm using up a pot of Humbrol Liquid Poly at the moment, which is applied to exactly where I need it with a 4/0 brush that's a little past its' best. Get the pieces together and then simply load a little Poly onto the brush and dab it onto the joint in an out of the way spot. It'll capillary a surprisingly long way. I'm still learning, but I'm finding that about 60-70% of the time the joint will clean up with just a careful scrape with a sharp #11 blade.

I use MMD green putty to fill any visible joins, applied with Royal Sovereign Cup Round Colour Shaper 10 Soft - Hobbycraft | Craft Shop, Art Supplies. Any excess simply breaks away from the tool once it's dry, so no clean up woes. I've also discovered that the Liquid Poly does an excellent job of thinning the MMD putty down to whatever consistency you want, including a nice thin paste that is perfect for getting into seams and narrow gaps without it splodging out everywhere. If you can apply just the amount of filler you need then you're far less likely to end up over sanding and losing detail.

[Guest]

On the subject of cements and Phil Flory - his news show of the 17th Feb included a comparison of cements and welds. He compared Tamiya Extra Thin (his normal favourite), Mr Cement S, Plastic Weld and Mek Pak. He was surprised to see that Mr Cement S came out on top. It was an interesting exercise and well worth watching.

Received a little pot of Mr Cement. Tried all three Mr Cement, Tamiya & Plastic Weld. Plastic weld is good but if you use to much you will get sinking into the plastic surface.

Little to choose from Tamiya & Cement S. Tamiya does not creep as quickly as Cement S. Stuck two wings halves together with Cement S. I had tape at intervals & as I do with Tamiya expecting the solvent to stop short of the tape. It ran like lightening & you could see it's progress all past the tape. Think for some things Tamiya is best others Cement S. Unless you slosh the Tamiya & Cement S on it does not harm the plastic.

Have not looked at Florys as I did not want to be prejudiced.

Laurie

[Guest]

Some very good ideas and thanks to all.Has anyone ever used toothpaste as a filler?I`ve seen it demonstrated in an old book of scale models and wondered if this was worth a go.

I`m still at the scary tentative stage of model making but fancy trying out the Tamiya filler idea.