Using Plaster As A Filler?

[Hobbes]

I've got a few airliners to convert for military use, and I've got to fill all those windows. That'll take several sticks of Milliput (takes ages to prepare) or several tubes of Tamiya putty (expensive, and a pig to apply).
Would it be possible to use ordinary plaster instead? Or would I just be setting myself up for a mess?  

[jcf]

Plaster is asking for trouble as it will not adhere to the plastic and will simply fall out.

Two-part Polyester auto-body filler aka Bondo, Evercoat or several other brands depending on where you live, is a cheap option, plus it sets up quickly and sands easily. Blank off the windows from the inside with plastic card, mix up the filler and using a plastic spreader or spatula apply it to the whole run of windows.

Two things to remember: use the amount of hardener recommended by the manufacturer and don't apply too thick of a coating, the filler heats up as it cures.

Cheers, Jon

[ysi_maniac]

However, for the airliners, would it not be better to simply glue the windows in and then use a light coat of whatever tube filler you use and then just sand them flush?

Some airliners just do not have clear windows, only holes

[Hobbes]

Yup. No clear window parts on these (Revell Airbus A319/321).  

[Shasper]

What I did on a contract job was blank off the windows with masking tape, then took Elmers wood filler and spot-applied to each window. Tedious I know, but it worked.


Shas B)

[Archibald]

Got a similar problem while building the Sonic Cruiser. the Caravelle only had 20 or so windows, when the S.C needed at least 40... I thought about filling the windwos as mentioned, but my problem was even worse, because I had to dug new windows...

I've ended faking the windows with rounds of paper (what we call confetti

So here's my question... filling the windwos already seems a tedious job. But once you filled them with plastic card and putty, is it possible to dug new windows ?    Is putty / plastic card combo solid enough to withstand that ?    

[TsrJoe]

a quick and dirty solution would be to use car accessory shop cataloy epoxy filler, iv been using the stuff on comercial projects for years and its a staple in the modelmaking/film industry too..

the ready mixed 'knifing putty' is ideal for smaller areas also bonding well to plastic due to its high solvent content...

catalyst based epoxy 'plastic padding, u-pol, bondo, p.38', et al is great for larger areas, quick drying (minutes or hours) and can be carved whilst curing and even building complete shapes such as fuselages etc. its only drawback can be that it 'sometimes' doesnt adhere well to plastic, requiring a scored or drilled surface to bond on to or a splash of acetone or dichloromethane mixed with it to act as a plastic solvent

cheers, Joe

ps. typing this whilst sanding down a master for a 1/72 BAC. MUSTARD space launcher which is mostly 2 part cataloy filler over a basic structural web former

[cthulhu77]

Instead of using a catalyst filler, just using body putty (air drying) is a piece of cake...it would take maybe five minutes to fill in all of the holes, let it dry overnight, and sand flush.
  Bondo makes a body putty (5 bucks u.s.dollars), and 3M makes a wonderful product called AcrylBlue (17 bucks)...both are available at most automotive and paint stores.