Gekko's experiment with a home made filler!

Gekko_1 · January 10, 2008, 07:47:08 PM

Hi guys,

I've been experimenting over the last couple of weeks with a new type of filler for panel lines etc. This came about after I discovered that the camera window on my Trumpeter 72nd scale Wyvern, which I had filled with super glue, had shrunk, leaving a noticeable step! This bothered me, so I started thinking of a better way to fill gaps and trenches. Everything I've used in the past has at some point shrunk a little, leaving a noticeable step, so I figured I have to come up with something that behaves like the plastic I'm using, so I thought to myself, why not use the styrene sprues that are left-over when all the kits parts are used, and melt it down with styrene glue!

So, what I did was chop-up small bits of styrene sprue and add it into an old Tamiya glue container that still had a little glue in it. I simply added glue or styrene "chips" until I had a consistency that I liked.

Then I applied it to an old kit part to see what it would do. It seemed top go on alright so I waited a day and started sanding using wet & dry paper, both wet and dry to see what the result would be. Initial experiments went fine, so I thought I'd try it on a kit!

As I had decided to start the Hobby Boss Mirage IIIC, and as it had some rivet lines that I didn't particularly like, I thought it would be the perfect subject for this experiment!

First off mask the area that you want the "goop" to go.

Be sure to mask over the panel lines to protect them!
Then apply the "goop". You can be quite generous in its application.

Remove the masks and this is what you have!

Then sand away with various strengths of wet & dry sand paper and here's what you get!

If you discover any areas that have been missed out, simply re-apply some more "goop", wait until it is totally dry (half a day to a day depending on room temperature) and re-sand.

Here we see what I started with, versus the end result, which I am very happy with. The blue arrows point to a rivet that escaped the treatment!

The beauty of this "goop" is that it sands with the same consistency as the plastic, and when re-engraving, is nice and soft and easy to deal with, unlike re-engraving over super glue or other fillers. So far I haven't detected any shrinkage and am not expecting any.

This "goop" is cheap, seems to work well and is easily made by any modeller! I'm happy with the results and I'm sure you will be too, so give it a go!

Also it would work well to fill the trenches in any old Matchbox kit or the Airfix Buccaneer or Jaguar! Plus you can make the "goop" any colour you wish, simply add whatever colour sprue you have and the "goop" will be that colour! So if, for example, you had an old Matchbox kit that had red plastic, just chop that up and put it in the spare styrene glue pot and there you have it, red "goop" or orange or blue!

Here we have an engine part from the Mirage IIIC kit. It has been glued together and "goop" added, left to dry and then wet sanded.

The blue arrow points to the join line and the pencilled arrows also point to the join line. I had to add them so that the camera could focus on something because the area is so smooth and glassy!

I didn't like the rivets on the flaps either, so they are getting the treatment too!

Have fun guys.

Cheers

Richard.

BlackOps · January 10, 2008, 07:59:17 PM

Such an innovator! Looks like a great technique...when do you get your own infomercials for Gekko brand miracle goop bonding and filling agent!

Great idea Richard! How fine did you chop your sprue bits?

noxioux · January 10, 2008, 08:17:27 PM

Holy crap. What a cool idea. I'm trying this right now.

Like all brilliant ideas, I'm wondering why this didn't occur to somebody before.

jcf · January 10, 2008, 11:01:43 PM

Quote from: noxioux on January 10, 2008, 08:17:27 PM
Holy crap. What a cool idea. I'm trying this right now.

Like all brilliant ideas, I'm wondering why this didn't occur to somebody before.

It has, its shown up in the "tips and tricks" sections of model mags for decades.

lancer · January 11, 2008, 03:09:10 AM

Looks like a great technique. I have used a similar technique I got from ARC a while back, but it didn't work out too well. A couple of questions though, what type of glue is best to use, and secondly, how long does it take for the glue and styrene chips to melt togther?

B777LR · January 11, 2008, 03:31:20 AM

Can revell glue be used?

Gekko_1 · January 11, 2008, 06:01:42 AM

Quote from: BlackOps on January 10, 2008, 07:59:17 PM
Such an innovator! Looks like a great technique...when do you get your own infomercials for Gekko brand miracle goop bonding and filling agent! Great idea Richard! How fine did you chop your sprue bits?

I just chopped them up into approximately 5mm sections and threw them into the glue.

Cheers

Richard.

Gekko_1 · January 11, 2008, 06:05:44 AM

Quote from: lancer on January 11, 2008, 03:09:10 AM
Looks like a great technique. I have used a similar technique I got from ARC a while back, but it didn't work out too well. A couple of questions though, what type of glue is best to use, and secondly, how long does it take for the glue and styrene chips to melt togther?

I've only used Tamiya extra thin glue, so am not too sure how any other brand would work.

I left the sprue bits and glue for about 15 hours and it was all ready to go. It could have all melted together sooner, I didn't check. Its been like that now for about two weeks and is still "fresh" and ready to use.

Cheers

Richard.

Gekko_1 · January 11, 2008, 06:07:20 AM

Quote from: B777LR on January 11, 2008, 03:31:20 AM
Can revell glue be used?

I don't see why not? As long as its styrene glue it should work.

Cheers

Richard.

frank2056 · January 11, 2008, 07:00:05 AM

I've used styrene melted in glue (or MEK) and works well in fairly thin coats. But you can't apply it in thick coats (more than a few mm thick). It'll skin over and appear to be hard, but the inner parts take forever to harden, since the solvent can't find a path to evaporate quickly. Also, too much will soften the surrounding plastic on the model.

NARSES2 · January 11, 2008, 07:30:42 AM

Never used it as filler but Eon's ago I used the "gloop" obtained by this process to coat tissue paper when making tarpaulins etc for 1/76 scale armour, can also be used to "skin" balsa at a pinch. Back then (and now) I use good old Humbrol liquid glue.

Now who remembers banana oil and it's effect on plastacine ?

Chris

B777LR · January 11, 2008, 02:12:29 PM

I will definetly try this next time i do a kit that needs a bit of filler

HOG · January 11, 2008, 04:15:02 PM

Hi All
Remember this technique from back in the 60`s/70`s but it always seemed to come with a health warning in American mags. the words Carbontet seem to come to mind.
A warning tho`, model glue can be active for months even and especially after painting as the solvent cannot evap`out. try it with somthing that sets really fast like MEK or Plasweld.
My method is similar but uses Green Stuff and liquid glue, Humbrols my fav as it dosn`t dry off to quick. Just open the filler and using an old brush loaded with glue, dip directly into the tube a swirl the brush around until you get a sloopy gloop and paint directly onto your model building up in shallow layers. This way your filler is `glued` to the model, dries really quick for repeat coats and as is on a brush tends to go where you want it, also greenstuff occassionaly flakes/cracks when sanding which this method somehow stops. When set SoSo as normal.
regards Gary

SoSo - Slap on Sand off

Captain Canada · January 11, 2008, 04:37:31 PM

Neat ideas, guys....thanks for the ips !