Filling in panel lines?

[CorsairMan]

Here I am trying to fill in some deep panel lines and I can't do it!

I've tried Mr surfacer, putty, CA and gap filling CA.

And no matter what I do...I can still see the lines after sanding everything smooth and a coat of primer.

Any suggestions??

[volzj]

I use Tamiya putty. I overfill heavily and wait at least three days for it to shrink and cure and then sand.

[spejic]

Same. Waiting is key. I don't know if you need 3 days, but at least 1 day certainly.

[C7A]

My favourite method is gluing a piece of stretched spure with diameter slightly larger than the width of the panel line to be filled .

Wait until they dry hard then sand .

Edited October 31, 2015 by C7A

[dnl42]

I use a variety of approaches depending on the circumstances. On the Goose I'm currently building, I've used putty, CA, and sprue to fill in various gaps, divots, &etc.

For putty, I've used Tamiya Fine White as well as Perfect Plastic Putty. As noted above, the key is to allow them to dry thoroughly then sand/file smooth. The Perfect Plastic Putty, being water soluble, needs a coating. I've used thin CA as a "skim" coat that seals and provides a hard surface.

For sprue, select some strip that fits well, cut to size, lay into the gap, brush with Tamiya Thin, then carefully press into place with a knife edge or some other smooth, fine tool. Let it dry at least a day and then sand/file smooth.

With putty, CA, and sprue, the final step is to make sure they're all smooth and polished like the plastic.

[jinmmydel]

I'd recommend Bondo. You won't have shrinking problems like with Tamiya and other hobby putties. You can read more about it and other hobby tool alternatives here: "Hobby Tool Alternatives that Don't Suck."

[Ro-Gar Hobbies]

My favourite method is gluing a piece of stretched spure with diameter slightly larger than the width of the panel line to be filled .

Wait until they dry hard then sand .

+1 -This is the method I like to use as well and it saves on a lot of sanding.

[galileo1]

Here I am trying to fill in some deep panel lines and I can't do it!

I've tried Mr surfacer, putty, CA and gap filling CA.

And no matter what I do...I can still see the lines after sanding everything smooth and a coat of primer.

Any suggestions??

I do this (a fairly old trick). Put some styrene stock (like Evergreen) inside a half-used bottle of Tamiya Extra Thin glue an leave it to melt for while. You can put as much styrene as you like depending on how thick you want it. Once it's all melted, use it as gap filler. Nothing better than plastic on plastic.

Here's a pic of my bottle:

If it's a really deep gap, try layering it. Wait for each coat to dry before continuing. Once you're done, it sands really smooth.

HTH.

Rob

[mossieramm]

I do this (a fairly old trick). Put some styrene stock (like Evergreen) inside a half-used bottle of Tamiya Extra Thin glue an leave it to melt for while. You can put as much styrene as you like depending on how thick you want it. Once it's all melted, use it as gap filler. Nothing better than plastic on plastic.

I do as well, except I use pieces of sprue instead expensive Evergreen. How thick it should be is up to you. Personally I like it a bit thick, because it will fill the gap better and when I blend it in, if will soften a bit. Here's what I do.

I lay two pieces of Tamiya tape on either side of the gap I want to fill (protecting any detail) then fill the gap with the "styrene". I also have an old bottle of Tamiya Extra Thin glue which I use to blend it in, this also saves some sanding. Then remove the tape, and let dry/harden. When it's fully dry, sand to blend it in. Don't try to sand while it's still soft, then instead of sanding you'll be "gouging" the plastic.

Hope this helps,

David.

[Pep]

I really like using CA then sprinkling baby powder on the CA.

It sands down fast and smooth!

CA by itself is harder than plastic, so you will eat into the adjacent plastic before the CA is smooth.

Adding baby powder to the CA makes it easier to sand down.

[phasephantomphixer]

I go with Magi-Sculpt because it is an epoxy two part putty which unlike solvent based putties, does not shrink and can be thinned by water while pliable. The shrinking of tube putties is from the evaporation of the solvent when drying. Deep filling can seem flush after a few days, but Months later can still shrink under the finished surface - Ugh!

[dnl42]

I really like using CA then sprinkling baby powder on the CA.

It sands down fast and smooth!

CA by itself is harder than plastic, so you will eat into the adjacent plastic before the CA is smooth.

Adding baby powder to the CA makes it easier to sand down.

I've read about this before, but never tried it myself.

I use straight thin or medium CA depending on the circumstance. While CA will eventually get rock hard and quite difficult to work as you note, the key is to not wait too long. Long enough to cure, but not overnight. I usually wait an hour or two and then sand/file and buff to a state where light and touch demonstrate the ex-gap will be invisible below paint.

[CorsairMan]

I tried bondo..but I don't think I waited long enough.

I'll try to sand it smooth tonight after 2 days of drying.

Frustrating.

[CorsairMan]

Update - wow... ok, the waiting was worth it. I'd say 95% gone... just a couple small divots I can take care of.

Thanks guys! Next time I will do the styrene fill but this time I had primer and layers of failed putty in the panel lines.

[Joel_W]

All depends on how deep or wide the gap or recessed panel line is. If there is a base then I go with Bondo Glazing, and give it several hours to cure. It hardly shrinks and feathers extremely well. I then seal with a layer of thin CCA glue, which I give like 15 min to cure even after using an accelerator. Sand, then polish. If there isn't a base to the recess, I will fill with sheet plastic and extra thin. Let dry for a day, sand, then Bondo Glazing followed by thin CCA glue. I've learned the hard way, that everything does shrink no matter what they claim, as going from a liquid state to a solid state relies on the liquid base to evaporate, the volume decreases.

Joel

Edited November 9, 2015 by Joel_W