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The key question is whether it needs to be engraved or not.

  • If not, I really like Tamiya White putty: easy to use, sands very well, can be thinned down with lacquer thinner to be brushed in tight spots/thin layers.
  • If you need to engrave the area, CA glue or white Milliput are my weapons of choice. A bit harder to use and sand but much harder so take engraving well.
  • "Sprue goo", platic sprues melted in Tamiya extra thin glue, is also a good option as you can brush it on with the cap brush and it will has the same hardness as the surrounding plastic.

Run some tests and let us know what you prefer!

 

Arnaud

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I don't think there is a perfect one. I use different ones for different needs. If the gap is large I usually put styrene rods or stretched sprue into it before any putty. If there is any flex in the join most putties will crack.

 

I usually use the Tamiya grey. You need to wait a day before sanding it - it might be dry sooner, but it will keep shrinking for a while. If I'm going to be doing lots of manipulation or fill lots of gaps at once or want something structural I will use a two part epoxy (Tamiya Slow or Milliput White) but those take a while to prepare and cure and for me once in a while it never cures. For tiny or last-minute fixes I use Perfect Plastic Putty, which dries to a sandable state fast and is smooth and easy to work. But it dissolves in alcohol, and I like to wash models in that before painting, so I can't use it as my main product. I also use some thin ones (Mr Surfacer 500, Mr Dissolved Putty) which is good for difficult placements or wide and shallow imperfections like sink marks. But those shrink a lot, so again you have to wait a day before sanding.

 

 

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For convenience, the water based Perfect Plastic Putty, mentioned above, works well, though it does shrink a bit and can be a bit 'gritty'  However, the absolute best stuff I've ever used is 3M Acryl-Red Glazing Putty. You thin it with lacquer thinner or Mr. Color Leveling Thinner to make it as thin (or leave as thick) as you want.  It doesn't shrink, and it dries to sandable in about 10 minutes.  It comes in a tube that should last you forever.  Its only downside is that it stinks, but that's a minor point given all it's other properties.  I didn't 'discover' the stuff...I saw it used by Matt on Doog's Models YouTube channel.  Great stuff!

Edited by Curt B
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