Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I'm working on a Skyray right now and I'm trying really hard to get all the gaps filled as some of the pieces didn't fit well at all.  I'm using Tamiya Polyester Putty as it seems to work just as well as GW's greenstuff for gap-filling but it sands nicer and doesn't clog up my files with stuff that is impossible to scrape off.

This phase of modelling is my weakness and I'm really trying to get this project right.  Previously I have often thought that I cleaned a model well only to discover after priming big gaps, mould lines I missed, or layers of putty that looked smooth and felt smooth but after priming are visible.  Is there any way to check if I've got it right before I prime?

Not really, to be honest. But then again, that is part of the purpose of sandable primers. On a project where that stuff is really important, I may sand and reprime some seams a few times to get it right. I think I primed my latest ship hull 5 times. This is why picking a good primer is so important, as it both makes the sanding easier but also doesn't over-fill the details in the process.

I'd also use different putties for this purpose than those. Squadron White is my usual poison, though I'm looking for something a bit smoother with longer working time. Gunze "Mr Putty" is ok, but starts to skin over WAY too fast. I occasionally use green stuff, but only when I am filling in larger areas or spots that I think will need the flexibility.

Strangely enough, the glue can also make a difference. I've gone almost exclusively to Tamiya Extra-thin, which has really reduced a lot of the thinner gaps. If you do it right, it squishes out a very small bead of plastic that fills in the gap and gives a much easier seam to fill. But GW kits do need a lot more of this kind of work than other stuff. It would also pay dividends to improve your clamping tools and methods.

Good post, Hans. I agree that no matter what I do, I always seem to find additional things that need cleaning somewhere into the painting process.

Alright. Thanks for the info. I guess I'll just have to give it a go. I'm using Japanese brands so I don't exactly know which primer is best. At the moment I have a can of Mr. WHITE SURFACER 1000 sitting on my shelves to try.

Honestly, if you're a perfectionist (and many miniature painters are,) no ammount of prep work is going to satisfy you after you put that first bit of primer down. One should always prepare for this eventuality. I have found that simple auto-body primer works best for me. I know, I know. But the stuff goes down smooth and I don't have the tempermental properties of GW's primers.

And it's workable. You can put your file right down on top of it (after it dries) to smooth out spots. You should be concerned about too much build up (especially if you're going back to your model with primer multiple times) but a cheap can of acetone goes a long way, here. A little acetone will allow you to brush away sections of primer but one should be especially careful, here, as the acetone will eat your plastic if it is exposed to it long enough. Use only enough to so that you "reveal" some of the plastic, don't worry about getting it completely clean, you'll start to erode your details in the opposite direction.

I have a jar of Mr Surfacer myself, haven't figured out how to use it yet. All I keep doing is ruining brushes. What kind of solvent does it need?

You may also want to try the Gunze Pre-Thinned putty, they call it "Mr Dissolved Putty", or the Tamiya Basic Gray. Milliput should also be available in Japan, haven't used it myself though.

RedStripe, I do use automotive primers myself sometimes. Just try to get the ones that say "Primer" and not "High-Build" or "Primer-Filler". To be honest though, unless I'm having adhesion problems I go straight to Tamiya paints from my airbrush to do the basecoating. Gives me better control, less filling, and more color choices.

I usually use auto primer myself. It matches my black paint exactly, so much so I don't need to go over it for my Sisters and their tanks. Handy that...

I am really eating up this gap filling advice. After putting together two land speeders and rubberbanding the hell out of them only to have to green stuff the hoods, I am looking for all I can get. I was tempted to use super lightweight spackle to get the job done!

Posted By scarab on 10/03/2007 3:05 AM
Good post, Hans. I agree that no matter what I do, I always seem to find additional things that need cleaning somewhere into the painting process.

Yeah that's right, and the important fact implied in the post is that you do clean up the stuff you find.

Posted By Hans on 10/03/2007 11:19 AM
I have a jar of Mr Surfacer myself, haven't figured out how to use it yet. All I keep doing is ruining brushes. What kind of solvent does it need?

That I don't know.  I have the spray can.  I don't trust myself with brush-on primers.