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.

How do you fill large gaps in a model? I'm talking big gaps. For reference, let's say I wanted to fill a gap the size of a paint pot,what would you use?
I also need to be able to drill into it and secure things to it so it can't be anything that is going to crumble apart.
What do you think?

Milliput is the go to for solid fixes. It can be drilled and carved.

You can also use Bondo, the stuff car repairers use to fix dents in cars. It's cheaper and it sands great.

Thanks. I'm trying spackle now. I'm afraid it won't dry hard enough.

Isn't spackle rather brittle?

I probably would have gone the Milliput route, but I have to ask, what on earth are you building that you have a gap the size of a paint pot?

Lol.
I'm using the torso of a toy as the base for a conversion. Unfortunately the torso is hollow and I need to attach bits to it like legs and some internal do dad's

could also use silicon gap filler (like home improvement kind)

Spackle will probably prove to be too brittle.

For a compromise between strength and cost, get some two-part epoxy and reinforce the areas you're going to be anchoring parts too first, THEN fill with spackle.

Yeah I'd go for milliput for that, sets rock solid.
Depending on the shape and quite how much of a fixing you need you can bulk the core out with balled up tinfoil to save on weight and money.

If you're impatient, your can use wall filler. I tend to find most people have a tub readily available.

It does the job, but you have to be quite neat as it's a paint in the butt to sand!

That kind of filling the 5 minute epoxy putty you find at the hardware store is strong, quick, and cheep.

Pack the inside of the torso with tinfoil until it's almost full then use some Green Stuff to finish off in the areas where you will attach your other bits. I'm assuming you will be able to shove the tinfoil in with a finger tip or at least a screw driver or some such, you should be able to get the tinfoil pretty dense inside the toy you're using and I'm also assuming these won't be hugely heavy bits you'll be attaching afterwards so a finger tip's worth of Green Stuff should suffice. You can pry the Green Stuff out once it's cured and then super-glue it back in for extra strength.

You could even try whittling down some old wood to fit into the torso, you're only packing it out and then pinning pieces in, so a bit of Green Stuff to smooth it all out and you'll never know and it should be quite solid; you'd probably need to pack some tinfoil in with this method too, to ensure the wood doesn't wobble around.

thanks all. I actually tried something similar to what gogsnik suggested. I used popsicle sticks cut to various sizes to fill it in and then some milliput to smooth it over.
this filled in some deep crevices I wanted to get rid of. I ended up doing something else on the torso.
I'll post a pic soon. id like to get a little further on the project.

A lot of good suggestions here (love the tinfoil and sticks...).

I use aves apoxie scuplt - its a two part 'green stuff' that is actually affordable in large tubs. (you can even get it from amazon).

I have a couple of the larger sized buckets (4lbs) and it has lasted me for YEARS.

Best of luck!