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Hi all,
Just wondering if there's an easier way than using putty
to fill small gaps?

My nighthaunt all seem to have gaps at the joins and it seems like putty will be a pain to use.

Any advice?
Thanks!

Liquid green stuff?

Extra pressure when cleaning the seems?

Gob on the paint?

Incense and prayer?

Fix bayonets?

I gave up on liquid green stuff, I use wet milliput now which gives great results but can be difficult to use so beware!

I was watching someone’s YouTube video today and they used something that you can just use a soft nail file on after. Looked perfect but I can’t remember what it was! Was grey and softer the GS..

I use Testors Contour Putty.

I use LGS, its not for gaps more than a millimeter, I have used it to fill chips but it takes ages to work with because it shrinks.

Thanks all!

@Nevelon - lol... i have my incense burner heating up and am looking for my bayonet.

Apoxie Sculpt. It's a two part clay epoxy but it dries hard and can be sanded.

Avoid liquid green stuff at all costs - it's useless.

Another vote for “avoid liquid green stuff”, lol, I hated that stuff, it’s basically just a thick paint that required way too much effort to fix even a 0.1mm gap.

Milliput by itself is good for big gaps, and milliput mixed with water is good for small gaps.

If it’s something you’re going to be sanding smooth and need a perfect finish, the hobby store filling putties designed for plastic model cars and planes is good for larger gaps (Tamiya make one, I forget the name). For very small seams, I use Gunze Mr Surfacer, it’s a primer but also acts like a sandable filler if applied a bit thicker.

Lastly, if it’s a very fine join line and you’re just trying to 90% hide it rather than 100% make it perfect, Tamiya Extra Thin cement can be carefully applied over the joint and it’ll melt the surfaces together pretty well. Once it’s dry you can sand or shave or file it to perfect if you do need the 100% smooth. And I emphasise that only works for VERY small join lines, if it’s a big gap it won’t help.

vallejo plastic putty, goes on about the same consistency as toothpaste and dries rock hard, it is sandable when dry. i use silicon clay shapers to manipulate it into gaps and to smooth transitions without having to sand for a thousand years.

On space marines, purity status are the best gap covers.

 Deathklaat wrote:
vallejo plastic putty, goes on about the same consistency as toothpaste and dries rock hard, it is sandable when dry. i use silicon clay shapers to manipulate it into gaps and to smooth transitions without having to sand for a thousand years.

Seconding this, Vallejo plastic putty is good stuff.

Depending on the gap I water is down and smooth it on with a brush. Especially for panel lines. Then just file it down.

I've been meaning to try the vallejo stuff, it looks like what liquid greenstuff was trying to be. Does it shrink at all? That was my main issue with LGS.

Yes, or at least, when I used it it did (though I may have watered it down a bit, been a while.

I use only plastic models and therefore I use only plastic to fill all the gaps. I simply cut a small piece from the plastic parts that come either from the sprue or some leftover gun or arm etc. and glue it with Tamiya extra thin glue, and when it is dry I use a file. It works for the small and the big gaps without the problems.

Due to a mistake on my part I've just had to fill a pretty large gap so took a few SBS pics. I had glued the meat skirt together but it seems to have separated and the the glue hardened :(
Option 1. I could pull it apart, repair the damage, clean it up, reassemble and probably repaint most of it ... "well f#@£ that" [Sam Neil, In the mouth of madness]
Option 2. Milliput and a wet brush with a small paint job.

If its only a small gap have you tried varnish? I find it better than most 'fillers' for small gaps as its thin enough to flow into the gap and doesn't need a lot of cleanup after. Should leave a smooth surface once the gap is filled.

Another vote for Vallejo Plastic Putty. I have used it on Nighthaunt models successfully. It does shrink a tiny amount but certainly not as much as Liquid Green Stuff. The best part is that you can usually apply it directly from the tube. On convex surfaces such as Nighthaunt cloaks you may not even need any other tools. I have often removed excess putty with my finger. For trickier surfaces you may need a silicone clay shaper, a brush or round file to finish the surface.

For Nighthaunt it is also possible to fill the gap on the back with plastic glue and file it smooth afterwards. I did this before I got my hands on Vallejo Plastic Putty.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Here is an example of Vallejo Plastic Putty used as gap filler on Great Unclean One.

Try a google sesrch for sprue glue/goo.

Zap-a-gap works for small gaps.Apply bit extra then gently blow off globs of extra glue that gets pushed out as you join the parts back into the gaps.

Another vote for wet Milliput; once you get to grips with it, it works really well.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
I've been meaning to try the vallejo stuff, it looks like what liquid greenstuff was trying to be. Does it shrink at all? That was my main issue with LGS.

Vallejo plastic putty shrinks a lot. I was hoping it'd be a good option for very small gaps, but it's horrid stuff and takes multiple layers to fill properly. The adhesion didn't seem great either, the edges were flaking off while I was trying to sand it. I went back to Milliput with a bit of water and it does the job 100% better.

I've been using milliput and water, but I have some Revell Plasto which is meant to be a decent putty, and can be mixed with plastic glue for a weird slurry.

I use wet milliput too. Mix it with iso alcohol and you have a slurry you can paint into gaps

Here is my sacreligous method: I use simple, cheap modelling clay for really thin gaps - push it in, blend it and once you paint over it, it is gone

I use Mr. White Putty by Tamiya. Depending on what you're doing you might need to thin it down a bit. Works like a charm though. You can sand down the excess for smooth transitions. It takes a little more paint to cover, but only slightly more in my experience.

One tube lasts a really long time too. Depending on how many gaps you have to fill anyways.

The modelling clay works well too, you can usually find cheap DAS clay at most Arts & Crafts shops.

I have also been known to apply a thin layer of CA glue over the clay, just to harden the top before painting - always works perfect, quick and easy for me.

 MDSW wrote:
I have also been known to apply a thin layer of CA glue over the clay, just to harden the top before painting - always works perfect, quick and easy for me.

What's CA glue?

Superglue.

Just to chime in with my thoughts.
Squadron filler is my preferred method, lovely to work with and sands seamlessly, assuming you can get to it to sand it that is.
Superglue and baking soda works but is messy, however you can squeeze some into a gap and it will self level before sprinkling on the baking soda, it is also the strongest for bonding two parts together.
Melted plastic sprue works ok but is even messier and requires having it prepared.
Vallejo plastic putty is good and can be squeezed into gaps
Greenstuff I'd save for sculpting.