Help filling 1/144 airliner windows

[spfparker]

I have the Revell BA 747-400 and the F-dcal sheet complete with windows - Whats the best way to fill the window apertures? Do I back with card and fill them from the front or tape the outside and fill from the back - an d what filler works the best??

Cheers Steve

[Antony Robertson]

I normally glue a piece of plasticard on the inside of the fuselage along the window line, then fill from the outside.

I use Squadron green putty as it's easy to sand.

Antony

[kev67]

If I was doing it probably glue a piece of plastic card in side where the windows are and fill them from the front, Milliput works well but if you are in a rush I have found car filler just as good I am using Carplan fine filler, and works a treat

[richellis]

I use some scrap sprue glued inside the fuselage. Saves putting it in the bin, then fill outside.

[buzz]

I lay masking tape along the outside and fill from the inside with two-part 15- or 20-minute epoxy. Remove the tape when the epoxy is set. This method (for me, at least), usuaully means little clean-up is needed on the outside. Any additional filling is usually cofined to a thin skim. just make sure that the masking tapes is well stuck to the plastic to avoid any leaks.

[Jessica]

I've used the scrap plastic on the inside and the tape on the outside methods. My favourite technique these days is to roll up a snake of Milliput, push it through the windows from behind and trim it flush with the outside with a hobby knife.

It's fairly quick, simple, and needs minimal cleanup, since a wet finger smooths it down easily

[spfparker]

Thanks for all the replies everyone - Jessica is here any shrinkage from the Milliput using this method?

[Jessica]

I've never known Milliput to shrink.

[Jennings Heilig]

I've been building airliners and filling in windows since the mid-1970s. I've tried every method known to mankind. Every single method, and I mean *every* single method has resulted in 'shadows' of the kit windows left after painting. I've primed, puttied, sanded, primed, sanded some more, puttied some more, used plastic card, used kit clear windows, used epoxy putty, used super glue, etc, etc, etc. Every single one has left a ghost.

Except one...

You use a blade or a saw to cut through the 'posts' between each window, leaving a long thin open hole in the side of the model. Use some thick styrene square section rod roughly glued into the hole. Super glue the crap out of both sides, making sure you fill any gaps or pits on the outside. Then start hacking away with a coarse sanding stick, followed by progressively finer. Once you get the hang of this method, it's incredibly fast (I did a Zvezda 767 - both sides - in half an hour start to finish), and is **guaranteed** not to leave a ghost of the window visible, since the window is simply no longer there.

Works like a charm.

[ATPER]

wow, what a great method!

I still make it like most people: glueing from behind and filling from in front,.... but: changed from miliput to Tamyia, Tamyia is better to use as miliput, BUT: holly ****** doesn't smells nice (even, worse than very bad!!) but dries quite fast in my opinion, and WAY faster than miliput..... 

[chadders]

I've been building airliners and filling in windows since the mid-1970s. I've tried every method known to mankind. Every single method, and I mean *every* single method has resulted in 'shadows' of the kit windows left after painting. I've primed, puttied, sanded, primed, sanded some more, puttied some more, used plastic card, used kit clear windows, used epoxy putty, used super glue, etc, etc, etc. Every single one has left a ghost.

Except one...

You use a blade or a saw to cut through the 'posts' between each window, leaving a long thin open hole in the side of the model. Use some thick styrene square section rod roughly glued into the hole. Super glue the crap out of both sides, making sure you fill any gaps or pits on the outside. Then start hacking away with a coarse sanding stick, followed by progressively finer. Once you get the hang of this method, it's incredibly fast (I did a Zvezda 767 - both sides - in half an hour start to finish), and is **guaranteed** not to leave a ghost of the window visible, since the window is simply no longer there.

Works like a charm.

Well spin my nipple nuts. I've never thought of that. I've always put strip of car on the inside, then Milliput on the outside, but I'm going to try that idea next time!Cheers Jennings

Mark

[Ben Brown]

I've tried all of the above methods and Jennings' method works great. You really can do 2 fuselage halves in half an hour.

 

Ben

[pinky coffeeboat]

Jennings' method sounds very interesting.

 

I recently tried the superglue and talcum powder mix. It worked quite well but needed a couple of refills. When sanded and polished smooth it blended in nicely, and now 2 weeks later (returned to it after holidays) it's still solid with no sinkage.

 

But, do we really not like windows? I like to build models of airliners not assemble pre-printed desk top models and I will always try to keep the kit windows - cabin windows I can cope with losing but I always feel the cockpit windshield should be clear and not a solid grey/black shape. Each to their own but I like kit windows.

Edited January 9, 2013 by pinky coffeeboat

[KLP Publishing]

But, do we really not like windows? I like to build models of airliners not assemble pre-printed desk top models and I will always try to keep the kit windows - cabin windows I can cope with losing but I always feel the cockpit windshield should clear and not a solid grey/black shape. Each to their own but I like kit windows.

 

One of the main issues for me is that cockpit windows rarely fit well, so that even when I want to use them, I usually can't. I'm currently building Revell's 767 kit, and had exactly this problem. In the end the windscreen snapped while I was trying to fit it, so I had to smother it in a CA/talc mix and fair it in. It's now painted over awaiting decals.

 

Kev

[Jennings Heilig]

I recently tried the superglue and talcum powder mix. It worked quite well but needed a couple of refills. When sanded and polished smooth it blended in nicely, and now 2 weeks later (returned to it after holidays) it's still solid with no sinkage.

 

 

That method works great - for a while.  After some months to a couple of years your model will start to ooze oily brown **VERY** foul smelling goo. It will leach right through the paint, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.  I'm not sure what the chemical reaction that's going on is, but it's happened to many old models of mine where I used baking soda and super glue.  You can't prevent it, and it will keep oozing for years.  Steer clear of that combination.

[pinky coffeeboat]

Perhaps it was a reaction between the baking soda and the superglue? Talcum powder is different . I used this combination many years ago, but didn't notice any oozing goo later. i can't check now because most of the kits I made years ago are now no longer!!

 

I do like windscreens but have to admit that I'm not looking forward to building my Airfix 727 and 737 kits; their windscreens seem to have been designed for another totally different kit!!!

[garryrussell]

A most effective way of doing windscreens is to cut the slot out properly if too small or the wrong shape, then replace with stretched sprue bars.

 

A lot of early kits have partial or full windsreens curving to shape instead of seperate flat panes...from what I remember the 727 and 737 are partially rounded, so decalled windscreens still look a little odd.

[Jennings Heilig]

The problem with the Airfix Boeing narrow body types (707, 727-100/200, and 737) is that they got the entire shape of the nose wrong on all three (four really, since the 727-200 is a new tooling).  They're simply not shaped like the real thing, so the shapes of the flat windscreen panels can't be right.

[Paul Bradley]

Interesting discussion.

 

So, what's the best method to GLAZE cabin windows?

[Jessica]

So, what's the best method to GLAZE cabin windows?

Do the tape on the outside method, but use clear resin to fill the windows with. Watch out for bubbles

An alternative method is to take a toothpick and fill every window with Krystal Clear or Clearfix. Both work, but I defy you from getting terminally frustrated while you're filling your A-380's windows...

[KLP Publishing]

Perhaps it was a reaction between the baking soda and the superglue? Talcum powder is different .

 

Eggzackery.

 

Kev

Edited January 9, 2013 by Big Kev

[pinky coffeeboat]

Do the tape on the outside method, but use clear resin to fill the windows with. Watch out for bubbles

An alternative method is to take a toothpick and fill every window with Krystal Clear or Clearfix. Both work, but I defy you from getting terminally frustrated while you're filling your A-380's windows...

 

 

Then in that case, I could cope with losing the windows but when my A380s roll down my production line soon, I'll definitely be using Klear or PVA/white glue to glaze them (until I kick myself for not using decals....).

 

My last Airfix 737 had such a dreadful fit of windshield, that I ended up filling it and using a decal - IMHO the decal looked absolutely awful!!! So unrealistic. For my next builds, I would like to try using the framing method but can Klear fill such a "large" gap as the windshield? It's been a while since I tried and can't remember...

[Jpthedog]

A bit late to this topic but I used Apoxie Sculpt 2 part epoxy for filling the windows in the same way as the photos earlier in this post - started on Sunday on an Airfix 727 and I have sanded the filled openings ready for primer - works well up to this point.

John

[pinky coffeeboat]

A bit late to this topic but I used Apoxie Sculpt 2 part epoxy for filling the windows in the same way as the photos earlier in this post - started on Sunday on an Airfix 727 and I have sanded the filled openings ready for primer - works well up to this point.

John

Not late at all! I read and heard so much about how good Apoxies sculp was (supposedly better and easier to use than Milliput) that I bought some but haven't used it yet. If it is better/similar to Milliput, then it won't sink or recede.

I read somewhere that when Airfix first released their 727, the windshield fitted nicely, but after so many re-releases the clear moulded part has lost its shape (? - not quite sure how...) and now doesn't fit too well, as we all know.

[Paul Bradley]

The trouble I've found with using PVA/white glue is that it dries concave - not terribly realistic! I'll give the resin method a try.  Thanks!