Plastic Fillers

[cybershed]

Hi there fellow modellers.

 

Anyone got any tips about how to maintain the life of plastic fillers (in their tubes) once they have been opened.

 

I have tried both oil-based and water-based fillers and they have both gone awry over time. Seems such a waste and definitely not environmentally friendly.

 

I think a good idea would be mini-tubes of the stuff (like the mini tubes of contact adhesive). But I haven't seen any fillers for sale in anything other than regular size tubes.

 

Has anyone got any ideas?

[dogsbody]

The only tube filler that I ever tried was Tamiya Grey. I didn't like it as I found it difficult to get it in to small gaps without leaving a large glob. Sanding it back was a pain in the backside and it gummed up sanding sticks and sand paper until it they were useless. Eventually, the tube dried up into a useless lump which I threw away. I have since tried Mr. Surfacer which I do like, especially Mr.Surfacer 1000 for 1/72 scale. I give the jar a real good shake, then I apply small drops of Surfacer, using a sewing needle with the eye cut back, leaving a small Y. Works great. I make sure the lip of the jar and the inside of the lid are wiped clean so it maintains the seal when not in use. 

 

Sorry I can't help you with your question.

 

 

Chris

[janneman36]

My tip is to clean your caps on the tubes and the thread on those and that helps a lot..

Got some tubes for years and they are still fine, but in the end opening them will reduce shelf life no matter which brand you use!

 

cheers, Jan

[Baran İşmen]

Will soon get a try to Perfect Plastic Putty, which is highly popular everywhere on the Internet

Tried Vallejo's plastic putty and Tamiya's grey filler so far; Vallejo is not that good, Tamiya is meh. 

[roginoz]

My experience, when PPP starts to firm up in the tube, is to add a few drops of water which, over time, will help maintain its softness and usability.

HTH

Rog

 

[Mike]

If I'm using tube filler I usually go with Tamiya Basic, and that has quite a long shelf-life.  As Jan(neman) said, clean the mess up around the cap, use it sparingly and apply it with a modelling tool (I use a metal one for obvious reasons), rather than directly from the tube.  The key to long life (putty - I'm not a doctor or life coach) seems to be making sure the cap is able to screw fully down, keeping the likelihood of the solvent escaping to a minimum.  My tubes last a couple of years minimum, but I often use CA as my filler, so I don't have the putty tube open very often

[dogsbody]

I bought this a few months ago, but haven't had a chance to use it yet. Is it any good? Are there any issues?

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Black Knight]

1. shrinkage, on one sided holes it shrinks quite a bit, on open holes it seems to shrink from the rear

2. my bottle was not water-resistant when dry and just washed away during wet sanding.

3. I find it does not adhere to plastic very well and is best wiped smooth before it dries to minimise any sanding which tends to remove all of it

[dogsbody]

Maybe I'll just stick to Mr Surfacer. I've got that one sussed now.

 

 

 

Chris

[Mike]

2 hours ago, dogsbody said:

I bought this a few months ago, but haven't had a chance to use it yet. Is it any good? Are there any issues?

 

That stuff in the fine applicator tube is awesome for filling tiny grooves and minimising their appearance on wing roots, part seams where you still want a line, just not quite such a deep or wide line.  I use it on these jobs almost every model.  I apply a line of the stuff, then wipe it off with a fingertip or a cotton bud if it's a tight place.  Don't use water or it will slump big time, but if you leave it neat, it'll reduce your join line to the size of a panel line after one or a couple of applications.  It's a niche use, but it's still useful

 

To save wasting yours, you could decant it into a syringe maybe?