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Best process for filling in molded-in cut lines for hood scoops?


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I have a number of kits that I want to build more or less factory stock, so I won't be cutting out the hole for the hood scoop.  That still leaves the scribed lines, which I'd like to fill in and detail over with small gauge plastic to complete the look of the factory sheet metal & bracing etc.  

My question is whether mixing regular model glue with small styrene shavings as a filler might still affect the thin spots near the surface of the hood.  If so, should I use something like Milliput, or...? 

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Nix-nix with the styrene/glue mix. It takes a long time for the solvents to evaporate, the remaining styrene never hardens back as in its original state, the aforementioned solvents will soften the plastic where it;s applied and will result in filled in area to be very visible on the top part of the hood, causing more headaches. Use Milliput, Apoxie or Magic-Sculpt to fill in the lines.

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I fill in the grooves in the underside of the hood with some form or other of plastic strip & then some sort of filler to finish.

Not only will it give you a solid base to work on, but it will help eliminate any ghosting in those areas from a hotter lacquer paint if you are using it.

 

Steve

 

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Edited by StevenGuthmiller
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I agree that just filler alone with still allow the ghosting to show through.  Small plastic strip stock applied to the scribing area is best but use glue sparingly, especially ACC as it gets real hard, more so than the plastic and will cause uneven surfaces to sand.  Use as little filler as possible to reduce shrinkage as well.

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5 hours ago, Monty said:

I have a number of kits that I want to build more or less factory stock, so I won't be cutting out the hole for the hood scoop.  That still leaves the scribed lines, which I'd like to fill in and detail over with small gauge plastic to complete the look of the factory sheet metal & bracing etc.  

My question is whether mixing regular model glue with small styrene shavings as a filler might still affect the thin spots near the surface of the hood.  If so, should I use something like Milliput, or...? 

The only problem I see is if the liquid glue-dissolved styrene "putty"  causes the outside surface (top) of the hood to settle and shrink, given that the hood panel is quite thin on the exterior surface from the grooves molded to the underside.  I've used gap-filling CA glue with accelerator to fill those cutout groove guidelines over the years, with great success.

Art

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4 hours ago, Art Anderson said:

 I've used gap-filling CA glue with accelerator to fill those cutout groove guidelines over the years, with great success.

Art

Agreed. And superglue gel--I've found the LocTite brand is best--works even better. Lovely stuff for certain uses, and this is one of them. 

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1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

Agreed. And superglue gel--I've found the LocTite brand is best--works even better. Lovely stuff for certain uses, and this is one of them. 

I've always used CA, superglue and baking soda to fill the pre-cut lines for hood scoops tire radius cutouts like on the inner rear quarters of the '49 and '50 Fords come to mind right off.  First sprinkle a light coat of the baking soda into the groove then drop the superglue in over the baking soda which works as an accelerant so the area can be worked almost immediately.  Alternately talc can be used in place of the baking soda.  This filler is slightly harder than the styrene being filled and yields a stable fill which can be over coated with any standard two part automotive glaze filler.

Got this tip from fellow monster modelers almost 25 years ago, every area that this filler was used has held up perfectly well no shrinkage, no cracking.   Unlike the lacquer based fillers I was using before which have cracked and exhibit shrinking over that same time.   Although you get a bond between the lacquer filler and the styrene, it sets by evaporation of the lacquer from the outside in, which may take some time to get to the styrene.  In th mean time the lacquer fillers have cracked and shrunk, sometimes taking a year even years to leave their mark.

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The other day, I filled the cutout areas under the hood of my '61 Tempest with Bondic UV resin and cured it for about 15 minutes. Hasn't affected the top side of the hood.

Yet.

If I live to regret that idea I'll let you know right away! ;)

Edited by ChrisBcritter
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10 hours ago, ChrisBcritter said:

The other day, I filled the cutout areas under the hood of my '61 Tempest with Bondic UV resin and cured it for about 15 minutes. Hasn't affected the top side of the hood.

Yet.

If I live to regret that idea I'll let you know right away! ;)

I think that's a great idea.

The only draw backs to these UV glues is that they don't adhere particularly well & the don't cure real hard.

But I think in this instance, it may work quite well.

 

Steve

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