What Putty or Fillers to Use

[slusher]

I have used Squadron the most and I have Tamiya white and grey.   I do have an interest in trying the Bondo spot paddy..

[Ace-Garageguy]

18 hours ago, Pete J. said:

...Bill, not sure how you have a problem with it drying out.

Maybe because the storage environment isn't very well controlled? My house here isn't AC'd, barely heated, just like both the shops I work with.

I just today checked a plastic-packaged quart of polyester glazing putty I'd used half of at one shop 6 months ago.

It's unusable for customer finish work, though I can still use it for under-layers making plugs for custom fiberglass parts.

The volatile organic compounds (VOCs, the "thinners" like styrene monomer, acetone, etc.) seem to me to evaporate right through the plastic containers.

Metal-packaged material lasts much longer if properly sealed, but it separates pretty badly and requires thorough mixing after a few months, once opened for use.

The polyester fillers have been acting this way for as long as I've been using them, something over 50 years.

EDIT: Maybe I'm doing it wrong.     

EDIT 2: Of course, bodyshops use most filler material within a week or two, so longer term stability of opened material isn't one of the formulation criteria anyway.

Edited February 25, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mark]

One thing I do with the two-part stuff, once opened, is to keep the "main" tube and the catalyst tube in separate containers.  The relatively small tube that the Bondo product comes in, fits nicely in one of those plastic container that some drink mixes come in.  Each one of those, as bought, contains several packets that make two quarts of iced tea or whatever.  Each container is about 7" long and 3" or so wide (they're oval) and has a snap-on lid.  Those, or even sealable plastic bags, would keep the two parts more separate than just capping the individual tubes.

[Red96]

37 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

The volatile organic compounds (VOCs, the "thinners" like styrene monomer, acetone, etc.) seem to me to evaporate right through the plastic containers.

I agree, the stuff does stiffen in a few months.  If it's around that long, guys in the shops add a little Plastic Honey resin to soften it back up, despite the pinholes that result.  Plus crappy sandability and feathering. Sounds like we share the luxury of easy access, but I agree, not an ideal choice for many.

Edited February 25, 2022 by Red96
Syntax

[Lone Wolf]

On 2/25/2022 at 3:10 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

Maybe because the storage environment isn't very well controlled? My house here isn't AC'd, barely heated, just like both the shops I work with.

I just today checked a plastic-packaged quart of polyester glazing putty I'd used half of at one shop 6 months ago.

It's unusable for customer finish work, though I can still use it for under-layers making plugs for custom fiberglass parts.

The volatile organic compounds (VOCs, the "thinners" like styrene monomer, acetone, etc.) seem to me to evaporate right through the plastic containers.

Metal-packaged material lasts much longer if properly sealed, but it separates pretty badly and requires thorough mixing after a few months, once opened for use.

The polyester fillers have been acting this way for as long as I've been using them, something over 50 years.

EDIT: Maybe I'm doing it wrong.     

EDIT 2: Of course, bodyshops use most filler material within a week or two, so longer term stability of opened material isn't one of the formulation criteria anyway.

Gentlemen, I had a thought on this subject, thus questions.

Has anyone ever put the putty (of a 2-part polyester putty) into a Glass Jar?

I just got a 16oz pouch of the Metalglaze putty (w/tube of catalyst/hardener) and have a 16oz applebutter jar, with a 1-piece lid (similar to a canning jar minus the multipiece thread-on lid) that has a fairly soft seal, which looks to have been "machine applied" originally as a "thick liquid". My thought, and hope, is that it would seal airtight, thus allowing the putty to last year's, which is likely to be how long it'll take me to use it all up?

What are your thoughts on this potential waste of time?

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 minute ago, Lone Wolf said:

...What are your thoughts on this potential waste of time?

Anything that'll help prevent atmospheric exposure will be helpful, including placing the entire putty container in a big Ziploc freezer bag.

"Decanting" the putty into a sealable jar, if that's what you're talking about, would probably work very well, and would have the added advantage of allowing you to stir the material prior to every use, as it WILL settle and separate somewhat over time, and kneading the original packages isn't always very effective.

[Lone Wolf]

Thank you for the response Sir.

Yes, I was intending to decant the putty into the jar. This was even before I read in this thread about the separation issue, as the glass jar is the only viable container I had on hand that I thought would work effectively. Now I have to decide if I should wait until my first use of the putty, to transfer it to the jar, or just do it ASAP due to unopened package air infiltration?

[Mark]

With two-part putties, the small tube of catalyst (hardener) deteriorates far faster than the "main" portion in my experience.  The hardener will first separate into a thicker form and a watery part (which can be fixed by kneading the tube prior to opening it.  Next, it starts hardening on its own, you will spot this when you squeeze it out of the tube and you get hardened specks contaminating it.  After that, the tube itself becomes hard and brittle, cracking when you go to take off the cap (if not while you are kneading it in preparation to open it).

Fortunately the catalyst is sold separately.  If the filler you have is in a can, separating into smaller containers while it is still new and not settled might be a good idea, as long as the containers are kept sealed.  For the Bondo product which comes in a tube, simply keeping the tube capped and flattening the far end as you use it is good enough.  That has worked with me for a couple of tubes thus far.

[Calb56]

I'm currently using Vallejo Plastic Putty... seems to work well for smaller applications. 

Edited February 28, 2023 by Calb56

[Ace-Garageguy]

18 minutes ago, Calb56 said:

I'm currently using Vallejo Plastic Putty... seems to work well for smaller applications. 

Always good to have another tool in the box, but even lacquer putty works fine for "smaller applications".

There was a time that's all we had...that and Plastic Wood, and somehow, some folks made it work for major sculptural customizing.

But today, there's no substitute for 2-part polyesters and epoxies for heavy mods.

Edited February 28, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Joe Nunes]

I have used Evercoat two part putty for a long time. Good to use on model builds. Some time ago I went to the auto parts store to restock and they only had the Evercoat putty in the plastic pouch. So, I purchased a new, clean, paint can with lid and squeezed the putty out of the pouch and into the can. Each time I need some putty I just lift the lid off, stir the putty to get a good mix, place a dollop onto a piece of paper plate, add the blue catalyst with a wood toothpick, stir the catalyst into the putty and then apply the putty mixture where required. It's ready to be sanded in a relatively short time. Be careful to not add too much catalyst to the putty at one time...or the putty will set up faster than you can get it onto the plastic. There's a learning curve involved here, however, you soon learn how to use this product to your advantage. 👌🙂

Joe

[Lone Wolf]

3 hours ago, Mark said:

With two-part putties, the small tube of catalyst (hardener) deteriorates far faster than the "main" portion in my experience. 

Fortunately the catalyst is sold separately.

I was also concerned about this, but being cheaper it won't hurt as much to replenish, as compared to the putty. I'll have to find a quality (sealing) glass bottle to store the tube in, near the putty, it appears.

Thanks for the heads-up!

Edited March 1, 2023 by Lone Wolf

[jtcomet]

Do all these fillers work on both plastic and resin ? my Modelhaus 64 Comet resin body has a couple pin holes and a low spot on the decklid.

[Ace-Garageguy]

16 minutes ago, jtcomet said:

Do all these fillers work on both plastic and resin ? my Modelhaus 64 Comet resin body has a couple pin holes and a low spot on the decklid.

If the resin was properly mixed and is fully cured (very likely so with Modelhaus), any of the fillers should work just fine.

Be sure your part is clean of any lingering mold-release agents (lotsa recommandations elsewhere for that), and roughen large areas that need fill with 220 or coarser grit paper.

It's also imperative to let the catalyzed fillers set hard before shaping, as you can get featheredge and adhesion problems if you hit it too soon.

This is why learning to apply filler smoothly is a good idea too, so as to avoid the temptation to start shaping it when it's "green" and soft.

NOTE: Applying bondo fillers to real cars is often made much more efficient and faster by "cheese grating" the material to rough shape once it's started to harden. But this is generally NOT a good idea with catalyzed fillers on models unless you have experience and a very fine touch.

Edited March 2, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Lone Wolf]

On 2/28/2023 at 2:48 PM, Calb56 said:

I'm currently using Vallejo Plastic Putty... seems to work well for smaller applications. 

I've had a tube of Squadron putty (the green stuff) for decades (& is likely 10% to 20% hard now). In addition, I bought a small tube of Tamiya (white) putty a few years ago. These are great for small imperfections such as deep scratches and other minor flaws/modifications, but are nearly useless for large repairs or heavily modified projects. I got the Evercoat putty for larger flaws and (potential and/or planned) future highly modified jobs as these polyester putties don't melt plastic (or shrink) the way the solvent based putties do.

For those not aware, many modelers (including some who've wrote for magazines) over many years (decades?) have been recommending Evercoat (2-part) polyester putties as "the best" for doing large jobs. That's not saying other polyester putties won't also work good, it's just that the Evercoat name was used the most often. I believe it's also the most expensive, sadly.

For doing body work on diecast cars, Evercoat's Metalglaze is a great choice.

Edited March 17, 2023 by Lone Wolf

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, Lone Wolf said:

...For those not aware, many modelers (including some who've wrote for magazines) over many years (decades?) have been recommending Evercoat (2-part) polyester putties as "the best" for doing large jobs. That's not saying other polyester putties won't also work good, it's just that the Evercoat name was used the most often. I believe it's also the most expensive, sadly.

For doing body work on diecast cars, Evercoat's Metalglaze is a great choice.

You might have a look at the thread below.  Some of us here actually have pretty extensive experience with every catalyzed filler on the market, and there are very cost effective alternatives to Evercoat that are 100% as good.

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Lone Wolf]

4 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

You might have a look at the thread below.  Some of us here actually have pretty extensive experience with every catalyzed filler on the market, and there are very cost effective alternatives to Evercoat that are 100% as good.

 

I came real close to trying the Dolphin product, but stubbornly went for the more expensive Evercoat brand, mainly due to the numbers who raved about it. Like I said earlier "that's not saying other polyester putties won't also work good".  I would have first tried the much more affordable Bondo 2-part tube putty but couldn't find a source who'd mail it out, and  no one stocks it locally. Bondo is Loosing Sales due to it's lack of a better distribution system...

[Modelbuilder Mark]

I prefer two part polyester (bondo) style like others have mentioned if I am using putty, but lately I have been using either styrene melted either with heat or liquid cement, or superglue with/without micro-balloons and accelerator which allows me to work it in minutes. In all of these cases, I do not need to worry about shrinking over time.

 

Here is a short shot fender that I filled with melted sprue, from the same kit. I used a flame for this one, but it is better/more controlled to use a soldering iron. The advantage to this over putty is that it also provides strength.

First round

subsequent

brush on filler primer

 final results

Edited March 17, 2023 by Modelbuilder Mark