Cheap Alternative to Modeler's Putty?

Morty Seinfeld · Post by **Morty Seinfeld** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 1:04 pm

Anyone know of an alternative to the 3-dollar-a-small-tube standard modeler's putty? I've used plummer's epoxy for the heavy duty stuff, but does anyone know of an alternative that works most like modeler's putty but isn't ridiculously marked up like, say squardon or testor's putty?

thanks

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 1:11 pm

Bondo in the tube is nearly the exact same stuff as Squadron and Testor's putty. The Bondo in the can, with the hardener, is a different formulation.

Get the one-pound tube at Autozone or Wal-Mart. It's also a finer grain than the hobby stuff.

You can also try 3M ACryl Blue putty. It's a different formulation, but a lot of people swear by it.

I hope this helps.

Z0mBe

Woody · Post by **Woody** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:27 pm

I use a homemade putty quite a bit that is cheap to make.
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/ ... C_ID=21787

macfrank · Post by **macfrank** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:50 pm

Woody wrote:I use a homemade putty quite a bit that is ceap to make.
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/ ... C_ID=21787

I have a couple of bottles of this stuff - regular sprues in MEK and clear styrene in MEK. I used an empty square bottle of Testor's Metalizer thinner for each, and filled each half way with MEK. I then started to drop in the styrene. It eventually melts and evens out. I now have about half a bottle of styrene goo. I keep about 3-5mm of MEK above the surface, and obviously, seal the bottles tight.

The styrene putty skins quickly, but it can take a while to completely harden. One drawback is that if you use too much "putty" on a styrene kit, the MEK in the styrene will soften the underlying plastic. Just about any amount is too much for 0.005" thick white Plastruct styrene, although the 0.010" and 0.015" can take quite a bit.

If you have a big gap or large surface to cover, it's best to apply in thin layers, allowing each layer to thouroughly dry before sanding.

I recently made a small scratchbuilt that started out as thin styrene cross sections filled in with Magic Sculpt and skinned with 0.005" styrene. Well, i screwed up, and ended up sanding through some of the 0.005" styrene. I fixed that with some of the styrene goo, and sanded that... I think the model is now almost 100% Magic Sculpt and styrene putty.

Frank

USSARCADIA · Post by **USSARCADIA** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:25 pm

I started a jar of the "goo" a few months back and I'm using it right now on a scratchbuild. Works just like Macfrank is saying. Super cheap to make too. Many thanks to Woody for passing the "formula" along.

Woody · Post by **Woody** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:08 pm

No problem. I started using a similar putty 20+ years ago. The only putty that was easy to get was that crappy white Testors putty(anyone remember that stuff?). Back then I used toulene based liquid cement to dissolve the styrene.

Andrew Gorman · Post by **Andrew Gorman** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:26 pm

ACK! "Contour Putty"! That horrible stuff really made me doubt my 12 year-old abilities. I don't think it ever stuck to anything. And then came Squadron Green, which was a revelation then. I think it's a useless abomination now, since I found out about automotive putties. I'm still churning through a 1.5 pound tube of Acryl Green I got three years ago, and with the lead sleds I build that's longevity.
Andrew

Morty Seinfeld · Post by **Morty Seinfeld** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:25 am

Thanks for all those replies, I knew there had to be an inexpenisive alternative

Morty Seinfeld · Post by **Morty Seinfeld** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:47 am

I just got some MEK and tried the recipe contained in that link. however, it hasn't done anything to the plastic forks it cut up and put in the jar with the MEK (and thev'e been in there for about 18 hours or so).

Has anyone else had this problem? How long does it take (the link says overnight)?

macfrank · Post by **macfrank** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 3:50 pm

therefit wrote:I just got some MEK and tried the recipe contained in that link. however, it hasn't done anything to the plastic forks it cut up and put in the jar with the MEK (and thev'e been in there for about 18 hours or so).

Has anyone else had this problem? How long does it take (the link says overnight)?

Carefully take out one of the pieces. If it doesn't have a soft/gooey surface, then the plastic isn't styrene. You can also try pooking the plastic in the bottle with a small metal screwdriver. If the bits are still... well plastic and springy, it's not styrene. MEK should only take a few hours to melt styrene, and small bits of sprue take less than an hour.

USSARCADIA · Post by **USSARCADIA** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 7:41 pm

Patience is a must with this concoction. My jar was mostly gooey about a day after starting it, but it took a month or so for it to reach the "creamy peanut butter" consistancy that is needed. I also went out yesterday and bought a respirator to wear when working with it.

Morty Seinfeld · Post by **Morty Seinfeld** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:33 pm

thanks for that advice. I just took out those plasticwear pieces and chopped up some left over spruces from old models (since i know they are styrene), and after a few hours, I had my goo!

rocketrider · Post by **rocketrider** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:32 am

Z0mBe wrote:Bondo in the tube is nearly the exact same stuff as Squadron and Testor's putty. The Bondo in the can, with the hardener, is a different formulation.

Get the one-pound tube at Autozone or Wal-Mart. It's also a finer grain than the hobby stuff.

I picked up some of this stuff last night from Wal-Mart and tried it on a scrap piece of plastic, and this morning I found out it shrunk and cracked along the area being fixed. And it wanst applied to thick either.

So other thatn the bondo, Testors, and the MEK method, which is the best tube stuff?

Glen

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:01 pm

williamson wrote:
Z0mBe wrote:Bondo in the tube is nearly the exact same stuff as Squadron and Testor's putty. The Bondo in the can, with the hardener, is a different formulation.

Get the one-pound tube at Autozone or Wal-Mart. It's also a finer grain than the hobby stuff.
I picked up some of this stuff last night from Wal-Mart and tried it on a scrap piece of plastic, and this morning I found out it shrunk and cracked along the area being fixed. And it wanst applied to thick either.

So other thatn the bondo, Testors, and the MEK method, which is the best tube stuff?

Glen

It could be the tube settled a little. I've had that happen before, and what I do is put the cap back on, and knead the tube. That usually fixes it.

Also, was the plastic you tried it on "glossy?" The reason I ask is if the plastic is solvent-resistant, the putty can't grab the plastic, making it retreat as it dries. It's kind of similar to writing with a marker on really glossy plastic. Make sense?

I hope this helps.

Z0mBe

rocketrider · Post by **rocketrider** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:45 pm

The plastic was a back seat from an old model kit. Ill try kneading it a bit, and then give it another go.

thanks