Putty Take two...

[SJM]

Hi,

I've just finished painting and assembling a polar lights D7, this was the first time i have used putty. I found a website (cant remember the name) that stated that just after you apply the putty to a part you then apply plastic cement then work work it into the part and then let the part let the part dry as usual. I didnt use plastic cement after i applied the putty, im having no trouble with it ...yet... but i would like to know if i should for future model builds.

Thanks.

[SJM]

Oh thats right, i forgot to tell you that i use Tamiya Putty Basic Type (its in a small squeezy bottle)

[tetsujin]

Thinning putty with thin liquid glues or lacquer thinner or the like can make it easier to apply the stuff, as it'll really settle down into the cracks more readily. Tamiya basic, when new, will often be plenty thin enough straight from the tube, but it has a tendency to dry out sometimes, and in that case thinning is very useful.

Personally, I don't thin Tamiya basic gray very often, there's usually no need. Often when the stuff at the end of the tube goes bad, there'll still be fresher stuff deeper inside the tube. So when that happens I generally get rid of the dry bit and use the fresher stuff from deeper inside the tube.

When Tamiya Basic Gray is fresh it'll have the consistency of a very thick paint, only goopy rather than sticky. When it's dried up it'll be a bit more cakey. You'll still be able to press it into the seams of your model but it may or may not stick. If you stick a knife blade into fresh Tamiya Basic it'll come out wet. If you do the same with stale stuff it'll come out dry.

[SJM]

Thanks alot tetsujin!, that answered all of my questions, i can now putty with coinfedence.