Apoxie Sculpt

[LastRideOut]

2 days ago I filled in the gaps in the secondary hull and the neck with apoxie sculpt. I used probably too much as it is a real B*itch to sand away. Also I don't think I mixed the apoxie well enough since the apoxie became diffucult to work with after 20 minutes. I learned my lesson. I will use alot less for the saucer so the sanding process isnt as lengthy.

Just an FYI

I will post pix as soon as I get a photobucket acct or a msn photos acct.

[Dark Star]

I've never tried Apoxie Sculpt but recently used red auto putty filler for large gaps on an old Macro-Trek resin Nebula. Worked pretty good and sanding was fairly simple, however I'm not sure how good it will adhere to the resin surface. Anyone else ever use auto putty and how good did it adhere to resin or plastic surfaces?

[ignatz]

If the gaps are fairly large, I find sheet or strip styrene that most closely match the size of the gap, then weld it in there with solvent type cement. Then I finish it off with Tamiya Polyester putty.

The apoxy sculpt worke well too, but like you said, don't use too much! There should be enough work time to get it in there and you can remove enough putty to closely follow the contour of the piece you're working on.

[Lonewolf]

I still find myself using too much Aves, but when you've used stuff like Milliput for years, you get in the habit of glopping it on, figuring that about half will chip and fall way during the sanding process.

A little Aves will definitely go a long way.

[SMuser]

2 days ago I filled in the gaps in the secondary hull and the neck with apoxie sculpt. I used probably too much as it is a real B*itch to sand away. Also I don't think I mixed the apoxie well enough since the apoxie became diffucult to work with after 20 minutes. I learned my lesson. I will use alot less for the saucer so the sanding process isnt as lengthy.

Just an FYI

I will post pix as soon as I get a photobucket acct or a msn photos acct.

Rather than paste it on there like spackle, roll a thin "line" or "dot" of mix on the model where you want it, and then press it flat/outwards with fingertips, then dip a "spatula" tool (any flat tool will do, even a butterknife) in water and spread it out like cake frosting, but with very small, controlled strokes.
Rememer you do NOT have to gob it all on there in ONE pass. You CAN add it in small "bites", or layers.
I finish with fingertips dipped in water and go by "feel" to get a smooth surface and erase any irregularities. Any blobs of unwanted apoxie are just wiped away with water.
With practice, this can produce a surface that is very close, with very little sanding required. Wet sanding works very well I find.

If I need to re-shape a contour by removing cured apoxie, I use a straight edge razor blade as a "scraper", and the apoxie will shave off like a wood plane shaves wood. This is very fast, and with care, can provide a very smooth surface, at least on flat, or convex surfaces. Concave surfaces would require a curved blade, and more sanding than flat/convex surfaces.

I also use a digital gram scale to measure mix ratios, since if I try to mix it by eye alone, I am off by as much as 50% by mass.

[LastRideOut]

Very useful advice. I had considered using a bit of water, but figured it would handicap the curing process. Since your've had success with it, I'll give it a try. Can't see the harm in it.

Thanks for the info!

2 days ago I filled in the gaps in the secondary hull and the neck with apoxie sculpt. I used probably too much as it is a real B*itch to sand away. Also I don't think I mixed the apoxie well enough since the apoxie became diffucult to work with after 20 minutes. I learned my lesson. I will use alot less for the saucer so the sanding process isnt as lengthy.

Just an FYI

I will post pix as soon as I get a photobucket acct or a msn photos acct.

Rather than paste it on there like spackle, roll a thin "line" or "dot" of mix on the model where you want it, and then press it flat/outwards with fingertips, then dip a "spatula" tool (any flat tool will do, even a butterknife) in water and spread it out like cake frosting, but with very small, controlled strokes.
Rememer you do NOT have to gob it all on there in ONE pass. You CAN add it in small "bites", or layers.
I finish with fingertips dipped in water and go by "feel" to get a smooth surface and erase any irregularities. Any blobs of unwanted apoxie are just wiped away with water.
With practice, this can produce a surface that is very close, with very little sanding required. Wet sanding works very well I find.

If I need to re-shape a contour by removing cured apoxie, I use a straight edge razor blade as a "scraper", and the apoxie will shave off like a wood plane shaves wood. This is very fast, and with care, can provide a very smooth surface, at least on flat, or convex surfaces. Concave surfaces would require a curved blade, and more sanding than flat/convex surfaces.

I also use a digital gram scale to measure mix ratios, since if I try to mix it by eye alone, I am off by as much as 50% by mass.

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[Pat Amaral]

I do the same thing that SMuser described only instead of water, I use isopropyl alcohol. To smooth a seam, I'll use various dental tools. Cleanup is quickly done with a q-tip dipped in alcohol. Since the alcohol evaporates quickly, it won't affect the curing time of the Aves. I also seldom have to sand after using this technique and when I do, it's not much.

Oh, and when I apply the Aves, I just scoop up a small amount with the dental tool and trowel it into the seam until it's filled to my liking and scrape away the rest.

[TER-OR]

As you'll find in the other post, alcohol will help you remove excess without changing the putty. Water will make it expand a bit, but when it cures it will be very smooth. I usually use alcohol until the very end then smooth it with water.