filler/putty question

[Zatchmo]

i hope this is the best place for this question, it seemed right to me at least...

anyways, i am working on a prop and the green putty i have is not so great filling in the myriad tiny little air pockets and bubbles. i was wondering if there was something that went on a little smoother and spread more easily. the instructions said something about plumbers putty or filler i think, but its been awhile since i looked at them.

sugggestions?

thanks in advance

[Kylwell]

I'm guessing the green stuff is Squadron green, yes? I used Mr. Surfacer 500 for filling pinholes & etc and rubberized CA (Wave or Mercury) for larger holes. Mr. Surfacer 500 sands very nice but may take a few coats to fill everything. Rubberized CA cures quick but is a bit harder.

[Joseph C. Brown]

Working on a prop?

Propeller? Costume prop?

Not that any of us really need to know, but the more specific you are, the better answers (normally) will be. If you are in the North America, several well known hobby chain stores can really help. An example:
http://www.liquitex.com/Products/gelmed ... gpaste.cfm

This is a marble-dust based paste that is easily smeared into pinholes and gaps. Wipe smooth with a damp paper towel (or moistened finger) and let dry. Reapply if needed.

Several types of CA glue (superglue) can be used to fill pinholes and gaps, and micro balloons or even baby powder used to skin-over the glued spot. That usually accelerates the setting time of the glue, and allows for easier sanding.

[kenlilly106]

I've found that some pinholes resist any attempt at filling, the holes are so small that trying to push the filler in and get the air out the same time is impossible, you think you have it filled but in reality all it did was skin over the hole. IMHO it's a futile effort because as soon as you get some filled, more pop up around the area when sand the filler smooth.

In this case the best choice is to skin over the whole area with the primer, preferably something thick like Mr. Surfacer and then sand it smooth without breaking through to the resin below.

Ken

[TER-OR]

For pinholes in resin I like a couple of things. Gunze-Sangyo's Mr. Surfacer does a good job. Don't sand it all the way down to the underlying resin, but leave it as a uniform layer of gray over the entire area. If you sand far enough to expose the resin, you'll sand farther into the softer Surfacer filling the holes.

Honestly, though, the best way I've found for filling pinholes is this:
Thin Wave Black CA about 50:50 with a quality super-thin CA. Spread over the whole area. Wet sand as soon as it's cured, you'll see the black filling the holes. You should leave a thin coat of CA over the area which won't appear black. It can be polished to a mirror shine.