Large Scale Central

Squadron, Testors, Tamiya and Nitro Stan modeling putty

Modeling
#1

Squadron green putty was my choice of filler but I became disillusioned with the shrinkage over time (many months). This was a thickness of less than 1 mm, causing very fine joins in the coach roof to open up and look untidy long after the car was completed.

I prefer Tamiya Putty now as it applies nicely and sands very smoothly. I remember years ago that the ‘finescale’ modellers would use superglue to fill joins. The area would be sanded within 30 minutes before the superglue could harden sufficiently.

As regards carcogenic properties of the different chemicals we use, well it is proven that just about anything in our environment can prove harmful. Your bacon and eggs for breakfast have been shown to cause cancer. Overcooked steak, sausages, toast, etc., is also carcogenic along with diesel fuel and timbers such as western red cedar. Any timber with anti-fungal rot properties is suspect as the natural insect resisting chemicals in the timber are known to cause cancer.

#2

I use Evercoat automotive filler, works very nicely. Probably as (un)safe as any of the other stuff we use. BTW if we decide to use the heavy-duty commercial compounds then we should also follow the commercial safety precautions.

#3

With my luck…the last thing thats gonna kill me is SGP…

#4

OK, so we’ve heard (read) about Squadron Green, but what about Nitro Stan, which was mentioned at the top of the post? I dabbed some on a chimney project of mine, but haven’t yet sanded it off (should be nice and hard by now). Is it safe?

#5

Another nice filler is JB weld. A tad pricey but zero shrinkage and it sands nice.

Terry

#6

Terry, I used JB Weld to fill in the spare tire wells on some of my Hubley Model A kits. I always thought it was for metal (or pot metal, in this case) 'cause the stuff looks like steel and seems rock hard when it dries. Never thought of using it on styrene. Huh!

#7

I use Bondo spot putty. Pin the bits if strength is required. drill a couple holes, and rough up the surface if you’re worried about it grabbing. Use several thin layers if you have to build a thick spot… and save a crapload of finite hobby dollars if you use it much (nothing sucks more than having to toss out 3/4 of a tube of spendy stuff because it got hard between uses.)

Maybe I’m just an ignoramus, but I really don’t worry a whole lot about stuff being carcinogenic or not. Doing stuff as a hobby is a LOT different than bathing in it every day, and a LOT of studies are based on exposure to levels 10K times what a hobbyist would ever encounter.

Besides, ain’t nobody gonna get out of this life alive - so you might as well enjoy the ride.

#8

Like Terry I’m a JB Weld fan. Not only is it superb, but it’s relatively outgas-free. I assiduously avoid solvents like acetone, other volatile organic compounds etc… family history of bad outcomes. They alter cell chemistry inside the lungs, and the resulting shortness of breath is not just a killer; first you go through years and years of disability, then drug therapies and a sick immune system. The whole business will be so rough for a long time and it’ll put an end to your hobby long before you want to stop.

#9

Has anyone ever made their own filler? It seems that I read at some point in time that you could make your own filler/putty with MEK and styrene. I’ve never tried.

Craig

#10

MEK and Styrene will definitely make a plastic soup that will harden as the MEK evaporates, but MEK is very nasty stuff.

#11

I really didn’t want to get into this since most of you guys are my LSC (and MLS) posting buddies. But having been down this MEK and acetone road before, I’ve gotta get my two cents in. Used in miniscule quantities, i.e. as we modelers do, most of these “chemicals” won’t hurt us. Take MEK. Al Armitage, the father of styrene modeling, used MEK through most of his career, which included building prototypes for Revell and other companies. He died at 88, which is pretty old in my book. Sure, he was a double amputee, but he didn’t loose his legs to MEK. They were cut off by a train when he was a brakeman.

But back to the effects of MEK. Here’s a link to what the Canadian health authorities have to say about it.

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/mek/health_mek.html

BTW, you can no longer buy MEK or MEK-based products like Weld-On 16 in the greater LA area–despite the fact that it is made in Carson, CA (where all the refineries are). So tell me, who is more exposed to MEK? Me or the folks living in that area?

#12
Joe Rusz said:
MEK Used in miniscule quantities, i.e. as we modelers do, most of these "chemicals" won't hurt us.
What if you use it in large quantities? ...:)...
#13

Then you shouldn’t be building full scale structures out of styrene. :slight_smile:

#14

I use very small amounts of body filler very seldom. I work in a pretty well ventilated place when I do. When the weather is nice, I do the work outdoors! I’m not worried about poisoning this way, as there are enough pesticides in the air and my food to do me in.

But I do object to throwing away a solid block of putty when I’m using less than an ounce at a time. I’m thinking that the cheapest body filler may be the one that comes in the smallest amount. Bondo seems to only come in quart cans, Squadron putty comes a few ounces in a tube. But I might try other tube type fillers to see how they work. I do like the idea of thining the product, as that will save a ton of time sanding and filing.

#15

Acetone and MEK in the quantities I use in my hobby don’t scare me a bit. My dad was an auto mechanic, and as a kid growing up in his shop I was the one sent to ‘wash up that part’. The cleaner of choice … carbontetrachloride. I am not aware of any state that will sell that over the counter without all kinds of paperwork for what you are going to use if for and documentation of all the bazillion safety implementations it requires. I used to be elbow deep in that stuff, and the reason it is not available any longer? The effects are cumulative. Once in the body it NEVER leaves. I will be 60 this summer and other than diabetes (runs in the family). I am in fairly good health.

As was said above, in sufficient quantities, anything can cause cancer. I forget which one, but one of the teaching universities did a study and demonstrated that even vitamins in sufficient overdoses will cause cancer. As for the chemicals, use common sense, don’t huff the stuff, and if you are that concerned wear protective gear. I figure I have a greater chance of being hit by a bus than dying from my hobby.

Bob C.

#16

I don’t want to sound like a wuss, and if somebody else were saying this I’d probably think “What a wuss!”. I’ve seen what lung damage does to a person, and repeat my cautionary note. Don’t inhale mineral dust either, including talcum powder.

But I’ll shut up now, and go back to not sounding like a wuss.

#17

Everything out there is bad for you. Live as healthy as you can, respect others, enjoy life and hope you don’t get hit by a bus.

Terry

#18

Touche Terry!!

#19

I’m with Mik on the Bondo spot putty, way cheaper, sands easier than the Squadron stuff and a tube seems to last forever !

#20
Terry Burr said:
Everything out there is bad for you. Live as healthy as you can, respect others, enjoy life and hope you don't get hit by a bus.

Terry


My father used to say “Living causes dying”. His doctor also said he’d never seen an overweight 85 year old before he met my dad who was healthy as a horse (and nearly as heavy as one) for 87+ years :slight_smile: