Mr Surfacer & panel lines

[airscale]

Does anyone know if Mr Surfacer can be rescribed over without breaking up (if it has been used filling in 'trench' panel lines)?

 

Bit worried it will be softer than the plastic & crumble as I go over it with a scribe...

 

Thanks all

Peter

[Daywalker]

I have tried, never worked for me. The only filler I have used that didn't crumble with rescribing was CA glue.

[airscale]

Thanks - CA it is then

 

would it be worth running stretched sprue along them so the glue doesn't 'trough'?

[LSP_Kevin]

Depending on how trench-like the panel lines are, I'd consider laying stretched sprue into them, and then back-filling with a CA/talc mix. I've found that the CA/talc mix by itself is still a little susceptible to chipping, but is a much more efficacious filler than CA by itself.

 

FWIW, if these are Matchbox panel lines we're talking about, giving them a vigorous sanding helps reduce them markedly, without all the effort of filling and rescribing. Matchbox plastic is thick enough to take quite a lot of it, and there's usually little to nothing in the way of delicate surface detail to worry about.

 

Kev

[Silver Dollar]

 

would it be worth running stretched sprue along them so the glue doesn't 'trough'?

 

I've done that with some of my large scale auto work and it's worked fairly well so long as the sprue material fits tightly into the line. I don't use stretched sprue, I use tight fitting Evergreen round or square rods. I also don't use a scriber, I cut the line with an X-acto #11 blade upside down. It cuts a nice line but it takes some practice to get it right. The main thing is don't get discouraged or give up before you get it right. It will happen.

[thierry laurent]

CA glue is the best solution. Personally, I use a combination of thin and thick glue. For instance, you may use a very small dot of gel glue to create a bareer at the end of a panel line you want to fill with thin glue. My best advice is: try and experiment! Too thick glue does not fill correctly the trench and too thin neither (or you need to repeat application two or three times). As abovementioned, stretching the plastic sprues of the kit and using sections to fill partly the lines is also a good option.

 

In fact, as far as you're cautious and patient, you may even use CA glue to re-model parts. It is however a time-consuming process as you've to sand for hours...! Nonetheless, when you've to re-engrave panel lines and rivets, there is no better option.

[MikeMaben]

If your re-scribing is going to be light (recommended), you can use

Mr. Surfacer then lay on a couple of coats of Future, let it dry completely

then re-scribe. Future is basically liquid plastic.

[Out2gtcha]

CA glue is the best solution. Personally, I use a combination of thin and thick glue. For instance, you may use a very small dot of gel glue to create a bareer at the end of a panel line you want to fill with thin glue. My best advice is: try and experiment! Too thick glue does not fill correctly the trench and too thin neither (or you need to repeat application two or three times). As abovementioned, stretching the plastic sprues of the kit and using sections to fill partly the lines is also a good option.

 

In fact, as far as you're cautious and patient, you may even use CA glue to re-model parts. It is however a time-consuming process as you've to sand for hours...! Nonetheless, when you've to re-engrave panel lines and rivets, there is no better option.

 

I too have used CA for this with success, but occasionally found it to be too hard to sand. Whatever you do DONT use any CA kicker on it if you do use it to fill, it gets way too hard way too fast.

 

I found after experimentation, that CA does work ok for this, but works about 50 times better, when you add some micro balloons to it. These are basically just microscopic glass beads that mix with teh CA and make it WAY easier to sand, as well as being more in line with the consistency of the plastic your filling.

 

Now that I have found this stuff, I really rarely use CA by its lonesome for filler anymore. The addition of the MBs just works too well to use CA by itself for me.

 

 

 

 

 

If your re-scribing is going to be light (recommended), you can use

Mr. Surfacer then lay on a couple of coats of Future, let it dry completely

then re-scribe. Future is basically liquid plastic.

 

I dont really agree with that statement. I have never had luck using this method. Each to their own but if you do try using Future, just TEST, TEST, TEST.

 

All future is, for all intents and purposes basically just clear acrylic paint; not plastic. Its tendencies to get upset by water, tendency to pool, as well as its overall weakness make it a very poor choice as a filler. It does NOT play well with enamels, lacquers, and even tends to cloud up and craze whey hit by decal setting solution. Its susceptible to the same weaknesses as all acrylics are, and when you use it under other stuff it can become very unstable and IMHO is inherently weak.

 

If you use enamels or lacquers DO NOT use Future as a filler. Even when dry, it can have reactions when used under these paints.....................trust I know from experience. Future for me, is just to of a weak product to be used as anything but a way of shining up clear parts.

 

I stopped using this stuff for anything but clearing canopy's. Its just not worth the risk IMHO. However if you do try this method I would HIGHLY recommend you not start out on your actual model and experiment on something that can be ruined without worry.

[Cunumdrum61]

I prefer to dissolve some sprue with liquid glue and fill the panel line with this plastic putty. Once dry and sanded you can scribe through it the same as plastic. There are some good articles here in the Forums about this technique.

[LSP_Kevin]

I found after experimentation, that CA does work ok for this, but works about 50 times better, when you add some micro balloons to it. These are basically just microscopic glass beads that mix with teh CA and make it WAY easier to sand, as well as being more in line with the consistency of the plastic your filling.

 

Yeah, mixing CA with talc is just a more agricultural version of this, with much the same results. I'd been reading about this technique since the '70s, but never actually tried it until encouraged by Derek. Now it's pretty much the only way I use CA as a filler.

 

Kev

[MikeMaben]

Future (or Pledge with futureshine) is acrylic. Acrylic is a thermo'plastic' polymer.

I think it's fair to say it's more a liquid plastic than just clear acrylic paint.

I assumed most folks here know not to mix acrylics with enamels or lacquers

(perhaps I shouldn't) but if the Future is fully cured and your scribing is light

(as it should be), Future is scribeable just like plastic.