Filler Putty/Epoxy of Choice?

jmaerker

Active Member
Gang, I'm going to try my luck at building my first resin prop kit sooner or later, and while I'm pretty decent with styrene models, I'm blissfully ignorant on Resin kits. With that in mind, what is your favored Filler Putty/Epoxy of choice for filling seams? I'm wanting to learn as much as I can on the subject before actually trying my hand at it, so any advice you might can provide would be appreciated. :)
 
I'm not an expert on putties, but I just used Magic Sculpt for the first time and that stuff is amazing. It dries insanely hard and is extremely durable. Pretty much like stone afterward. I had a ball of left of putty and tried breaking it just for the hell of it and couldn't get it to break or crack whatsoever.
 
Apoxey Sculpt works very well. Dries tough, VERY easy to sand or drill, and comes in a few different colors. Anything smaller than a crack I use red glazing compound from an auto parts store. Cheap, big tube of it for half what a "decent' modelers putty would be, and sands easily.
 
Magic Sculpt and Aves are pretty much the standards used on resin kits at least for figures.

If you are in a pinch there is also Plumbers Putty (comes in a stick)
Avoid the Marine or Steel versions.
Marine stays rubbery and the steel is hard as steel and cures fast and hot.
 
I haven't come across anything superior to Milliput, different grades for different jobs, great for sculpting as well as filling. Magic stuff. I don't think it's that common in the US, though.
 
I use Milliput a lot. Not just as filler, but also as sculpting clay. At least half an hour's work-time ... and a day's curing time. I have not found that much difference between the three different grains.
The two parts are kneaded together - if you don't use gloves, be sure to wash under the nails afterwards.
I seldom need to mix a pea's size of Milliput at once... so I buy maybe at most one pack per year.
It can be smoothened with water. Water makes it also less adhesive, and you can imprint textures on Milliput if it's surface is wet. You can fill multiple pinholes and scratches on a prop by rubbing a small piece of it over the prop's surface with water.

I use glazing putty mostly for small pinhole cracks ... and when I am impatient. It dried very fast, but is sticky when you use it and is not very durable. Only very thin layers. There are several brands that are more or less equivalent: Tamiya, Squadron and Italieri are those I have used. It smells a bit like spray paint.

Auto Body Fillers such as Bondo are useful mostly for filling on quite large props, such as helmets. It is must softer than Milliput so it can be spread out. Most brands cure pretty fast, but there are exceptions. They are based on two-part Polyester resin, which smells a lot, even after curing and you will need proper ventilation or be outside when you use it. You actually should use an industrial breathing mask when sanding it, but most people use dust masks...
"Rondo" is Polyester resin + Bondo, to make it softer and have longer curing time.

I have transitioned from polyester-fillers to mixing my own epoxy-based substitute that doesn't smell, is more flexible and has more adhesion. I mix regular two-part epoxy glue or laminating epoxy with a couple of filler-powders: most importantly Glass Microballoons which is a light filler and Colloidal Silica to prevent it from running. Microfibers can add strength. I need to take extra precautions so that I don't inhale any powder when I mix it, but most of all it is it is more expensive. It does not sand as well as Bondo if I used too much epoxy.
I suppose that I could make it have the properties of Milliput if I get the mix right, but it is much easier to just use Milliput.
 
I've read on another forum that Milliput is more grainy than Magic Sculpt or Aves.

I've only used Magic Sculpt and Plumbers putty so far.
I do have Aves but haven't tried it yet.
 
For props no bigger than 12 inches in any direction, I like to use Aves Fixit epoxy. For items larger than that, I don't know what to use. I haven't ventured into that yet, but I wouldn't trust Aves Fixit with large objects.
 
Thank you for the suggestions, all. :) Would a standard modeling filler putty work, such as Squadron Products Green Putty? As I stated previously, I've got experience with styrene models and I have no idea how that knowledge would translate out into the world of resin prop kits.
 
I have used "Revell Plasto Body Putty Model Filler" but found that it does not dry very hard. Ive noticed that using it on small holes and sanding it, may knock out the putty from the holes.

I wont be using it again.
 
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