I need to fill screwholes in a toy rifle. Is Bondo the only way?

[Macrossmaster]

Like I said, making a toy rifle/cartoon prop, a rifle from G.I. Joe. So...do I just need Bondo to fill it in and smooth out? How much do I need? Whats the smallest amount (cheapest) I can buy and where? Wal-Mart?

I figure I need the Bondo as I need to smooth out some parts of where the rifle meets PVC pipe and wood. Any help?

 

[Clutch]

http://www.magicsculp.com/

Or for cheap and easy, use plumber's putty that you can find at Lowes or Home Depot.

 

[division 6]

Go to the hardware store and get some plumbers putty.
It comes in a tube and looks like a giant piece of grey candy with a purple center.
You cut off as much as you need and kneed it till it's a solid color.
Fill in the hole and use water on your finger to smooth it out.
Once cured about 20 minutes maybe longer you can sand it smooth.

It is basically the same as Magic Sculpt or Aves Epoxy putties.

Don't get the Marine version it stays rubbery and will peal off.
There is also a version with steel in it but it's near impossible to sand after it cures.

D6

 

[fabrik]

Try some milliput. You should be able to get it online somewhere. You can even sculpt with it if you've the patience.

 

[starbuckcylon]

Bondo has a 2 part Pro spot putty for around $7.00. Its super fine and sands much easier then the Bondo in the can. Its can be found at Pep Boys.

Jim

 

[G17RDY]

I've done this a few times, and i use model makers filler - i think its called plastico or something. Made by Revell - it's like a tube of toothpaste with a white filler which is good to work with, and sands really well. Only costs a few pounds as well ideal for this kind of thing.

 

[Macrossmaster]

Thanks for the replies all - I may start with the putty to fill the screw holes and advance to the pro Bondo for getting the rifle smoothed out once the greeblies and stuff are added.

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Someone bought me a tube of Mighty Putty(yeah the stuff advertised by Billy Mays) because I was curious about it. I doubt that it's as good as some of the other plumber's putty or milliput available, but I've used it to fill in stuff before and it works fine - it just hardens rather quickly once mixed. I actually used it for the same thing you have in mind. I bought a toy revolver for my husband's Sandman Mystery Theater gas gun and used the Mighty Putty to fill in the screw holes and to smooth over the copyright information. One of the holes was right on the grip, and I was able to fill it in and carve grooves to match the rest of the pattern. It sanded and painted just fine. I've also used it to repair a lot of our busted action figures, filling in drill holes and such.

 

[Darth Lars]

The epoxy-based fillers adhere better to the type of plastic that toy rifles are made of than Bondo does. It is also easier to sculpt in, so you don't need as much. I never mix more than a pea-sized amount of Milliput. That makes it more economical in the long run, I think.

Btw. The Milliput brand takes ~ eight hours to cure. Good if you need the working time, bad if you are impatient.

 

[Weazel1]

I use bits of scrap plastic sprue (the parts tree from model kits) and thin super glue to fill the holes. Its quick and cheap. Plus, the glue matches the density of the plastic and can be buffed smooth.

Brian

 

[JackFrost]

i use 2 part epoxy , the stuff that comes in the big syringes you can sand it and it hardens up decent and takes paint nice

 

[robstyle]

quick and cheap, fill the holes with baking powder and then top off with super glue. Youll have to do some sanding but I take it youll be painting the thing anyways.