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**Samh93** · 09-04-2011

Heyy, I was raking through my loft and found my 1/72 airfix Concorde, my actual first ever model, it's an absolute mess so i thought i'd make it look nice and hang it in my room. So i was using some filler to fill the gaps tht join the wings to the body, I left it for a few days and began sanding, but wen i sand i always ends up with big chunks been pulled out and an uneven surface. How exactly do you pro modelers fill the gaps and make it smooth and perfect?

Thanks Sam

**Samh93** · 09-04-2011

oh and what mask is the best? I'm using a liquid mask from hobbycraft but it never seems to work properly :/

Sam

**stona** · 09-04-2011

I use Tamiya putty for small gaps but it won't fill yawning caverns. Big gaps may need some plastic card or stretched sprue laying in and glueing before filling and sanding. An epoxy putty like Milliput is sometimes useful,it will fill a gap and doesn't shrink.
I always mask with Tamiya tape (or similar) and Blu-Tac if called for.
Cheers
Steve

**colin m** · 10-04-2011

Hello Sam,
Did you apply the filler over gloss white paint I wonder (being concorde) If so this may be the problem. Filler probably won't stick too well to a gloss surface. Is so, sand back the paint to bare plastic, and try again.
I use plain old Humbrol filler, It dries very quickly, which might be a problem for some, but at least your not hanging around for ages !
I'm with Steve on Tamiya tape - it's really good stuff. But I tend to use normal masking tape for holding bits together, saving the Tamiya for the important jobs.

Regards
Colin M.....

**Samh93** · 10-04-2011

Thanks Stona, I've used blue-tac before but found it difficult to remove it from windows but i'll try again. Yes it was painted with gloss a few years ago, i'll get it all sanded and get some of that tamita tape. Also is their any certain type of sand paper to use or is any okay? because I'm using a medium grit one at the moment.

Thankyou for the info guys

Sam

**stona** · 10-04-2011

Hi Sam,I don't often do windows except on the rare occasion that I build a bomber (there's been a Tamiya 1/48 lancaster in my cupboard for far too long). My technique is to mask the window with tape before I fit it to the model. Once I've got all the paints,varnishes etc on I remove the tape to reveal,hopefully,a lovely clear window.
I've never really got on with liquid mask either though some people swear by it. It tends to make a mess and end up in places where I don't want it LOL.
For sand paper I use wet'n'dry from Halfords,mostly grades between 800 and 1500 grit.
Cheers
Steve

**Samh93** · 10-04-2011

Exactly my problem steve! The mask just runs all over and with the recent heat it hardens in seconds if the coats are too thin, which then pulls off when you apply another coat. You just can't win with it :/

Sam

**Ian M** · 10-04-2011

Liquid mask is a pain! It can be used to great effect for doing chipping and the like. As for masking windows I have had only limited success. The thing is that it only needs to be a very thin film. as long as the part you want masked is totally covered it will be fine. I tend to give the window a blob off a tooth pick/ cocktail stick and then drag it around so it fills the whole area. Leave to dry then just give it a blob in the middle, this makes grabbing it with tweezers easier!
If a kit has small windows; port holes on a boat, windows in the side of an aircraft fuselage, I have been known to leave them out and after the model is painted use Microscales micro klear to fill the hole. As it dries it turns clear but a perfect window glass it is not. The effect is good though and you do end up with a very thin window.
Larger windows I mask before I put them in, like Stona.

Filler; I use both squadrons white and Green, also Humbrols. They do dry quick though. You can thin them down with liquid glue and paint it on with a brush. This is very good for pin marks and other scratch marks as you can put it right where you need it.
Big holes/gaps get filled with Milliput.

Ian M