I have an HO scale church that has the option of a foyer. If I leave the foyer off I am left with holes that would have helped align the extra piece. What should I use to fill in these holes so that they will not be visible after painting?
You could just glue some styrene behind it then use putty or gap filling CA. Also you could fill with plastic dowels from Plastruct and file them smooth.
Chris
I would use Squadron Green Putty. Rub it in from the back side and scrape off the filler from the front. You may want to spray primer over it before painting the structure.
I have done several things that are similar by gluing some cardboard as well styrene on the back and then filling in with various forms of putty. Squadron is good so it won’t shrink and there’s also the testors contour putty for small areas. The issue with this structure is that you have textured siding. So having enough putty to sand down carefully will be key. Going back in with contour putty helps fill in very small voids and then you can resand. In this case using a knife and bristle brush may help blend if I’m seeing the pictures correctly. I would also be prepared to prime and then sand down the primer to make it look near perfect when you paint. Of course thick paint covers up a lot of issues as does dull paint. So, if you plan on weathering a lot, then the prep work I mentioned earlier may not be needed. Tedious prep work is really required for a clean semi gloss finish.
BTW, that’s one reason I think we see most models in dull paint.
Richard
For the top one I’d consider detail parts like a light over the door and a storage box or barel on the hole to the left. On the bottom I’d fill it as noted earlier and air brush it.
You’re creating a lot of work for yourself by filling such holes with putty of any type. [:-^]
I keep a good selection of various sizes of Evergreen styrene rod on hand, which is very useful for this type of work. Pieces of styrene sprue will also work well, if of the proper diameter.
Select a size which is slightly larger than the hole to be plugged (between .005" and .010" over-size works well). If you can’t find anything suitable, drill out the existing hole to a size slightly less than the filler stock which you have on hand. Apply solvent-type cement (I use lacquer thinner) to the circumferences of both the hole and the rod stock, then push the filler piece into the hole. The softened mating faces, when fully-hardened (don’t rush this step) will become as one. Trim and finish using a #17 chisel-type blade. This should required no other finishing and will accept paint in exactly the same manner as the rest of the wall. For square or rectangular holes, styrene strip stock of a suitable size works in the same manner.
For plugging holes in material with a moulded-in finish, such as brick or wood siding, simply scribe or carve the plugs (after the cement has fully-cured, of course) to match the surrounding area.
Wayne
JB Pro Weld.
It is a 2-part epoxy that you can buy at Ace Hardware for under $10. Comes in toothpaste-like tubes,
I use it all the time for things like this.
Apply it with the tip of your Exacto knife. Fill the holes, use the side of the blade to smooth and then clean off the Exacto blade.
If you applied the epoxy carefully, it will be smooth enough to paint over after a few hours. Otherwise, use a small metal file to sand smooth.
Rich
At this point I’d be more concerned about why that roof isn’t seating properly…
Mark
I use plumbers epoxy putty (plumbing department), to fix things like this. It gets really hard and can be sanded. Mix the putty, push it in from the inside so it come out the other side a little, then press it back slightly so it seats, let it set up for about 20 minutes, then carve off most of the excess, let it cure for an hour, then you can sand it smooth and carve in any texture you want.
Thanks, everyone, for the replies! I appreciate all the help, I’m a newbie. I’m working on my first 4x8 layout.
Mark- The roof is not attached yet. I just set it on top for the picture.
You can always cut off the registration pins from the part you are not using, and glue them in their respective holes. They won’t be a perfect fit, A little Green Stuff will fill any gaps.
Don