What can I get from my local Home Depot or Michaels store that will fill small gaps in styrene and allow me to mold and shape it to form. After hardening I want to sand it and have it accept paint from the airbrush. P.S. What type paint would I use also! Acrylic, enamel, latex etc. This is my first attempt at such a project so keep it simple. Thanx.
One thing I’ve used - and you won’t need to buy anything - is to take styrene shavings (very thin - almost powder) and mix them with plastic cement. After a few seconds, they’ll form a ‘paste’ that can be used to fill styrene gaps, and will exactly match styrene’s characteristics.
Hope this helps,
tbdanny
hi, i converted some cabeese from cupola types to non cupola (transfer cabs) starting with the old athearn ATSF models. after blocking off the unwanted holes with sheet styrene, i used a product called Squadron fast drying white putty to fill any unwanted gaps. I doubt if Home Depot has it but Micheals might. it is popular with the model airplane enthusiasts and military vehicle modelers so it should be fairly easy to find.
it dries in about half an hour and you can sand it smooth with a fine grit paper and then paint it just like you do the rest of the model. i was pleased to find that even though it is fast drying, it has a long shelf life. i still work from a tube i bought over 10 years ago.
grizlump
Be careful not to use the Squadron “green” putty, as it gradually shrinks and can warp the plastic and crack.
There are a couple of epoxies that work like styrene when they’re cured:
JB Kwik and any plumbers epoxy putty, both available from most harware stores. They can be sanded and drilled.
I agree with JB Kwik it sets in 5 minutes and has a similar texture as styrene.
Harold
Mixing and shaving? I get my styrene, which I use for all kinds of things, from Walmart. I just buy their largest “For Sale” signs. When I use it for filling rail gaps, I cut the gap with my Dremel with a cutoff disk (be sure to wear eye/face protection). I cut a thin strip (about 1/16" wide x 1/2" long), and glue it into the gap using CA. After the CA sets up (about 2 minutes), I just bend the strip back and forth until it snaps off; trim with a hobby knife, and it accepts pretty much any kind of paint.
Those signs are made of PVC, not styrene. They cannot be glued or dissolved with liquid plastic cement.
I buy quart cans of MEK from Ace Hardware, and I don’t know for sure what Walmarts “For Sale” signs are made out of but, MEK works fine in place of liquid cement. I just flow it (through capillary action) just like I would any other liquid cement.
if they came from walmart, then they probably came from china. if so, then only God knows what they are make of and even He might be confused. trial and error is the best way to find out what works and since you have done so then you know.
while on the subject, what are hypodermic syringes made of? i mooched a few off my doctor (he knows i am not a junkie) and they work great for applying plastic cement. it seems like nothing can get to the plastic or rubber in them as i empty one after use and dry it out and it works just fine time after time.
grizlump
I prefer epoxy but I have had equally good effect with dissolved styrene. Somewhere in my travels–I keep thinking I got them at a jewelry supply house–I came up with some Teflon® applicators which look a little like canoe paddles and which are jimdandy for getting epoxy or dissolved styrene into relative tight places. Another thing that works is a flat toothpick.
I sometimes use styrene shavings and mix them with a drop or two of dechloromethane until a paste is created (it dryes really fast!). But best is Milliput, Revell Plasto or Squadron’s putty (white). For tiny gaps sometimes I use CA, though it is tough to sand. For scratches and minor deffects I use Mr. Surfacer 1000 or 500.
Nylon. No glue or other chemical will stick to or dissolve nylon. MEK, Acetone, etc. don’t faze it.
Be careful with MEK (Methel Ethyl Ketone), it is some NASTY stuff. We used to use it in some of our manufacturing operations until OSHA came to town, if they find this stuff in a facility now that place is in deep s#&t. Below is from the EPA website;
"Methyl ethyl ketone is used as a solvent. Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure to methyl ethyl ketone in humans results in irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat. Limited information is available on the chronic (long-term) effects of methyl ethyl ketone in humans. Chronic inhalation studies in animals have reported slight neurological, liver, kidney, and respiratory effects. No information is available on the developmental, reproductive, or carcinogenic effects of methyl ethyl ketone in humans. Developmental effects, including decreased fetal weight and fetal malformations, have been reported in mice and rats exposed to methyl ethyl ketone via inhalation and ingestion. EPA has classified methyl ethyl ketone as a Group D, not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity. "
Does this mean I’m going to have to stop pouring this stuff on my Cheerios every morning?
RE: my previous posting:
Now that I think about it the little paddle shaped applicators are most likely manufactured from Nylon instead of Teflon.
Oh, don’t worry, I’m REAL careful with the stuff. I use rubber (latex) gloves when there’s a chance of getting any on my hands. The stuff is like MOST solvents; readily passed through skin and collecting in the liver, and whether or not it’s a carcinogen, I know it can’t be good for you.