Trouble with Tamiya putty

[Andy]

I purchased a tube of tamiya putty to fill seam lines and gaps and what not, and when I apply it(with a toothpick) i let it sit for a while before sanding it down. The problem comes when I start sanding. I may be using too low of a grit, but I leave some nasty scratches on the seam line that looks worse than the seam itself . I try correcting this by sanding the area down a bit with gradually higher and higher grits, eventually polishing with 3M wet&dry sandpaper(i think its 1000 grit im not too sure), but the scratches are still in there deep. How do I fix this?

I realize that this putty may have a bit of a learning curve, so any advice on it would be very much appreciated. Better yet, any filler advice would be fantastic haha thanks

[Nige201980]

You could try one of those 4 sided nail files it what I use over here in the uk we can get four for a £1 i dont know how much they would be in the US. But like I said they are for sided 1 for filing 1 for getting rid of ridges one for one to buff/ smooth and one for polish/shine and they work really well there foam and are easy to use.

[Andy]

Hm, I'll try some out. Do they leave any noticeable scratches?

[Nige201980]

If you use them right no because you go down the grades and u can get them in different grades for the first two steps some are like proper nail files I use the rough ones to start go down the grades then go on to the less abrasive one and again go down the grades and I'm left with a nice smooth shinny surface with no scratches.

[Andy]

I'll have a look at the beauty shop tomorrow lol thanks a lot!

[Nige201980]

Not a prob mate

[Bagpiper]

Hi Andy - you also say you let it sit for a while. Are you making sure the putty is set before your trying to sand it? I say that because you may also be pulling it away from the model. If it is not set then small bits of putty could be pulling other bits of putty off. If it is sticking to your sanding tool then it could still be soft putty. I'm just guessing without seeing a picture but it is something else to think on.

Cheers and good luck

Jim

[Andy]

Thanks, I let it sit for about an hour or so while I work on something else. I resanded and had better results so I dont have a before picture, unfortunately . Thanks for the replies!

[schweinhund227]

Thanks, I let it sit for about an hour or so while I work on something else. I resanded and had better results so I dont have a before picture, unfortunately . Thanks for the replies!

An Hr ??? oh no ! you must let it cure !

you seem to be trying to build too fast ! Try getting the UV Tamiya putty ! it sounds more like you !!!

You expose it to Light ! usually Fluorescent lighting has enough "UV rays" to set the UV Tamiya putty hard enough so it can be sanded !

The Gray Tamiya Putty takes... Hrs... if not a full day cure to have enough body to support sanding !

You can also use a "Q-tip" moisten in Tamiya Lacquer thinner...(nothing else) and wipe off The excess Tamiya putty protruding from your Seams !!! so that Very minimal sanding will be required !
of course you do that right after you apply the Normal Gray Tamiya Putty !!!

Hope it helps and If I were you ? I would look for the YELLOW UV Tamiya Putty !!!
it may help you build faster if that's your thing ?

Good luck and Happy modeling !

Norm.