Polyester putty

[eyckles]

Hi all,

I have a question. I have been using tamiya putty(white and grey) for a while now, but never had the result i wanted with it, because they shrink while drying. So i think i'm going to switch to polyester putty. So my question is. Is polyester putty better than tamiya putty and can you prime it when sanded? Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Lesley

[MidMazar]

Originally Posted by eyckles

Is polyester putty better than tamiya putty and can you prime it when sanded?

It depends on what your using it for. IMO it is better than the grey/white putty. Those type of putties are mainly intended on small imperfections where shrinkage won't really matter. Polyester putty is a 2-part so you have to mix them together before applying almost like 2 part epoxy putty. A lot of people who do scratch building/bodykits use polyester as it does not shrink. Yes you can prime it after sanding, although if you have a lot of putty i would use a sealer first then a primer so you don't have any shadowing. Tamiya makes a small and large type.

Personally i would highly recomend it.

[astroracer]

I use USC's ICING. Very smooth to apply and easy to sand. Zero shrinkage. I avoid applying it in heavy cross sections anyway. better to be safe then sorry.
Here are some pics of a 1/16th '56 Chevy Post I mastered from a '55 hardtop. All of the body work was done with Icing and there was no shrinkage, even after a few years.



Mark

[bbkbuys]

Originally Posted by MidMazar

It depends on what your using it for. IMO it is better than the grey/white putty. Those type of putties are mainly intended on small imperfections where shrinkage won't really matter. Polyester putty is a 2-part so you have to mix them together before applying almost like 2 part epoxy putty. A lot of people who do scratch building/bodykits use polyester as it does not shrink. Yes you can prime it after sanding, although if you have a lot of putty i would use a sealer first then a primer so you don't have any shadowing. Tamiya makes a small and large type.

Personally i would highly recomend it.

MidMazar is absolutely right. 2K putty won't shrink, and is very strong. I never use any 1K putty, as i hate it: shrinks, surface dries too fast etc.
2K putty comes in many sorts, i always use the soft or super soft versions (hard sorts are also available, but almost impossible to sand by hand as too hard).

Also agree that, when putting putty on, i tend to add too little, so i don't need to sand down too much. Tool i can not miss when puttying: wooden toothpicks. They will help you to apply putty in very small doses, and great precision. For bigger surfaces, try to roll the toothpick between your fingers while smearing out...

I used 2K putty on both transbodies i made for lola mk3. The le mans whale tale rear, is only 1.5mm thick, although spanning over 10cm.

le mans rear




daytona front




Wim

[eyckles]

Hi Wim,

Since we live in the Same country and i propably get the Same stuff you are using! So my question is. What kind of 2k putty do you use and do you use spray on filler? Can you let me know the Brands.

Best regards,
Lesley

P.s.: the Lola transkit is starting to look pretty good.

[bbkbuys]

lesley,

brand of 2K putty is less important i think... For the moment, I use 'soudal', but have used other brands previously & simultaneously. Always a 'soft' version, as the hard ones are really too hard to sand by hand.
TIP: try using a sharp knife to remove excess while putty starts to cure: you'll have few minutes to really sculpt the putty, and thus save time sanding. Be careful and cut away(!!) from edges etc, as otherwise stuff might brake loose.
Also, i sand plastic with P240 and add a plastic primer before adding putty, otherwise putty will tend to come loose very easily. Brand of plastic primer = motip (spraycan)

I think the motip filler is an interesting product: comes in spraycan, and can stand both 1K and 2K laquers/fillers on top... Very easy to sand, but not strong of course. I use it on puttied surfaces as a layer before applying 2K base coat so all scratches & stuff are easily seen/filled/sanded out

The 2K base coat is: acryl-füller, 4 to 1, from airo. For sale in specialized car paint shops. Will cure hard, but still little flex, so not too brittle.

wim