One Strike Filler

[Brian Gaff]

Plastacine? Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Chuckle, its amazing some of the things that seem to work for unlikely fixes. I do not recall its name but that stuff you can make into a solid transparent blob with something visible inside it as a paperweight, if you use the right amount of hardener, ie not too much, was great for filling holes up and it seemed to outlast the rest of the wall most times. Not cheap but it certainly used to work obviously an epoxy of some kind. You do need to beware not to use too much hardener though as it can get so hot it smokes and cracks. Brian

[Scott]

Coincidentally, I was planning to use it today to pack out a loose dry lining box. As I see it, because I am not looking for structural strength and it will be out of sight, there should be no problem. In fact, it will probably be easier to sand. This gives me an idea - it may be possible to adjust it by pressure rather than by sanding.

[Steve Walker]

It'll be epoxy resin, as used for laying up fibreglass.

SteveW

[alan_m]

I step up from a gap filler foam. I used similar to fill a large void in the past and then used a tine layer of a more traditional filler on top

[The Natural Philosopher]

On the contrary I use it to fill massive arears - just not ones where fingers go a pokin!

It is a cosmetic, not a strucutral, filler

[The Natural Philosopher]

It will be a POLYESTER resin, as used for laying up fibreglass.

Epoxy is not clear and although it is used for glass fibre, it's not the most common resin for it.

However its amazing how much use I make of car body filler when no more nails isn't strong enough or when I need a massive bit of rotten painted wood repaired.

[dennis]

Newspaper and wallpaper paste.

[jkn]

You are welcome to do so, and I think regarding it as a 'cosmetic' filler is a good perspective (one the mfr should, but probably doesn't, advertise). I am less likely to use such a cosmetic filler than you, regardless of where it is, but that's OK.

I am still surprised that TMH had not appreciated the basic properties of the materials he uses - as someone else says, perhaps that's why he has not been invited back...

[spuorgelgoog]

Asbestos and spit.

Owain

[The Natural Philosopher]

When you have approximately 150 meters of cracks in a oak beam ceiling to fill and its well beyond fingerpoken, then this is what you use.

It is much less trouble to sand.

I use this fuklke a lot on balsa models were also its not much softer or heavier than balsa..

It feels like microballoons in PVA.

[Martin Brown]

Epoxy mixes were typically equal parts of resin and hardener and then you had better get it into a thin layer before it becomes exothermic. It can run away quite spectacularly in larger cans once it has been mixed.

+1

The initiator for that is a couple of drops of organic peroxide to start the free radical polymerisation. Add too much and it gets way too hot.

You can get a water clear grade of very pure epoxy but it is a lot more expensive. The most common grade is a hazy opaque straw coloured.

I prefer saturating it with styrene wood hardener first.

[Scott]

At the risk of comment, mine seems to be quite hard !

[tabbypurr]

Years ago I tried saturating card with that stuff it was useless.

NT

[TMH]

Nope. I turn down more work than I take on and have reduced my advertising.

See also "Never had a customer complaint" above.

[TMH]

The problem with that statement is that 80% of my customers I've had for years and I've never had a complaint about anything I've filled.

[jkn]

what for, on balsa models, out of interest? (I also have done/do aeromodelling)

Microballoons in something, for sure.

[spuorgelgoog]

Have you fixed the van yet?

Owain

[Andrew]

If the wood is that bad, then anything short of complete removal and replacement is just a bodge, not even 'diy'.

[Andrew]

Keep a bag of out-of-date Wickes fine surface plaster and use that. It sets within minutes and unlike gypsum plaster it can be scraped flat (with a steel ruler) and also sanded.