The Ship Model Forum

Is there a narrow and supple tool that will spread filler evenly and smoothly in seams and gaps without the result looking like a snow plow went by. Coffee stirrers and toothpicks aren't working very well. I'm looking for something that works like the big flexy applicators used for body filler in car repair but much thinner; soft enough to spread the filler rather than dabbing it on. I tried out a few narrow artist's spatulas but even the thinnest were too stiff.

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Dennis
On the ways: USS Oregon 1/225 by Glencoe

Painting spatulas may work - check out art materials shops.

Otherwise a (piece of) razor-blade set into a holder could be an option. Used this for a long time together with car-repair putty.

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Eberhard

Former chairman Arbeitskreis historischer Schiffbau e.V. (German Association for Shipbuilding History)

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I've solved it by cutting 1/8" strips from a $3 fill applicator from the auto parts store and they work well with Tamiya and red Bondo fillers.

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Dennis
On the ways: USS Oregon 1/225 by Glencoe

Depending on how small you want to go, I use a stiffish brush as a spatula.

I keep my used xacto chisel blades for the purpose; I scrape the dried putty off and reuse them several times.

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-Jason Channell

Current Project: 1/200 Bismarck

Sounds like what you need is one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Oral32-Dental-Cem ... B005EDQLKQ

I learned about them in Organic Chemistry class.

They make them smaller than the one in the link, as well (they make them freaking microscopic if you want to get REALLY SMALL - You and Steve Martin both).

MB

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OMG LOOK! A signature

Working on:


1/700 (All Fall 1942):
HIJMS Nagara
HIJMS Aoba & Kinugasa
USS San Francisco
USS Helena
USS St. Louis
USS Laffey & Farenholt
HIJMS Sub-Chasers No. 4 - 7
HIJMS Sub-Chasers No. 13 - 16

… but aren't these spatulae stiff ? At least the ones I used were.

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Eberhard

Former chairman Arbeitskreis historischer Schiffbau e.V. (German Association for Shipbuilding History)

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Try the kitchen wares of your local $ store. They usually have a selection of silicon spatulas. Even if one is too big, you can cut it into several smaller ones - more value for your $!

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"... well, that takes care of Jorgensen's theory!"