Oils Pin holes in resin casting

[gwensp]

Im doing my first large scale resin figure . Bits of the casting have little pin holes on the surface (from air bubbles I think).

Whats the best way of the filling these little pesky holes, especially on places like the face (the model has one just below one of the eyes)?

If it helps I am using oils.

 

[housecarl]

I use Milliput, but any epoxy filler would work.
Carl.

 

[Sapper8863]

Hello.

For resin models with small surface pin holes, I find Acrylic paint the best.

Wash then prime the figure. Once dry the primer will show up any defects, you can then use either AV acrylic filler, which I believe is just white acrylic paint with marble dust mixed in.

However if you use thinned down acrylic paint you can give the damaged area a thin wash then blow on it to speed up drying. Then repeat as required, for larger holes, try thinned down filler like miliput.

Using the Acrylic paint saves you having to sand the surface, and tends to be quicker than using a filler like miliput, you can also use superglue to fill in holes but this may require sanding as well.

I hope this helps.

cheers
Ian

 

[gwensp]

Thanks Carl and Ian

there where some pinholes in one of the legs which I used epoxy putty for the larger ones and super glue for the tiny ones. It was the one just below they eye I was scratching my head over, I wasnt sure if I could make a nice job of sanding down with out damaging the face. Didnt think of using acrylic to fill the hole. Ill give it a whirl tonight.

 

[Pepperpot]

Milliput is pretty nice for filling gaps and holes. You can mix it with water until you get a thick cream-like consistency. Use a brush for filling the small gaps and it dries rock hard and is sandable.
Play around with the consistency a bit until you are comfy with it.

Here is a nice tutorial::
http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.com/2009/10/tutorial-filling-gaps-with-milliput.html

 

[Ron Tamburrini]

Im doing my first large scale resin figure . Bits of the casting have little pin holes on the surface (from air bubbles I think).

Whats the best way of the filling these little pesky holes, especially on places like the face (the model has one just below one of the eyes)?

If it helps I am using oils.

That sounds familiar with a not so cheep manufacturer

Carl's idea works well, another method I use also is quick drying polyfilla
drys in minutes and sands easy especially in those small quantities and you can work with a wet brush also.

Ron

 

[valiant]

Hi guys,
Ive used Vallejo acryllic filler for very fine holes, (the white stuff in a foil tube!). Put a bit on a saucer,add very small amount of water, dip your finger in it then rub the surface in very small circles. Dampen your finger when it starts to set. Smooth over with a clean damp brush. Milliput every time for anything larger!!
Steve

 

[housecarl]

I read somewhere cyano and talc or baking powder works well too.
Carl.

 

[gwensp]

Thanks guys.

I used some slightly diluted Liquitex thick body acrylic paint and a little talc and that did the trick.

It was little surprising to find pin holes in this figure, as its from a well known line. But all the other figures I have from that company are fine, so Ill just chalk it up to a Monday morning or Friday afternoon figure.

 

[Stephan]

I second housecarl, used Backing powder and cyano on many garage kits.
It works well,is hard enough to be sanded with paper.
And no dryingtime.
Another one is wax.

 

[Einion]

Superglue can work for filling pinholes, particularly if you're in a tearing hurry, but once it fully cures it tends to be quite a bit harder than resin which can cause issues when sanding.

I think epoxy putty is the best way to go to fill casting defects of any size because of its versatility which makes it a one-stop solution, regardless of the size, shape or location of the void. For larger holes you just use the putty as-is, force it into the hole with a sculpting tool of choice and then smooth off the surface. If you spend some time on this step, with sculpting tools, a wet finger or a damp brush you can fill without any need to sand after curing.

For very small holes I'd recommend epoxy slurry (freshly-mixed putty + water). This can be painted into tiny holes much more easily than trying to get straight putty to stick in such a small amount; use an old brush for this or a cheap synthetic. Epoxy slurries seem very fragile when fresh but you should find they'll harden perfectly well, at best it'll end up as tough as it always goes.

If it helps I am using oils.

The paint type shouldn't be a factor, unless you weren't planning on using a primer?

Einion

 

[gordy]

Sometimes very small holes can be opened up a little bigger.

Why? Simply, when you go to sand the surface tension of your filler could bridge the small pin hole and not actually fill it, so when you go to sand it opens back up.

Looking from the side of a pin hole (actually a bubble) it looks like this:

¯(_)¯

Open the hole so it looks like this:

¯\_/¯

and the hole will stay filled more completely.

Cheers!
gordy

 

[Showlen]

I've run into this same situation. I've always used "Green Stuff" (I believe it's a GW product), purchased for $10 at Hobby Town. Once mixed and kneaded well, I roll it as long as I can, making it kind of like a long piece of string.

I'll then just insert it directly into the hole and wipe away excess using silly putty or a sponge. I repeat until the hole is completely filled. I'll also take an old brush, dipped in alcohol, and smooth it out over and over - for me, this step takes the place of sanding when dealing with areas of great detail (like the eyes).

Ronnie

 

[RKapuaala]

For the past year or so I have been using vynl spackle from Ace Hardware. Its the exterior type and you must prime the figure first. It shrinks very little, can be sanded or just burnished depending on the size of the fill and takes paint and primer really well. I have used it only with acrylic paints, so I do not know how it will hold up to oils.