I am new to Armour Modeling and have been working on several models. In reading books on construction and they use several different colrs of "putty" to fill seams and create weld beads. I bought a tube of "Testors" putty but it dries to an almost grout feel and I don't think that is what I need. Any suggestions on what I can obtain would be appreciated.

i have come to like the Tamiya putties, the white fine grade and the regular with the orange cap. i used to use Testors but i always had trouble with it separating in the tube so i'd get liquid, then putty, then a messy mix of the two. it would go on OK for the first wipe and then it would get gritty and break up if i tried to work it beyond that. i bought some milliput putty which many people seem to like, but i haven't used it yet. that's the type i believe you want. it's rolled into thin threads, laid in place, and then worked with a small tool to create a weld seam. i think the different colors are to do with the grades, degrees of coarseness and/or drying time. i bought mine from Squadron. for smaller imperfections with part fitment i really like a thick, slow setting super glue. i bought some called Zap Gap Filling from Mission Models, but there are other brands as well.

more on weld seams: there are scale resin ones available that are on decal paper and are applied like decals. the same manufacturer also makes bolt heads and rivets that are applied the same way. while i haven't used them yet there has been a lot of positive comments about them. if you search this site there are some very good tutorial how to articles on making weld seams and on gap filling. use the search function at the upper right of the screen to find them.

To create welds, here's an excellent article:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/220

Seam filler ... the Testors is terrible. For small seams I like the Squadron green or white putty or even Tamiya's Polyester. For large areas, milliput or the Tamiya Polyester is the way to go. They don't shrink as much as the ready to go putty's do.

HTH

Welcome to the hobby. I suspect that upon entry, many of us bought a tube of Testor's filler putty. I wonder if any single human being has ever bought a second tube-- that stuff is completely worthless.

I've switched over to Bondo auto body putty/filler. It's ugly red/orange, doesn't shrink, thins easily, and sands great. Cheap too. About $5 at KMart or Walmart for a huge tube. Smells a lot though... yuck. I'm sure it's contributing to my daddynesia.

for a couple of more cents...not even sure it's worth .02! Definitely utilize the link previously posted, works wonders!

For seam filling, I use a few different types. Squadron green putty, Acryl Blue and Mr. Surfacer 500 or 1000 (in the liquid form). Depends on the size of the seam, experiment with a technique/medium that you like. Fingernail polish remover (on a moistened Q-tip) works good for the initial removal of excess green putty...alcohol works for the Mr. Surfacer. Kind of a cheater method, but have found that it cuts down on the amount of sanding needed.

Use masking tape to form up your seams / putty edge, saves that molded detail from being sanded away...live and learn!

Hope that helped...use the site here, as there are a whole lot of great tips and techniques! Cheers -

Tim

Thank you guys for the input. I have definately got the model building bug, I have enough kits to keep me busy for a long time. I have noticed that I have to work towards quality, not quantity. At first I wanted to get the kit done as soon as possible, but I am learning that building one correctly takes alot of hours. I have an M! AIM that is getting closer to being done. The photo etch at the top of the fenders is a mess, as was attaching the fenders. Not sure where I went wrong there but getting them to fit right was a pain. I got the workable tracks and found out there are a couple of places under the upper hull that have to be trimmed to clear the tracks. I have done alot of research on the M! Abrams and I am starting to get a better understanding of how this Tank is put together. The first AIM kit is no way a show model, but my hope is to learn some weathering techniques on it. I have learned one thing so far. Dragon's directions leave much to be desired..
Well again, thanks for the input,
NTheShow1.

Dragons instructions take alot of focus and trial readings before costruction its true. I guess they help instill the importance of familiarizing yourself with the instructions BEFORE you even remove your first part from the tree! I usually read mine a few times first.
I wanted to share my putty experience ....water based bathtub caulking in the tube did a great job filling INSANE seams on a resin MK IV male WWI tank I finished this spring. I mean those seams were HUGE! Because of all the rivets I was not ready to use squadron green stuff...so I tried the water base and it worked great...claenup was with a wet q tip...It held paint and took washes no problem..