Is This THE Way to Fill Spiral Body Tube Seams?

I ran across this and I wondered if anyone has used this technique to fill in those pesky seams on body tubes.

This technique uses CA and baking soda to create a filling medium.

[YOUTUBE]CjLptQxvQl8[/YOUTUBE]

Please let us know if it has worked for you.

Greg

I use CA and MicroBalloons on plastic but never on bts... Seems to me you'd tear the bt up while trying to sand-down the 'crust'

I'd be concerned about that, too.

I've used a similar technique, with talcum powder and CA as a filler on plastic kits. It's good in that context because it dries to about the same hardness as styrene plastic. Considering that body tubes are significantly softer, you'd be in danger of sanding away too much tube and not enough filler.

I have used CA and baking soda in another context. It does come out pretty hard and I think it would not be a good material on paper tubes.:no:

In addition, it is easy for that combination to get "out of control". The CA can react quite quickly with the baking soda and "froth up" (if you look at the stuff he did on the inside of the model component, you can see where that happened)

LW Bercini said:

In addition, it is easy for that combination to get "out of control". The CA can react quite quickly with the baking soda and "froth up" (if you look at the stuff he did on the inside of the model component, you can see where that happened)

Click to expand...

It also gets hot and the fumes are dangerous. So, if you try it, make sure the area is well ventilated.

-- Roger

I guess it would depend on the quality of tube?

I bought some brown glassine tubes and I'm trying something different. Just using high build primer to fill the seams and sanding in between coats. It seems to work, but like I said it has a lot to do with the quality of the body tubes. Aside from using any fillers I just go with good Ol FnF

They ought to pull this video off Youtube! I'm tempted to report it.

The guy says "what you don't want to do is get CA and baking soda on your skin... it's a pretty hot reaction..."

Moments later he lays a bead of CA on a seam and wipes it off with HIS BARE FINGERS and moments later he sprinkles baking soda on, the wipes it off with those same bare fingers, as far as I can tell.

For goodness sakes dude!

Marc

GregGleason said:

I ran across this and I wondered if anyone has used this technique to fill in those pesky seams on body tubes.

This technique uses CA and baking soda to create a filling medium.

[YOUTUBE]CjLptQxvQl8[/YOUTUBE]

Please let us know if it has worked for you.

Greg

Click to expand...

Never tried the baking soda technique. But have used Aerogloss sealer with Microballons. Very easy to sand. And not hard on the body tubes. Also by accident ran accross a plastic model filler by Squadron hobbies. It is a putty filler for filling gaps in plastic model kits. It comes in a white putty, which is what I used. And a green, that I have never tried. But the putty works great on tubes seams and making fin fillets. Also easy to sand. It does have an odor, so use in a ventilated area.

That's all too complicated for my liking. I just use PC-11 epoxy paste and a putty knife to fill spirals. It's better than JB weld for doing fillets, but not motor tubes (heat rating). Ready to sand in 6 hours. You can get at Ace Hardware or Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Protective-Coating-PC-11-1LB-White-Epoxy/dp/B004MLDML2 It's about $15 bucks for 1 pound.

It seems that while this may be a valid technique that works well and quick on styrene (health hazard of the vapors and possible burns aside), because it dries so hard and is so difficult to sand, it seems that there are much better options out there than this one to fill seams.

Thanks everyone.

Greg