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Best Wood Filler to use on ship hull


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Wood flour of the planking species mixed with PVA ( Titebond II for me).

NRG member 45 years

 

Current:  

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner -  framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner -  timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835  ship - timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

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I found that a number of different fillers worked depending on the situation. If it is a small crack that will be painted over, then the white speckling compound worked great. For small cracks that would be stained over, I tend to put some wood glue in the crack then sand over it allowing the dust to fill in the crack.

 

If you are painting over an area and have a large defect to fill, then you could use epoxy in it's various forms since it can be sanded and shaped after setting. If you are staining, I have not found any filler that could be used on larger areas (other than a small crack) that would not show up after sanding. The manner it absorbs the stain and the texture give it away.

 

If you are truing a first planking for a second planking, then almost any filler would do as long as it adhered well to the wood.

Bill

Chantilly, VA

 

Its not the size of the ship, but the bore of the cannon!

 

Current Build: Scratch Build Brig Eagle

 

Completed Build Log: USS Constitution - Mamoli

Completed Build Gallery: USS Constitution - Mamoli

 

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If the filler is to be painted or planked over, then I have found spackle compound the best for the job. It sands very easily and has such a fine grain it is undetectable under paint. 

A good tip is to wipe some super/crazy glue over the entire filled area after you have sanded it smooth. The filler soaks up the glue and it hardens and toughens to an amazing degree.  

Edited by overdale
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Have you tried Bondo? It is east to mix, hardens quickly, sands to an invisible feather edge and is cheap. 30 Yeats ago I build a clyindrical body od the boiler for steam cutter model by turning a slug of Bondo on a metal lathe. It has held up well. I should also add that it bonds well to wood. I keep a can in my shop and use it often.

 

For those readers from across the pond, Bondo is the proprietary name for a polyester paste putty used by the auto body repair trade.

 

Roger

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I use the Tamiya white putty also. Rather than waiting for it to dry and then sanding, I apply it wait about 5 minutes then wipe it down with lacquer thinner on a paper towel. You'll find that a lot of the putty wipes off with no sanding - what's left smooths out nicely. Also the paper towel is rough enough to leave a bit of texture to what's left.  If you do your last wipes following the wood grain, the texture kind of steaks with the grain. What putty is left looks a little like a wood surface.

 

Just be sure to do this in a well ventilated area.

Sail on...... Mike         "Dropped a part? Your shoe will always find it before your eyes do"

Current Builds:                                                          Completed Builds:

Lancia Armata 1803 - Panart                                   US Brig Niagara - Model ShipwaysSection Deck Between Gun Bays - Panart  ; Arrow American Gunboat - Amati    

 Riva Aquarama - Amati                                           T24 RC Tugboat  ;  Hispaniola - Megow - Restoration ; Trajta - by Mikiek - Marisstella ; Enterprise 1799 - Constructo                             

                                                                   
                                                               

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Fortunately, I needed very little filler. Where I did, I used Testor's Contour Putty (gray tube). It dried fast and sanded easy. The other thing was that MS Primer was extremely thick. So when I primed the area, it filled the gaps nicely and retained the plank shapes defining them nicely. It also sanded easily. My only problem was that MS's paints do leave brush marks, and the primer wasn't that easy to completely cover sometimes taking 3 coats, but overall I was pleased with the outcome.

John

John

Current Current Builds:

US Brig Niagara on my website

FINISHED BUILD LOGS:

New Bedford Whaleboat - page on my Morgan Website:  http://www.charleswmorganmodel.com/whaleboat-build-log-by-john-fleming.html

C.W. Morgan - Model Shipways 1:64 http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/1785-cw-morgan-by-texxn5-johnf-ms-164-kit/

USS Constitution - Revell 1:96 http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/1796-uss-constitution-by-texxn5-johnf-revell-196-kit/

 

website US Brig Niagara Model http://www.niagaramodel.com

website Charles W Morgan Model http://www.charleswmorganmodel.com

website PROXXON DISCOUNT TOOL STORE http://proxxontoolsdiscount.com

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Hi.

I do the same as Jaager. Mix a little of the fine dust with the PVA glue to a soft putty. Works a treat.

 

Wood flour of the planking species mixed with PVA ( Titebond II for me).

Regards Antony.

Best advice ever given to me."If you don't know ..Just ask.

Completed Mayflower

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