BPMS ZOOM Mini Meeting: April 7, 2026

Featured Discussion: Putty Do's and Don'ts

 

Thirteen people attended. Somebody asked how long we've been having Zoom meetings. I looked it up later. Our first Zoom was Thursday, 4/2/20. Happy Sixth Anniversary to the eight of you who attended!

There's no Tuesday Zoom next week; the in-person meeting is Friday, 4/27/26, at the Community Center in Brooklyn. It's Work in Progress night and your last chance to declare your 2026 Pledge Model. 

Several BPMS members were at Mosquitocon in Wayne, NJ, last Saturday. Jimmy talked about the entries (lots of Gundam), the vendors (he'd like them to put prices on their kits) and parking (lots of spaces at 8am, not so many by 9am). Lunch, as usual, was at Grasshopper Too. Photos are on the BPMS Facebook page. 

 

Julio has arranged two more group builds, one at Japan Village, in Brooklyn, on 5/23/26 and one at Pier 57, in Manhattan, on 9/5/26. Both are accessible by public transit. Details to follow. 

Lou doesn't expect Tamiya's 1/35 M-24 Chaffee to be available until July. 

We saw Vaughn's completed F-106 (the old Hasegawa kit builds up well) and F-101 A (the Valom kit doesn't), Erasmo's Macci C.200 (the old kit needs a lot of work), Kevin's Salome and Star figures, Gil's post-apocalyptic "Lock and Load" bust (made into a figure by adding legs), Mark's 1/48 Stuart and 1/35 tank crew figures (cheap ones, to practice painting faces) and Frank C's AV-8B Harrier. Acquisitions included ICM's new 1/72 S 64A (Vaughn couldn't resist) and Tamiya's old 1/35 Schwimmwagen (neither could Jimmy). 

The tool was UV resin, aka light curing putty, a UV curing multipurpose adhesive repair filler with the consistency of Vaseline. This led neatly into our featured topic, putty. One thing was clear; nobody likes to use putty. Better to dry fit and adjust as necessary to eliminate/minimize any gaps. You'll and save time and aggravation. If you have to use putty, there are a lot of products to choose from, like Tamiya's White Putty and Basic Putty (White is thinner and smoother than Basic), AK Interactive 103 Modeling White Putty and Vallejo Plastic Putty. They have different consistencies, drying times, and hardnesses. Some are easier to apply and clean up than others. Check manufacturers' websites and modelers' videos to see what works best for your situation.  Aves Epoxy Sculpt and Milliput are popular two-part epoxy putties. We've used household and products, like spackle or wood filler(for large applications) or BIC Wite Out or plain old white glue (for very small applications). We've also used automotive bodywork products, like Nitro Stan Glazing Putty or Icing Polyester Finishing Putty. Some people mix chopped up styrene with liquid glue to repair nicks and fill holes. Gap filling super glue is good as long as you sand away the excess as soon as it sets. If we didn't mention your favorite product, let us know. Thanks in advance.

 

The next meeting is Friday, the 26^th at the Community Center in Brooklyn. Doors open around 5pm; meeting starts around 7:30 pm. Bring your latest Work in Progress or any other model you'd like to display and talk about. Hope to see you there.

 

~Russ