Beemax 1/20 1984 McLaren MP4/2 Part 2 - Body Prep
Beemax/Aoshima 1/20 Plastic Kit
I have begun the usual process of preparing plastic kits for primer:
Sanding sprue nubs
Sanding mould lines
Gluing parts to be painted together
Filling sink holes and part seams
Modifying parts to accommodate added details
For this build I’m using Bondo Body Filler for the first time, having mainly used solvent putties like Tamiya White Putty or Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty in the past. Solvent putties have a tendency to shrink over time as the solvent evaporates from it, so polyester putty seems like an ideal choice as it cures via a catalyst hardener. I’ve used Milliput 2-part epoxy putty before for my W08 build but I don’t particularly enjoy kneading and handling it with gloved hands, and the long cure time. The polyester putty is easy to mix with a spreader, and apply as one would normally with common solvent putties.
I tried it on a plastic test part first but found that it didn’t adhere very well and could just peel straight off. Also I heard that the Bondo was supposed to cure “rock hard”, but mine remained slightly rubbery. I heard that this is commonly caused by not adding enough hardener, but for the quantity I mixed I’m pretty sure I used more than I needed. Anyways I decided to just go ahead and apply it to the MP4/2, making sure to sand and clean the surfaces before applying.
Bondo filler is supposed to cure and be sandable after 15 - 30 minutes but to be safe I left it overnight before sanding. It seemed to adhere well, and while not rock hard, sanded exceedingly well. I’m hoping nothing unexpected happens in the future, but I think it’ll be fine.
I’m happy with how well the headrest area fit, and even more happy about how well integrated it became after sanding down the Bondo. In my experience, the head rest areas are usually very precarious and dangerous especially in Tamiya kits, where they’re prone to cracking at any hint of pressure.
I filled the ejector pin markings on the underside of parts with traditional Tamiya White Putty because they will be out of sight anyways, so it won’t be a huge deal if they shrink a bit over time.
The NACA duct on the top of the engine cover reveals incredible thickness so I tried opening it up a little bit.
Modifications to continue…