Okay... I'm using Tamiya putty to fill in those little holes, crevaces and imperfections... That's all good. But cleaning it up so its nice and smooth is a real pain. I tried sanding, but was unimpressed (maybe not fine enough grit?)... I tried using nail polish remover (without acetone), applied with a q-tip. Unhappy. I'm can't tell if q-tip residue is being left on the model, or if its actually eating away at the plastic...

Anyways, could someone drop me a few hints here?

Are you sanding when its dry? if so you may wanna try sandpaper dipped in water It usually leaves a smooth finish for me. But I dont use the same putty as you if I remember the name of the putty I use right :S

And as far as the nail polish goes,
the acetone is the magic ingredient

you gotta have it to smooth the putty out.
Go steal wifey-s or pick up a bottle at the store...
HTH

And here someone told me to make sure I got the stuff WITHOUT it... ?? And do you use a q-tip?

Use the stuff with it, but don't dump the whole bottle on the model.

And yes you can use a q-tip. Just dip it in the bottle of NP Remover, and then go to work on your putty. But make sure the putty is fresh. I.E. just applied, because it will be easier than to work with.

~Chip :-)

you can also use Tamiya super thin glue to smooth it out. Just use the glue brush applicator and this also works if the putty is half dry too