I recently purchased my first tube of Tamiya Modeling Putty. I have seen several articles where builders reference the use of this putty in the building of a model, but I have yet to see any guidelines or explanations on how to mix and use the putty. The tube notes that the putty may be used for "remodeling, detail fabrication, sculpting, repairs, kit modifications and is easy to use". The rest of the instructions are in Japanese.

So, here is my list of questions.

1. The putty is to be mixed with the contents of the small vial. What are the recommended proportions? and how does one get the contents out of the vial? there is a small opening in the vial, and I am somewhat leery about sqeezing it too hard and ejecting most of the contents all at once.

2. How long does it take for the putty to harden before it can be wet sanded?

3. How well does the cured putty take to rescribing?

4. I would assume the finer the final sanding grit the smoother the finished surface of the cured putty (?). I have used good old red Bondo filler in the past, and noted that after final wet sanding that buffing with a nail buffing stick help eliminate the porous appearance of the filler's surface. I also use PlastiKote, white sandable primer prior to finish painting.

5. In the event the contents of the vial are used and there remains a lot of putty in the tube is there a suitable substitute available?

I did try the putty this morning on a current project. I mixed a small amount of the vial (green stuff) with the putty, and applied it to a construction fault, and after about an hour the putty was still soft. I was able to remove the putty with alcohol, but have now backed off untill I know what I am doing.

Any other observations, comments or experiences will be much appreciated.

Good question(s) Mike. I bought some and was wondering the same thing. Thanks for asking.

Yeah, I have the same (still sealed) pack. The instructions seem to show the same length of hardener to putty but... How much is too liitle or too much?

I just returned from our local chapter's monthly meeting, and was able to obtain information on the Tamiya putty from the club president who got his information from Tamiya.

The normal putty-to-catalyst mix ratio is 50:1. Adding more catalyst will cause the putty to dry more quickly, and if you run out of the green catalyst you can still use the putty, but be preapred to have a very long wait for the stuff to cure (harden).

Another member recommended A + B two part epoxy (because he sells it). He sells this for about $17 for a 1 lb package. This may go further than the tube of Tamiya putty, and the two part will in theory last a long time.

Hope this helps the modeling community.

PS: the club president also noted that his tube of Tamiya putty has split, so it might be a good idea to keep the tube in a zip lock bag to limit the mess.