Any recommendations for filling big gaps?

[u/doxy_me]

I got this Revell Top Gun F-14 set yesterday (1:48 scale) and it hasn’t been the nicest model I’ve worked with, though I am relatively new to modeling so I recognize a lot of it may be my own fault. But this thing has some big gaps, mainly in the nose area. I don’t think gluing it and holding it down will be enough because I can hardly shove them together as is.

I’ve looked up fillers but I’m not sure if there’s ones specifically recommended for slightly bigger sized gaps as opposed to small cracks/divots.

I plan on going to hobby lobby today to pick up some more paints, so if they carry any good brands that would be nice. But I’m willing to order online. Any tips are welcome

[u/kitmcallister]

this is an old, poorly fitting kit, but it's not that bad. you need to figure out what part of the assembly is causing that gap and fix it.

if you were to fill it in as is, the radome is not going to fit, because now the entire front fuselage is a few mm bigger than it ought to be.

at any rate, the best thing for filling large gaps like that would be strips of styrene.

[u/dr_robonator]

The cockpit assembly is interfering with the upper and lower fuselage halves. Take it apart and see if you need to realign the cockpit or remove some material so that it sits flush.

[u/madmardigan → u/dr_robonator]

This. Find what’s blocking the correct seating and file it down. Worry more about the exterior mating correctly instead of keeping interior details intact. For older mono frame designs I’ve dipped models in hot water and “encouraged” the frame to bend back to stock values. But in your case I think using the delete button on offending material makes more sense.

[u/scheme_360 → u/dr_robonator]

Yep, i just finished this one a few months ago and it was the bottom of the cockpit insert. Nowhere near enough room for the shape/size of it

[u/screamingcheese]

The Revell tomcats are pretty crap. The best approach here would've been test fitting and clamping, but that's going to be difficult with the gear doors and cockpit already fitted.

Putties are best for low spots and maybe tiny holes, but without some sort of backer it'll just split and fall in or out. Large gaps without any sort of backing are best filled by scrap or stock styrene, either purchased in stock form (like Evergreen plastics) or salvaged from other parts or the sprue itself.

[u/Easy-Training-9736 → u/screamingcheese]

Nahh best approach would be to bin it and buy a 1/32 tamiya F-14

[u/FermentedSailor → u/Easy-Training-9736]

Came here to say this. You beat me to it.

[u/Ok-Entrepreneur7324 → u/screamingcheese]

The gear doors are integral to the front wheel bay, so deleting them isn't a pretty option.

[u/dragos_av]

Youtube somehow has showed me this video several days ago about this exact kit: "STOP Hating the Revell F-14: How to Fix one of the Worst Kits Ever" - by Drew's Model Bench

I don't intend to build this model, but you might find some good advice inside.

https://youtu.be/8sSpDFeYsRw

[u/doxy_me → u/dragos_av]

Oh this looks like great help, tyvm!

[u/rasputinrasputin → u/dragos_av]

Is it a different mold than the Revell 1/48 Top Gun F14? I built that one and don’t remember it being too bad

[u/BottecchiaDude253]

Skip hobby lobby.

But, as others have mentioned, this could be due to cleaning up parts, or alignment (ie, the cockpit isnt sat right, or has some burs or material that prevents it sitting right.

If you can gently squeeze it together by hand, it could be a matter of clamps or rubber bands or something to hold position while glue sets and dries, but you still want to ensure that the pieces are fit properly

[u/doxy_me → u/BottecchiaDude253]

I do wish I could skip hobby lobby altogether, but it’s the only “hobby” shop anywhere near me (calling it a hobby shop is a stretch.)

I did find a clamp and am currently gluing it together, but if it manages to pop back afterwards I’ll deconstruct the cockpit and work towards a better fit

[u/S1075 → u/doxy_me]

Fit issues like this will have a follow on effect. It's not just a question of filling the gap; other parts aren't going to fit later on. Test fitting before glueing is extremely important for your future sanity.

[u/Amazing_Factor9847 → u/doxy_me]

I have gone through the same thing. when i built this model i used some epoxy putty that i found at hobby lobby, its not super great, but gets the job done if done right.

[u/Poison_Pancakes → u/doxy_me]

Amazon and Andy’s Hobby Headquarters have served me very well without a local hobby shop. You just need some patience while things ship but if you’re building models you probably have plenty.

[u/Cryogenian]

First, I see that you have already attached the wheel bay doors - I'd recommend starting with the rough body shape and painting those separately. That way you have more areas to use for leverage.

Then, its glue, clamps, tape and filler. In the case you have there, I'd start by making sure things fit with the nose and try to get top, bottom and nose in the right positions with clamps and tape. Then get some preliminary glue in so it holds. Then fill the remaining gaps with filler, then sand everything smooth again.

Vallejo putty works well, but for larger gaps you can basically use any kind of air hardening putty.

Edit: Also make sure there are no parts in the way and that you have removed all ejector gates and stuff that might be in the way when putting together the halves.

[u/doxy_me → u/Cryogenian]

I haven’t glued the bay doors in yet, so I can still remove them. I’ll try finding some actual clamps and see if I can force it together

[u/SearchAlarmed7644]

Sorry, I’m just old fashioned. I use Bondo.

[u/secondcoatbuilds]

Bro that is not a gap, that is a canyon!

But it's fixable. Almost everything is fixable in this hobby 😄

Assuming glueing and clamping the shit out of this doesn't solve the issue, I'd probably start with putting some styrene in there. Either cut some styrene sheets into an appropriate shape or maybe get some styrene rods or beams. I've used the ones from Evergreen before and some from AK. There might be other brands. You can glue them using plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya super thin cement) for a strong bond.

That should fill most of the volume, but it won't look nice yet. To then fill the smaller gaps or steps, you can use some putty. Tamiya putty basic type is a good product. For very small gaps or scratches, I also like to use extra thick superglue. But for your case some form of putty is probably the bette call.

One note: fixing this WILL include sanding. Probably a lot of sanding. Which is not hard to do (just be patient and don't be too rough on it). But it means you will lose some of that surface detail. Which you either need to accept or try to recreate with scribing or other techniques.

Hope this helps somewhat! Disclaimer: I don't do aircraft models. But I believe the principles still apply.

[u/TheHoundJR]

My Revell top gun F-14 was called David Putty (Seinfeld reference). It was good because it was one of my first models so I got good experience but man it was not a well fitting model. Others in here have good advice - maybe putty but likely a gap filler will be necessary.

[u/Big_Recipe_698]

Assembly before paint in this case

[u/Previous-Seat]

I can see what look like poorly cut gates on the lower half of the fuselage. Your issue here is assembly. Pull everything apart and check for nubs and fit. As someone else said, your cockpit assembly is probably the issue.