Filling in the Gaps

Beli'al's "Pants" - Seam erased with Vallejo Matte Varnish

The KDM boxes are arriving, and the questions about assembly are starting to roll in.  Here's a quick post about how I manage the gaps between pieces.

Disclaimer:  I'm going to speak to how *I* fill gaps.  I'm not an expert. I've not used every product.  My goal, as always, is "reasonably boardgame" and I will win no awards.

1. Do Yourself Some Favors:
Most of our models are now molded from plastic, meaning we're probably using Plastic Cement for assembly.  During dry fitting, I try to look for problem spots and gaps and use a little extra cement in those areas as filler.

There's some risk in this!  The cement is a solvent (i.e. melts the plastic) and if you use a ton and it smooshes everywhere it will make matters worse. 

But - I've made a horribly-fit model far more tolerable by giving certain spots just a dab more cement.

2. Large Gaps:
Most people advocate Green Stuff for large gaps.  My luck with it has not been good.  Instead, I reach for Vallejo Plastic Putty.  This is water based, is applied with a brush, and can be wiped off with a wet finger or a damp brush to smooth out. 

I squirt a bit into a palette and then use a (very) damp brush to work into the gap.  A secondary pass with a clean/damp brush (or your finger) will remove excess.

I think it's comparable to Citadel's Liquid Green Stuff (at least from the youtube videos I've seen) but I've never actually used L-GS.

3. Small Gaps:
For small gaps, mold lines, or molding defects -- or even to further erase the use of the Plastic Putty -- I use Vallejo Matte Varnish.  This is also a water based product, can be thinned, and when applied in several layers will "erase" problems.

The trick is to work slowly and blend the edges, otherwise you'll see exactly where you applied the varnish.

This video is the one that got me using this product, so I'll be lazy and just link straight to it.

Good luck!