DL 109 Pilot Filler

Actually, I've heard that the pilot doors that came with the P2K PA-1's would fit the hole in the DL109 pilot. I don't know how true that is, but that's what I heard.

Paul A. Cutler III

Put a backing plate of .030 plastic or .010 brass shim stock on the backside of the pilot and fill the hole with JB Weld. Let it cure for 48 hours, then sand it smooth. Re-cut a new opening to the proper dimensions and paint.

Almost anything BUT Squadron green, please!

That stuff NEVER quits shrinking.

You will have a very hard time out doing that JB Weld, especially if you use a brass or tin backing and drill out lots of little holes in it for the putty to ooze through. It will be hard as a rock on viagra and strong as a piece of solid metal, neither of which qualities can be attributed to Squadron putty. Edgar Buchannan Jr. snipped-for-privacy@shadyrest.hotel.com

That'd work...personally I'd be inclined to put the backing plate on and take a piece of styrene that's about as thick as the hole, trim it till it's just a bit oversized, wet its edges and the hole's edges with styrene cement, and press it in. Let it cure 48 hours, then trim off the smooge that oozed up around the edges. No putty should be needed if done right.

I disagree, almost TOTALLY!

I've' sculpted' many things from 'Squadron Green Putty', some larger than many HO locomotives (like a 1/35 scale M-103 tank turret), and I've NEVER had a CONTINUED shrinkage problem. The turret in particular must have 3/4" thick SGP in lots of places. I made it about 15 years ago, and it's still the same shape as it was when I made it, and NO cracks. It's rock hard too.

The stuff DOES shrink, it's 'air-dry' by evaporation, but once it's dried, it's stable. The trick is to NEVER put it on more than about 1/8 inch thick, and wait until it's THOROUGHLY dry (24 hours **AT LEAST**) before putting on another layer. This makes it SLOW to use for thick applications.

I suggest one of the two part chemical-cure epoxy or polyester body putties for thick applications. These cure all the way through in one application regardless of thickness.

Dan Mitchell ==========

Brian Paul Ehni wrote:

Fair enough. IN MY EXPERIENCE, I used SGP to fill an area approximately 3/4" x 1/2" x 1/16" (a passenger car window); after letting it sit three weeks to dry, I sanded it down, and painted the area. Two week later, I had a depression. Refilled and resanded. Same problem. Quite using SGP.

Your mileage may vary, but I refuse to use SGP ever again.