TOPIC:

Well I'm rapidly approaching day 3 of brake fluid on my shell & there's still loads of paint on it! It wasn't on thick or anything, it's just being really reluctant to come off! If it wasn't for the fact I'm suffering with trigger finger at the mo, I would've resorted to my more usual trick of scraping it off with a scalpel blade!

What auto filler are you using?
Normally, if you're having trouble with pitting in the filler, it's cos it's too dry (Some mixes are just like that when you buy it). I usually use Davids Isopon P38 filler, & if it's too dry I add some P40 resin to it (It uses the same catalyst as the P38). If you still have trouble with it being a bit "coarse aggregate", try adding flour (Used to be the main ingredient of filler in the olden days!), you may need to add resin too to wet it a bit more. Don't use talc, the resin won't stick to it & you'll end up making it weak. Chalk dust might work too, but it's a bit of a faff for an unknown.

I use a scalpel blade to scrape off permanent marker, if the lines go a bit MJ Fox. A trick to doing straight lines with permanent marker, is to run the pen along the edge of something straight eg ripped off lumps of straight card that are small enough to get where you want to. Some pens will also follow masking tape. Use coins to do curves

I don't see much specifics on the putty - just that the hardener is dibenzoyl peroxide.
Can this stuff go bad? It doesn't seem to work well in any case.

I got some flower here (making your own pizza is quite simple and tasty with it) for a future attempt.
For now I'll try to smooth it out with resin that came with fiberglass.
Although I already saw I need to put the body straight for one the spots to smooth out evenly...

There was a good line at the edge of the window for the marker.
But it's a bit shinier than the matt black paint I used.
Got some small brushes together with the paint this week so I may have a go with that...
I'll have to take the tape off the outside to see how succesful it generally was.

Thinking about a bit of PS-23 gunmetal for it.

Yep, same hardener as P38/40.
All peroxides degrade with time, how fast depends on where it's been kept - I've had catalyst from work that's 6 months old & has had it, yet I've got some other stuff here that's well over 3 years old & still as good as the day I bought it! Normally the catalyst expires long before the resin/filler. If in doubt, buy more.
Mix ratio for polyester filler is usually 1 golf ball of filler to 1 pea of catalyst, that mix should start to harden in about 5 mins, rock hard in about 15 mins & usually gets warm whilst it's setting. It sets more quickly in the warm too.

Yep, permanent marker usually dries somewhere between satin & gloss on a shiny surface. If you want matt, rough up the material surface with 800 grit wet-n-dry first (Bit of a faff though, easier to use matt paint). A fibreglass pencil works well for this too.
You also have to watch what sort of pen it is as some of the "Black" ones dry with a sort of purple reflection. Some also rub off.... I use Staedtler Lumocolor, mainly cos I buy them for doing etch-resist on PCBs (Yep, it's resistant to ferric chloride...).
I usually only use it for fine-lining around windows or tiny detail bits or small patches that aren't worth getting a brush dirty for. Also handy where you want to colour something that rubs on something else, but you don't want it being sticky.

Mmm home-made pizza! The only time I actually LIKE anchovies! Save some time & do the dough in the breadmaker

Thanks, eddrick. I think the hardener's had it then.
I picked up the golf ball - pea ratio from "wheeler dealers" (Discovery) at some point.
Put in quite a bit more here but after a night it's still sticky.
So it's drying in the sun now...
Hottest day since about 20 years so that should turn out alright.

Btw - got a breadmaker but no manual of it.
Small batches of dough are easily done by hand though.

I think you'll be very lucky if it sets with sunshine alone, It might dry out & go crispy but it won't properly cure as it needs the catalyst for a chemical reaction.
Your best bet at the mo would probably be to get the stuff off whilst it's still fairly easy.

What make/model breadmaker is it? Have you looked on the net for a manual? Most also have recipes in them too

You're right, neither the sun nor the hardener really did anything so I rubbed it off.
Luckily I had a another smaller tube that was still active...
Not a bad result, really :


Also made the hole for the antenna holder look a bit more natural.

Dunno about the breadmaker, I'll have to take a look but I think it's a generic brand.
See if I can find a manual that matches...

Window lines look pretty decent too :


But I'll do a slight touch up with a small brush anyway...
And clean up the windows a bit. I think the tape left some residu.
That'll be on the list after it's fully dried though.

Getting there (and getting dark)...



The edges on the windows look alright and anything that 's a bit off can be repaired.
Nonetheless I think I'll go for the sticky lines method I saw in Jonny's article.

Nice!

Whoever dreamt up this body must have had (hopefully still has) quite a brilliant mind...