This short tutorial is intended to help show you how I frequently fill gaps and repair miniatures. Whether you’re fixing a damaged miniature or just prepping a model to be painted the process is virtually the same. In this instance I have a model that was recently damaged that i’ve been painting. Lets take a look at the miniature that we’ll be using. Below is a model from the fantastic folks over at Creature Caster.

Creature Caster Miniature

Damage to Repair

This is a fantastic quality model. I’ve been using it to play around with some deathly looking skin-tones. However it took a bit of a fall! Or more accurately, a rambunctious cat decided it didn’t need to be on the table anymore and that it would look better on the floor. The model did sustain paint damage but the big issue was the broken pieces. This was already painted and now there’s a dreadfully obvious gap after re-attaching the leg.

My Gap Filler of Choice

First thing to do is consider what type of gap filler you’re going to use. There’s several different types on the market and they all work pretty much the same in the end. The most common one you’ve likely heard of is Liquid Green Stuff. For me however, I prefer to use Bondic! Which I have listed in my basic recommendations for prepping models for painting.

This stuff is essentially like any other adhesive accept that it cures with the use of a UV light. Each kit includes the light which is the orange topper you see in the image. It takes about 2-5 seconds of being under the UV light to cure. This makes it a very convenient tool for gap filling. Less time waiting for the gap filler to cure means you can get back to work quickly!

When you apply Bondic it’s almost like a gel. You are going to want to fill the void as best you can. Depending on the surface around the gap you may be able to swipe your finger over the Bondic. This will help smooth it out and blend it into the surrounding area filling any unsightly voids.

I do this once before using the UV light to cure. after i’ve cured the area I will then go back over it a second time (or as many times as needed). Following the same steps to fill / swipe / cure. Pick up your Bondic here!

Confirming the repair

This stuff dries clear so it can a bit deceptive as to whether or not you’ve successfully filled the gap. As you can see below, it’s almost impossible to tell whether i’ve accomplished anything at all!

Here’s how I confirm that the gap has been appropriately filled. I simply take a little primer and I fill the area. If it’s poorly filled, trust me, you’ll notice. If it’s been filled to your satisfaction then you can continue basing and repairing the working area.

Final steps to repair the miniature

Honestly guys that’s about it. Now that the area has been confirmed filled and repaired you can paint it. Here is what the final repair looked like for this model after i’ve quickly gone back over it to re-paint the area.

Here is the the before and after.

All of this from start to finish took under 5 minutes of time. Because Bondic cures so quickly you can begin painting your repaired area incredibly fast. If I had spent a little more time I could have also very lightly sanded or filed the area down to make it absolutely perfect. However, I think you may agree that it’s virtually seamless. In only 5 minutes I can be back to work painting my miniatures!

Hopefully you found this short tutorial useful. I think we’ve all been in a situation where we’ve broken a model or two. This quick repair will get you back up and painting in no time. Have any further questions? Feel free to comment or reach out to me. I’m always happy to provide further assistance.