bringing back texture with putty

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samson

A Fixture
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
1,805
Hi hope this ? Is on the r.ight forum. I have a few plastic kits I want to get out of the stash soon and have a question . For example 1 piece is a ape man bust that is in in two pieces the fit is not the greatest. I know it will take putty and work to make it half way descent it is a good size bust . The aves I had but never really understood to use got hard it was old so I threw it out . My question is should I buy some new aves ? And if so what specific name should I get? I have also heard magic sculpt mentioned does this do The same thing . Or does anything else come to mind? I have been out of the loop for awhile lol . And lastly can any one give me tips on how to use these types of putty ? Thanks much . Rob
 
Both Aves Apoxie Sculpt and Magic Sculpt are two part self hardening Epoxy putty. Aves has other products but you want Apoxie Sculpt. I've used both, right now I am using Apoxie Sculpt, you can get a small size dual air tight containers which stay good for a long time.

Mix the part A and part B well together to start the reaction. When first mixed, the epoxy is very sticky and soft. Let it sit for a few minutes. I make hot dogs with it and press it into place with damp fingers. I put on a little more than I need as it is easier to remove than to add and get it to stick.

I sculpt using toothpicks which have been soaked in superglue and sanded after they have dried. Easy to make and cheap. Keep them damp but not too wet as it will break down the epoxy. Jab, roll, push till it looks right. Use a knife as well to sharpen details. The detail will get softer as the epoxy hardens so after about 40 minutes, re-sharpen your details.

With any leftover epoxy I make sandbags or practice sculpting hands or faces.

That will get you started, practice will get you better.

Ted
 
I completely agree with what Ted said. I've used both Magic Sculpt and Apoxie Sculpt. The Apoxie Sculpt seems finer grained. What is an advantage to both is that you do have some working time, so rushing to get sculpting done isn't necessary it would be if you used plumber's putty. If you want to roll it out to a thin sheet, dust the inside of a plastic baggie with baby powder and put the putty inside and roll it out.

While both will dry fairly hard in a few hours, I tend to let the sculpting sit overnight to fully harden. Putting heat (heat gun or hair dryer)to it will speed up the hardening process, but if it's a thick piece, I'd err on the side of caution since the heat might not penetrate to the core of the sculpting and let it sit overnight.

To have parts not stick together - say a rider to a horse, coat the part or base with Vaseline before putting the putty in place. You can then sculpt what you need and let it set. Once it's set, the sculpted piece will come right off in case you need to work on other aspects of it. I've done this when I needed to sculpt an arm to a body, but needed to be able to paint is separately before attaching.

Obviously, before priming all the pieces, all would need to be washed with liquid dishwashing soap (I use Dawn) and warm water, scrubbed with an old, soft toothbrush, rinsed and allowed to dry.

The best way to learn other 'tricks' is to get some putty and use it. It's cheap enough, you can mix up what you might need, if you don't mix up enough, no big deal; if you mix too much, like Ted said, make bags, packs, cannon balls and practice sculpting other things.

Good luck.
 
One more thing:
Both Aves and Magic Sculpt have websites. On those websites are FAQs, tips for using it and ways to contact them if you have questions.
When in doubt, go to the source.
Google is your friend.
Do a Google search for them.
 
Ive used many and varied types of epoxy putty over the years, but I keep coming back to humble grey/green Milliput, as it does exactly what I need. Mix equal amounts of both sticks and you have a clay like putty which holds a mark perfectly. It can be blended, cut, sawn, sanded, etc with no problem and it is relatively inexpensive. The only other type I use for some jobs is Duro, especially for capbadges, pouches, etc.

Just my personal favourites, "horses for courses", I suppose!!(y)
 
By all means try the two part air-drying putties. But a little precaution. They can all cause skin and respiratory sensitization allergies in some people. Not everybody gets an allergic reaction, but some do. Having worked in the field of occupational health and safety for years I took a look at the manufacturer published product safety info for four common 2 part air drying putties. This is the summary I posted in Planetfigure several years ago.

Safety and Health Precautions for two part putties
A hobby shouldn’t make you sick!

These precautions are based on the following products and Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) information provided by the manufacturer.

  • Rezolin LLC “A+B” or 9900A resin and 9900B hardener, MSDS dated 110102
  • Apoxie Sculpt Parts A & B, MSDS dated 090192
  • Magic-Sculp resin and hardener, MSDS dated 062294
  • Polymeric Systems, Inc., Kneadatite Blue/Yellow, MSDS dated 052505
Rather than describe the chemical components and individual safety and health issues of each product in detail, I’ll summarize the information sculptors need to protect themselves. There are some differences in chemical make-up, but a similar set of precautions can be applied to all of them. In my opinion, none of them are “non-toxic” or harmless. They can all cause health problems, mostly skin and respiratory sensitization allergies.

Uncured products

Eye protection strongly recommended. Wear glasses or goggles. Keep your hands out of your eyes! These products are eye irritants. If you get them in your eyes, immediately flush with lots of water and seek medical aid. If you experience eye discomfort with excessive blinking and tear production and/or marked redness and swelling, seek medical aid. Existing eye conditions may be affected by exposure.

Skin protection recommended. Wear rubber gloves. I use thin nitrile rubber gloves available from supermarkets. The products are skin irritants and some are sensitizers. If you get them on your skin, wash with soap and water and remove the products completely. Even though I wear gloves, I also wash my hands thoroughly after each session where I mix or sculpt putty. Seek medical aid if your skin forms blisters or reddens. Existing skin conditions may be affected by exposure.

Inhalation protection such as a respirator or local ventilation should not be required unless you have an existing respiratory condition that is affected by exposure. If you use a respirator, get one that fits your face closely and use organic vapor cartridges. Use the products in an area where there is good general ventilation.
Fully cured products

Eye protection strongly recommended. Wear safety glasses or goggles when you sand, grind, saw or drill. Keep your hands out of your eyes! If you get the dust in your eyes, immediately flush with lots of water.

Skin protection normally should not normally be needed. Wash with soap and water and remove dust.

Inhalation protection such as a respirator recommended when you sand, grind, saw or drill. Use a respirator that fits your face closely and use dust filters. Use the products in an area where there is good general ventilation.

These are broad general safety and health precautions intended for most hobbyist sculptors and may not apply to some individuals. If you have specific questions about the products, contact the manufacturers. Protective gloves, eye protection and respirators may be purchased online from various art product stores. If you have questions about them, drop me an e-mail.

Dan Morton
 
great opinions and thoughts . thanks all and thank you dan for the safety tips i have asthma so i will be wearing a rest that i have again thanks all . it will be a bit but i will post before and after pics hear . rob
 

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