Expoxy Putty Working Time

[23rdFusilier]

Hello, All:

My trip to World Expo inspired me to start experimenting with epoxy putties for conversions and scratchbuilding. I've got Milliput on order, but in the meantime I'm experimenting with some industrial putties picked up from hardware and home stores. Working time with some is shorter than I'd expected. Can anyone suggest ways to slow hardening/increase working time on epoxy putties? I'm told you can thin or smooth some epoxy putties with lacquer thinner or liquid glue - will this extend working time as well? Any pointers or tips appreciated!

- Chris Malany

 

[btavis]

Chris, first of all I hate Milliput and to me it is the least desirable putty though I know some swear by it. I think the two best epoxies are Magic Sculpt and Aves Apoxie. The working time of both of those is about an hour and a half or you can cure them faster using a heat lamp or crock pot. To thin them out for blending you can use water or Aves makes an epoxie solvent that is excellent. No need for any chemical thinners and liquid glue would be a disaster. Liquid glue is used when using Green Stuff (Squadron putty). Aves is non toxic and is my preferred material.

Kneadatite is another useful putty that has completely different properties to the aforementioned ones. It dries flexible but not too sandable. It is very useful for fine detail or rolled out into thin sheets for all kinds of uses. You can use saliva, water or vaseline to thin it out for blending or the Aves epoxie solvent also works.

 

[Mack]

As you have noticed the epoxy putties are made by two components. Well, the fastes and easiest way to slow the drying process is simply adding less hardener component in the mixture. In this way you can work the putty a little bit more, it is clear that is up to you to decide the right amount of the components...
Try, try and try. This are the magic words in our passion.

Marco

 

[yeo_64]

I have to agree with Bob there with regards to Milliput: it's really DIFFICULT to get a good finish with it. Believe me,I've been working with it for a LONG time before I'd discovered my present working putty mix ! Varying the hardener/resin mix is one way to go to extend the working time of the putty;another is mixing different putties together to get a "new" working mixture. HTH.
Kenneth.