Sculpting medium

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xipotec

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So I have started my own sculpting and I think I might be pretty good with some practice.

My down fall currently is that I am using Milliput. I find it too pliable and easily damaged while sculpting. I love the fact it dries air hard however, because I currently use latex molds.

I have read about sculpting wax? But I wonder about the adherence properties to other mediums.

Suggestions ?

Also as a bonus question...where do people get those beads I see used for eyeballs???

Thanks in advance!


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Milliput is difficult to work with, in my opinion, due to it's limited working time. You should look into polymer clays like Sculpey. These clays never actually harden until you bake them at low heat in an oven. This gives you essentially an unlimited working time. If you use silicone rubber you can mold both the hardened clay as well as the soft clay.

You could also consider oil-based clays. These are clays that are not intended to ever dry, and they can be molded just fine with silicone rubber (not sure about latex). The nice thing here, again, is that your working time is unlimited. They also allow for extremely fine details. A brand to look at is Monster Clay.
 
I have heard of Monster clay before......I would like some hardness to the stuff......
I do some grind work with sanding and etching in my sculpts also......

Sculpey is a no no for me.....cracks alot....I like the way it works...just had way to many things ruined when trying to bake it
 
The beads are just stainless steel ball bearings. Not sure what size you're after, but they're easy to get off ebay.
 
Awesome advice here. Monster clay looks like the medium I have been looking for.....

I am not sure about the size either for 1/6 figures...


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Does anyone have any tips on how to use sculpey without it cracking? I heard putting tin foil over it in the oven stops it from burning if there are any delicate parts
 
Just want to clarify and add to the discussion.

Milliput doesn't "air dry" it chemically dries. Its in the epoxy family. The reason I say that is there are clays that actually air dry and so just not to confuse. Most people that sculpt with epoxies can do it because of lots of practice which allows them to work at great speed. Not necessarily the best for new sculptors.

Not all oil clays are the same. Some contain sulfur which will inhibit the curing of silicone. So always be sure you know the material you are working with.

Sculpy cooks well when its not too thick, cooked too hot, or cooled too quickly. Be aware that Sculpy will dissolve some plastics so if you use plastic beads for eyes, they could dissolve in the sculpt. Not all plastics but some do.
 
Monster clay now provides a hard version. I imagine its as close as you can get to wax. Also, BBs for the eyes.
 
Monster clay now provides a hard version. I imagine its as close as you can get to wax. Also, BBs for the eyes.

Yes, good point. The Monster Clay I recently purchased is the "Medium" hardness, and even it is pretty stiff, particularly at room temperature. You can sculpt some great details into it and they hold really well.
 
If your having cracking issues with Sculpey, you should try backing it for a very long time "hours" at a low temperature slowly bringing it up to cure temperature :)
 
I have a question. Once you got your 1/6 head hardened. How do you mold it into a resin. And what are the mixing materials?
 
I have a question. Once you got your 1/6 head hardened. How do you mold it into a resin. And what are the mixing materials?

To make copies of your head you will need materials for the mold and then something to cast in, such as polyester resin.

Mold making materials are usually two parts; one being the material itself and the other being a catalyst. Mix the two together according to the manufacturer instructions and voila. I use silicone for my molds but there are any different materials you can use.

Resins are similarly two parts, often times mixed in a 1:1 ratio though this depends on the specific material used. You then pour the resin into the mold, wait the specified amount of tie for it top cure, and then you have your copies.

Now there are a ton of details on how to make a mold box and molding/casting in general to go into. Just do a google search for old making and you'll find a ton. I use a lot of products made by Alumilite and they have a lot of good videos on their site so I suggest visiting here --> https://www.alumilite.com/ and poking around a bit. I have also used products from Smooth-On and they have a lot of good videos too. https://www.smooth-on.com/
 
Does anyone have any tips on how to use sculpey without it cracking? I heard putting tin foil over it in the oven stops it from burning if there are any delicate parts

Hi. I have used a plain old hair dryer and gotten great results. It takes a while and won't bake the clay all the way through but will cure the clay quite hard enough and deep enough to be able to mold it without any issues. Sculpey Firm is what I like. Costs a little more than Super Sculpey but well worth it. Plus the grey color makes it easier to see the details.
 
I always use Apoxie Sculpt from Aves, it’s bi component and clay like. It hardens in a few hours thanks to a chemical reaction, yet you can soften it a bit with water. Aves also makes Fixit, the same as Apoxie but it allows finer detail and more stability for thin sections. It is just a little pricier than Apoxie.
 
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