elanlane31/Rob recently posted a WiP saying:

Last time I did any sculpting it was basically Das clay and Milliput (more recently fiddled about with Green Stuff).

I notice that most sculptors use different media for different purposes/components... anyone know of a site/guide/whatever that gives guidance on what putty is best for what?

You can use a variety of putties for various uses and I have done so over the years. The fact is you can sculpt a complete figure using the one medium if you use it enough to know it's properties and working habits. I normally sculpt a complete figure using magicsculpt but have also sculpted a complete figure using Bees Putty. The advantage of Bees Putty or any other polymer clay is you have no time limit on the putty setting so you can walk away from it come back in a few weeks and carry on where you left of, downside is polymer sculpts are prone to get damaged when moulding for casting compared to epoxy sculpts.
The thing is pick your putty whatever it is and if you use it enough you can achieve pretty much everything you need to with practice.

Cheers
Steve

Agree,
Beesputty is very nice material, especially for beginners (like me ) or when working slowly. Magic Sculp (or other epoxy) is stronger, but you have time limit and is better for more experienced sculptors, I guess.

By the way take a look at youtube channels of Tom Mason and Terranscapes, they have several reviews of putties.

I'll second that, too. I prefer Aves Apoxie Sculpt myself. I did as Steve says-I settled on Aves, and I'm.....sticking, to it.

Prost!
Brad

Thanks Steve and Venko.... and now Brad

I'll certainly have look at the You Tubes.

I did dimly remember joining the 1listsculpting site way back (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/1listSculpting/info) so when I saw ref to a relevant document on it I checked that out (surprised to see that I was still a member ) and found the attached which has a wealth of useful information, including 'specific properties of different putties' (see 3.12). That seems to cover various putties, including many I've never heard of (USA?) but not ones such as Venko/Rob's Bees Putty and Molten Clay... but even though useful it just gives basic characteristics rather than giving much idea of which is best for what.

The site also had the attached on the health dangers of putties

Other than the sheer cost of buying loads of types to experiment with, I (or rather my wife) am reluctant to use the oven to cure the Sculpey/Fimo type stuff.

Hi Neil.
For what it's worth I use Miliput for the main part (standard or Terracotta depending on what I happen to have - I can't really tell much difference) It dries hard and is easily carved and sanded so pretty much anything I can do with it I do. I've also got Duro which I've found is pretty good for stuff which might be easily broken if made in Miliput (flying coat-tails, flags moustaches etc.) It very sticky initially, but after a wee while it dries hard enough to detail with my usual brass cocktail stick thingy and brushes. You can smooth it out well when it's nearly dry with Turpentine, but I've never quite mastered the art of blending a new bit of work into one already dry

Favourite general putty at the moment is a 50/50 mix of the two. this means you can work it easily with water dampened tools and it doesn't dry quite so hard as Miliput which can crumble a bit on smaller details.

I've also tried SuperSculpclay which works quite nicely and it's handy to be able to dry it in the oven, but I found I tended to keep fiddling with it . . .

Hope that helps.
Paul

Thanks Paul,

Sounds a bit like my using Milliput and Green Stuff, either separately or mixed. I have also used Das as a base/bulk with putty on top. I'm always intrigued to see a mix of putties on sculpts, I've always assumed that's because they have different properties/strengths.

I'll have to experiment a bit more.

I used Milliput's basic formula, too, when I started out working with 2-part putties. It's a good putty, too-mixes easily, smooths with waer. I had a batch that lasted more than 20 years. Gradually the one log dried out, from the outside in. To mix a fresh batch, I would just carve away the rind to get at the fresh material inside. I used it for making small items on scale models-backpacks, parachute packs, etc. The basic grade is a little more coarse, and I never tried their finer grade, because I tried out the Apoxie Sculpt.

I also used Sculpey's basic grade. It was OK-again, it was easy to work and shape. But I found it a disadvantage to have to bake it to cure it. That meant that I couldn't use it with styrene pieces, for example. A friend of mine, Paul Keefe, has used a hair dryer to cure it, though, when he uses it with other media. I never tried that technique. Again, it comes down to having to bake it-that's an extra step that I just don't feel like having to deal with.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Prost!
Brad

Thanks Brad... I've had to shave the rind off of Milliput as well (and yes, the basic green can be crumbly and coarse). I've also mixed it with Green Stuff with some success.

Interesting about hair-drying Sculpey (know how reliable that was?... I searched for Paul and found this link on a similar theme: https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/a-b-putty.114329/#post-911568)

I wonder if I can get enough data/opinions (not the same thing I know ) to compile a 'best for' consensus similar to that 1list one.

I've asked Rob and Zogar for the rationale for their preferences ("Bees Putty, Molten Clay, Magic Sculpt, Black Milliput" vs "MagicSculpt, SuperSculpeyFirm, SuperSculpeyPremo")

I realise that there's no 'right and wrongs', and much is probably down to personal experiences/preferences/availability, but there must be some generalisable lessons.

Neil

Russian forum, modeling materials: http://sculptandpaint.com/threads/materialy-dlja-lepki-obzory-otzyvy.521/

Thanks for that... I'll have a good read through (and a great looking site with some fantastic sculpts)

Neil

Hi Neil,

Over the years I have used many different sculpting mediums. Steve is spot on when he says the best thing to do is use a medium that suits you. Superb sculpting is done in all the putties/clays that have been mentioned above. I have found each have their strengths and weaknesses.

When starting a sculpt I make a mannequin from Magicsculpt torso and hips sections joined by wire in the pose I am trying to represent. The wire is then given a coat of Magicsculpt to give the figure form. I sculpt the head in clay over a magicsculpt plug. Because I am making figures to be cast I always consider how this process will impact on the sculpt. I then sculpt the clothing and some details in clay and after baking add some more fine detail in epoxy putty or wire etc.
The clay I use currently is Beesputty 60% and Molten Clay 40% as I like working with quite soft material, but this does mean that multiple bakings are needed during the sculpt.

I like clay because, as Steve said, you can keep going back to it and rework until you are happy. The disadvantage is that, if like me you are never happy with what you have done, you have to force yourself to stop and move on sometimes! I found that working with clay really improved my sculpting because it is so easy to make those changes rather than the chore of re-sculpting with an epoxy putty.

However, epoxy putties are much easier to sand and shape once hardened, so I often make equipment and weapons with Magicsculpt. I also mix Magicsculpt and Duro which is good for detail work and sometimes use Duro on it's own for thin bits (remember to use white spirit for you smoothing medium for Duro and for the wet of wet and dry when sanding it).

I used black Milliput because I'd not seen it before and wanted to try it. My conclusion was it was good for bases, because it's black, but less so for other things because it's difficult to see the detail due to the colour.

I did lots of online research into the safety of baking clay in the oven. Needless to say this varied from it being fine to it will kill you and your whole family unless you sandblast the oven after use. On the whole the sensible opinion was that it does no harm and I bake in our domestic oven (though not at the same time as the potatoes).

As for epoxy putty this is pretty evil stuff and (when I remember) I wear latex gloves when mixing the two parts and thoroughly wash my hands after using it.

Thanks Rob... I sense that, as you and Steve say, it's a matter of preference and experience.

As I (or rather my wife) am averse to oven baking (though I may check out cheap table top versions-if they get hot enough), I'm largely stuck with air-curing ones (there has been mention of hair dryers). I used to use Das, then Milliput and more recently Green Stuff (sometimes mixed) but may well invest in some Magic-Sculpt which seems to be well thought of.

The advice from Zogar is good as well (http://sculptandpaint.com/threads/materialy-dlja-lepki-obzory-otzyvy.521/)*

I'm thinking of reviving a somewhat battered 40-odd year old Napoleonic Artillery Train fig, mainly Das plus bit'n'pieces in 1/12- Airfix scale as per my avatar pic (three conversions and a scratch-built Grenadier) so I may well experiment on that


Cheers and thanks for your advice

*There are some great sculpts on the site, I love this Cuirassier (75mm for Avanpost?) : http://sculptandpaint.com/threads/kirasir.5442/
.... what is it with Naps and pipes? It's amazing La Grande Armee could march the distances it did with all that smoking!

Pity the scales differ or it would sit marvellously alongside Maurice's 120mm Gendarme: https://www.planetfigure.com/thread...ndarme-delite-mitches-military-models.172063/

A small toaster oven easily gets hot enough but you have to be careful of the temperature settings (don't ask how I know )

It was the nineteenth century; they were steampowered.

... OK, I won't (but can guess)


I've also heard of a light bulb in a tin can

I recently bought a medium size convection oven (without the hot plates, only oven) from e-shop, for 45 euro, and it bakes very good. Temperature settings are correct, I measured them, and the fan helps distribute the heat evenly. There is a timer, which ensures you will not forgot and burn something. It's not a big investment

Thanks Venko... I may have alook to see what's on eBay/Amazon

Isn't the black Milliput the same as either the white or the silver, in terms of its grain, but it's just tinted black for use on black objects, eg, outdoor furnitue in cast metal with a cast iron finish?

Prost!
Brad