Super Sculpey Curing Question

CommanderCody

I have another project in progress, its a high denisty foam armature with super sculpey layered thinly over the surface for fine details, I'm just wondering if a heat gun would be the best method of curing the sculpey as the foam would most likely disolve in the oven If anyone with experience of curing super sculpey could chime in that would be great, thanks all

Ray22

I've used Sculpey with paer underneath it and wood but never used the high density foam, you probably can get away with it with the heat gun hitting it for a few minutes and letting it cool, try a test piece of foam covered in the Sculpey to see how it reacts first.
Ray

JPolacchi

Why are you using foam?Why not aluminum foil as a core to build the super asculpy on? You run the risk of the super sculpy cracking too if making it thin.You might want to consider using Apoxy Sculpt instead (no heat required).

TallDarkandDisfigured

Or if you have a big enough pot, you could boil it. The foam might take that a little better..

CommanderCody

I am using foam to get the basic shape to which I can apply the sculpey over for fine details, its a helmet so quite a large project, when I say thin, it wont be ultra thin, a few mm's at least

CommanderCody

regarding molding the project, does the sculpey need to be fully cured to be cast, I mean would it hold its shape uncured? I am very new to all this you see

drthomasholmes

needs to be at least 1/4 inch, not just a few millimeters. It will definitely crack. Just bake on low heat, like 150, for longer. Then let the oven cool without opening the door.

Mostly Fantasy

If it's urethane foam, not EPS, heat shouldn't be a problem. We vac form over urethane foam at work all the time.

JPolacchi

I think you might be better off sculpting with Apoxy Sculpt.You can put it on as thin as you like and it will still cure w/o cracks I think?

Too Much Garlic

I'll second the apoxie sculpt. Two-part self-hardening resin that is easily sanded when cured. You can refine it with water on your finger or sculpting tool - wear gloves and use a disposable sculpting tool as the residue from the watered apoxie sculpt will harden on it if you don't wipe regularly.

It can be applied thinner than super sculpey and don't risk cracking when cured. A much better option, and basically sculpts like super sculpey.

However, if using sculpey - if you just heat the surface of it to make it rigid, you can mold it without fully curing it and peel it off afterwards and use it as filler in another sculpt. You could even freeze it and mold it then, as it becomes denser when cooled like that. At least that's what I've heard about Sculpey. But as with everything: test it first on something unrelated, but with similar qualities to your project - in this case on a spare piece of the foam you are using.