Sculpting Question...

[911dropship]

I am attempting to sculpt a very detailed item that I would like to create a mold of. Any recommendations for a really good, easy to work with sculpting compound?

A link to a supplier would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

 

[Reactor drone]

Depending on size and budget there are a few options.Apoxie sculpt is good for smaller bits and can be built up over an armature for larger sections,it sculpts well and dries hard so you can get it nice and smooth ready for casting.

Oil based clays also work well,the softer the clay the easier it is to work but the harder it is to get smooth,flat surfaces and small details.Harder clays will give better definition and spot heating with blowtorches(gently) improves their workability.

I'd say a hard clay is probably best for an organic sculpt and apoxie sculpt/milliput for more mechanical pieces.

 

[franz bolo]

Super Sculpey is great.

FB

 

[SG Merc]

To echo the above, use an oil based clay. Also, it must be sulfur free if you plan to create a mold from your piece.

I've used several different water and oil based clays, and Chavant NSP Medium is what I recommend -- and what a lot of professionals use. You can order it from Monster Makers for a decent price and excellent service.

 

[Jaruemalak]

Obviously it depends on what you want to sculpt, but for years I've used what seems like a strange mix - Apoxie Sculpt and Super Sculpy, mixed together. 2 parts Apoxie Sculpt to 1 part Super Sculpy. This mix is a little firmer than Apoxie Sculpt by itself, can be easily smoothed with water and has virtually no shrinkage when hardened. Just make sure you mix them thoroughly.

Now, WHY, you might ask, would someone mix the two together? Because adding the Super Sculpy to the Apoxie Sculpt increases the work time quite a bit. Apoxie Sculpt is workable for about an hour - maybe a little longer before it hardens too much to sculpt. The Apoxie Sculpt - Super Sculpy mix stays workable for as long as three hours. And, yes, it is rock hard when hardened. I'd imagine that it isn't quite as hard when cured as Apoxie Sculpt alone, but it is quite hard enough for any/everything I've ever needed it for, and it sands glass smooth!

 

[911dropship]

Thanks for the info people!

This will surely get me started.

Thanks again.:thumbsup

 

[franz bolo]

I am attempting to sculpt a very detailed item that I would like to create a mold of. Any recommendations for a really good, easy to work with sculpting compound?

A link to a supplier would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Some people also use wax.

FB

 

[G17RDY]

I am just breaking into trying my hand at sculpting also, and i have used two different mediums, which i seemed to have settled on. One being normal air drying clay, the other being Super Sculpey.

Super Sculpey is great to work with but very much like plasticine, you have to bake it in the oven for it to harden. it can work out expensive, so do some research into armatures, and padding out large areas with things like tinfoil.

If you are a newbie like me then there are some fantastic websites dedicated to this sort of thing, research is key to knowing how to begin sculpting and all the tricks to use, there is a site called concept art which has some true talent, great advice and good tutorials.

 

[Big_Water99]

Super sculpey for me heres a 1/4th scale Republic commando I did

 

[Jarvis B]

Apoxie sculpt has turned out to be the easyest compound Iv'e found for both large and small projects . It's great for doing build up's and using for minor fillers , It sands smooth and bonds well to most every material.

 

[DarkHelmet]

I love WED clay. Great detail and very cheap and easy to work with.

Most SFX sculptors use it because it holds such good detail.