Sculpting With Miliput - Any Advice?

[JBReplicas]

As the title says I am currently working on my first sculpt using the standard yellow/grey miliput and just wondered if anyone could offer any tips/advice, do's and don'ts. I built a basic cardboard armature that I am using the stuff on top of, just really want to know what peoples opinions are of it as a sculpting medium. Thanks in advance :thumbsup

 

[doomseeker]

I actually quite like working with it but you have to be quick as after 5 mins it starts to become unworkable. I found if you keep the area you're working on wet you can squeeze a few more minutes out of it. It's great for quickly building a shape up and giving it strength. I started using FIMO as few years ago and quite like using that, I know other guys like sculpy and modeling wax.

 

[Knightjar]

Mainly practice. I love working with it, but you need to learn exactly how it behaves. It starts out pretty much too sticky to use, then goes to a soft, squishy consistency that's perfect for making it conform to other surfaces. Now is also the time to blend it into other areas using a little water. Next stage, it stiffens up a bit, allowing you to push it into shape with your sculpting tools. You need to be careful removing areas at this stage as you can accidentally pull away more than you'd like. As it begins to harden, you can continue to work it with a scalpel and other metal tools, and it will still respond to water. I reckon you get about 25 minutes useful time before it hardens. Once it's hardened you can scrape, file and sand it.

Don't try and tackle large, detailed areas all at once, as you won't have time to work it. I also like to build up gross surface shapes, harden them and then apply texture and detail using a thin layer with lots of water. You can scrape off bits of the texture area because of the hard surface underneath.

 

[JBReplicas]

thanks for the tips, I made up a small batch yesterday afternoon and applied it to my armature, using water I shaped it to the contour I wanted, now 24 hours later it has cured and is sandable, so going well so far!

 

[Jessica]

Apoxie gives you a longer work time...as it is also a two part sculpting air dry medium that is paintable and sandable.

 

[ob1al]

I used to use milliput all the time, even sculpted some big pieces with it. The advantages are, it's easy to get, it can be smoothed with water and/or spit (lol) and it dries rock hard and is pretty strong.

The disadvantages are, it's expensive for how little you get, it's a bit wierd about accepting smaller details and you can't leave it then go back and resulpt later. It's horrible to sand as well.

I prefer super sculpey these days, it's really nice to work with, doesn't stick to everything and can be resculpted later as long as you don't cure it in the oven. The only downside I can see is, sculpey isn't very strong, but if you are molding the piece anyway that doesn't really matter.

 

[who45]

milliput grey yellow is aroud 5 quid in hobbycraft, if your going to use alot of it like i do its worth buying a 10 pack for around 20 quid posted off ebay.

 

[JBReplicas]

I got mine for £3.99 per pack from an independant hobby shop, I bought 5 packs and the guys even knocked off another £3 off the total, I am sculpting a star wars trooper helmet so there are no really fine details, its all quite big so I think the milliput will do me this time.

 

[who45]

i now pay 2.00 per box, the model shop guy got a box of 20 in and i seemed to have gone through it all so he now gives me discount lol - i did pay 3.00 initially

 

[Spacemunkie]

You can mix other epoxy putties into your Milliput. Kneadatite/Milliput mixes work very nicely giving a less sticky putty that's less prone to breaking down into a slip with water but can still be sanded, cut and filed when dry. Useful for finer detail work I find

 

[steveo3002]

its pretty cheap on ebay of your local store wont do you a deal