Hardware store epoxy putty?

[Yaqulek]

I am working on a horse sculpture and I have been thinking of using epoxy putty on the legs and ears because they are probably going to crack if I make them out of sculpey, but I don't feel like waiting weeks for it to arrive if I order some online, so I was wondering if it would be possible to use epoxy putty from the hardware store instead of using the craft grade stuff.

[maddmaestro]

the difference between the two is this...the stuff you get at a hardware store sets in like five to ten mins. whereas the stuff that is craft grade sets in a couple of hours...giving you much more time to get your sculpting right. if you're lookingfor someplace to order from with a shorter wait time, i bought some magic sculpt from the compleat sculpter online, and i recieved it in less than a week. good luck!

Maddmaestro

[Yaqulek]

Thanks Maddmaestro, are there any specific brands of epoxy that you would recommend or are they all pretty much the same?



I don't trust the mail here, sometimes it takes months when it should only take weeks for something to arrive ....*sigh* I could go on and on about all the frustrating aspects of living in rural Alaska but its probably best that I don’t.

[maddmaestro]

i bought magic sculpt...not by any preference but because the site i ordered from only carried that brand. i am new to sculpting myself...and was told epoxy is a must, i am told though that a majority of people find aves to be the best. i think that magic sculpt is decent, a bit sticky and tacky feel to it but that's any epoxy before it sets fully...take a look at my thread, i made the mask on the character out of magic sculpt. good luck my friend,


Maddmaestro

[6thSun]

Try Aaves Clay . You can find it in most craft stores it has a 3 hour working time and you can get alot of detail work done. you can find them online.usually it takes about 3 days to get your stuff.The ladies woring there are very cool people too.

[MikeMakesMonkeys]

I buy Milliput from a hardware store - and it's exactly the same milliput as they sell in the art shop :)

Re: fast plumbers (epoxy) putty - I've never tried - but I'd confidently guess that you could just mix less hardener and get a slower cure time. Just make sure it's really well mixed (as usual).

[KoBold]

Not only does plumber's putty harden quickly but most also has stuff in it that adds strength which has a texture to it, making it impossible to sculpt.

However, its perfect for stregthening an armature for polymer clay sculptures.

[maddmaestro]

agreed kobold, the problem with taking a part of the hardener out of plumbers putty is that it usually comes wrapped together not in two parts.

Maddaestro

[MikeMakesMonkeys]

has stuff in it that adds strength which has a texture to it, making it impossible to sculpt.

Ah - right, didn't know that. Still blatantly going to get some now - I didn't appreciate it was as quick as it is, and a 15 minute cure time would be very handy!

Removing hardener wouldn't be that difficult - admittedly in roll type puttys it's usually the one in the middle, but that's what you knife is for.

:)

[maddmaestro]

i also noticed that two part epoxy loses some integrity when not properly mixed...

[Yaqulek]

Thanks for the replies everyone,
I think that I will only use hardware store epoxy on the armature to strengthen the joints, and use craft putty for sculpting, but I am not sure which brand I should buy.