Sculpting questions

[Pythia]

So I'm sculpting for the first time, and the piece I'm working on has lots of fiddly spikey bits and stuff. Is there something I can basically coat the piece with to give it a bit of extra strength, some kind of paste or *something*? Hah. Any ideas?

[Sarahlacewing]

Well we've been discussing methods of adding armature (pins) as a center to horns lately to give them stability so that they hold their shape and stay firm.  What problem specifically are you having?

Crumbling- Air dry clay crumbles when it needs moistened.  Baked clay crumbles when it is old (certain formulas like the black sculpey is notorious for crumbling too I think it's just the formula). It also crumbles when it is not properly cured.  So if you boil and don't get the clay done all the way through it is more likely to crack or crumble.  By the same token if you over bake you are going to have crackage and crumbling. 

Spikes drooping- The only thing I know to help this is when baking is to add wire or pin armature to keep the spikes a nice firm shape and support them.

Texture that involves very small pieces which break easily- This one is tough also.  If you have a lot of very small bits that stick up and they are so fine that they break when touched I would ask what clay you are using.  Sculpey tends to be softer in my opinion.  It is not good for this kind of work.  If you do a hundred little wisps most of them will break off.  Partially because it is more porous and softer but also partially because when you bake the thinner parts are getting over done while you are waiting for the bulk of the sculpting to cure properly.  I would suggest trying fimo or apoxie if an armature doesn't work.  A harder clay that cures very solid.  This will make those little tiny shafts harder to break.

Tiny wisps bending that are too small for armature- If possible an air dry clay worked in sections and hung upside down to let it cure with gravity on your side.  The weight will not droop them so badly if she can be cured hanging in the direction the spikes are supposed to go.  I don't recommend this for oven bake because the pony will soften in the heat and depending on how you rack it, the shape of the pony can be messed up.  (If you tie the legs together they may stay too narrow upon cooling and she will be weeble wobbly.)

I'm trying to think of anything else that woudl be helpful.  I know some people use mod podge or other adhesive based sealers to fix breaks in their sculptures.  Basically you reattach the damaged area like with glue.  Then sand it smooth and paint over it.  Now with something that small this probably won't work but a primer and sealer combo might be effective to lend the piece a little more structural integrity.

[Maniah]

There is "Liquid Green Stuff" which miniature makers use to fill in cracks and such.. But Im not sure that it would give any added support.. If you are afraid of breaking parts off, I think you just have to be patient and delicate. I try to save all my delicate work till the end.

[Pythia]

Well, I'm using airdry clay, and so far the sculpting has gone fine, I'm just worried about it in the long run! And worried about shipping. =/ I might do some tests on pieces with a couple of different things, maybe modge podge, flour/water paste etc.

[Maniah]

Most air dry clay is really durable. I would say that before you slather stuff on it, sculpt some random little things to a pony, pack it up, then go play soccer or volley ball with the box and see what happens

[Pythia]

Well, I was thinking of using Krylon Make it last. Does anyone have any experience with that?

[pop-girl]

In my experience air dry clay is very flimsy and not suitable for ponies. Maniah, maybe you're confusing a two part apoxie type clay with air dry? A two part clay does not air dry - it cures due to a chemical reaction. Apoxie type clays are extremely durable and a favorite for pony customizers. I think most would recommend Ave's Apoxie Sculpt or Magic Sculpt.

As for the Krylon - I would avoid it. It doesn't seem to react well with pony vinyl and will leave your custom with a sticky finish.

[Maniah]

Pop, Yes. I am indeed mistaking Apoxie for Air-Dry. I honestly didn't realize there was a difference! Learn something new every day! Boy am I blushing!

[pop-girl]

No need to blush, I think a lot of us just refer to it as air dry without really thinking about it.

[Pythia]

As for the Krylon - I would avoid it. It doesn't seem to react well with pony vinyl and will leave your custom with a sticky finish.

Oh, I didn't mean for the whole pony, just for the sculpted parts (which are removable and would be sprayed seperately.)