Clays, resins, sculpting material- Which is best?

[bagheera86]

Okay I've been working with fimo soft (there's no hard..) and milliput mixed with green stuff and green stuff on it's own is fabulous.

But.

Which is the best?  I want to try using molds and what not. I found Fimo soft to be crumbly if it's too thin, but my milliput mixes can weigh a fair bit and green stuff is so sticky I'd need to use vaseline as a mold release and vaseline on plastic will be a PAIN to clean especially inside a mold with little nooks and crannies, and I can't even imagine trying to clean it off my piece once it's set.

I'm basically looking for a material that is light, won't shatter/chip when dropped and possibly- easy enough to pop in and out of that mold. any ideas?

[Manda]

I wish I had an answer, I'm experimenting right now myself, but I'm trying to figure out which will work best for customs that will see some fairly hardcore playtime (my older kiddo, at least, knows how to take care of her things, but at the same time her pretend play stories can get a little...emphatic). I'm looking for something that will have a similar texture/feel when dried, rather than the ceramic-y finish the old Sculpey had when I made stuff as an older kid. Something with a bit of give/bounce to it, that can handle a bit of bending without breaking.

Especially because the kiddo wants a Discord to play with, and how in the heck am I going to achieve that without some *serious* customization?

[bagheera86]

I wish I had an answer, I'm experimenting right now myself, but I'm trying to figure out which will work best for customs that will see some fairly hardcore playtime (my older kiddo, at least, knows how to take care of her things, but at the same time her pretend play stories can get a little...emphatic). I'm looking for something that will have a similar texture/feel when dried, rather than the ceramic-y finish the old Sculpey had when I made stuff as an older kid. Something with a bit of give/bounce to it, that can handle a bit of bending without breaking.

Especially because the kiddo wants a Discord to play with, and how in the heck am I going to achieve that without some *serious* customization?

Hmm, sounds like green stuff is for yo, it's going to be awfully fiddly. Just keep your hands wet and such, and if you want a hard finish- Just add more blue and make sure you mix it well.

[Zaphy]

What kind of mold are you making? Or what kind of stuff do you want to cast? I work with silicone rubber molds and polyurethane resin, they're great materials. I've had to use a mold release only when making a two-part mold (I used cooking spray, it worked pretty well)- silicone will not bond to anything but itself. But they're probably not great for very small items, unless you're using an open (the casting will come out flat-backed) mold. And also, you'd have to only mix a tiny amount of resin at a time, which is difficult- the resin hardens within minutes after mixing it so you can't just cast a zillion things at once with a normal amount and a single mold. They're great materials though... after the resin is cast, it's nigh indestructible. I have a tough time snapping things off if I want to go off-mold (if it's more than an eighth of an inch thick I can't break it off with my bare hands no matter how hard I twist and tug) so I'll carve it with an xacto. The site says it's heat resistant up to 140 degrees, but I take it up to 240 all the time to bake Sculpey accessories and haven't had trouble with it yet. It's a little tricky to get the hang of silicone mold making at first... I didn't pour my first mold correctly so it is RIDDLED with bubbles! But my second mold turned out pretty okay, and I'm excited to make a third

edit, mainly for Manda- I should mention that polyurethane resin is EXTREMELY rigid. The website I order from though, alumilite.com, has some softer plastics you could try out. I don't know if they'd take paint though.

[bagheera86]

What kind of mold are you making? Or what kind of stuff do you want to cast? I work with silicone rubber molds and polyurethane resin, they're great materials. I've had to use a mold release only when making a two-part mold (I used cooking spray, it worked pretty well)- silicone will not bond to anything but itself. But they're probably not great for very small items, unless you're using an open (the casting will come out flat-backed) mold. And also, you'd have to only mix a tiny amount of resin at a time, which is difficult- the resin hardens within minutes after mixing it so you can't just cast a zillion things at once with a normal amount and a single mold. They're great materials though... after the resin is cast, it's nigh indestructible. I have a tough time snapping things off if I want to go off-mold (if it's more than an eighth of an inch thick I can't break it off with my bare hands no matter how hard I twist and tug) so I'll carve it with an xacto. The site says it's heat resistant up to 140 degrees, but I take it up to 240 all the time to bake Sculpey accessories and haven't had trouble with it yet. It's a little tricky to get the hang of silicone mold making at first... I didn't pour my first mold correctly so it is RIDDLED with bubbles! But my second mold turned out pretty okay, and I'm excited to make a third

edit, mainly for Manda- I should mention that polyurethane resin is EXTREMELY rigid. The website I order from though, alumilite.com, has some softer plastics you could try out. I don't know if they'd take paint though.

Oh, I mean I'll buy the mold- I'm looking for something to use in it. What is this resin thing you're talking of? like the name and where I can get it from? Is it expensive? and it be painted and does it turn brittle after a while? Is it weighty?

[Zaphy]

Oh, I see. You'd have to check whether or not the resin would bond to whatever mold you're using then. Polyurethane resin is used for a lot of figurines as I understand. It's not like feather light or anything, but Sculpey clay is DEFINITELY heavier by a long shot. It can be painted (some people recommend giving it a wash before painting to allow the paint to better adhere) quite feasibly, and I haven't had any problems with it turning brittle, but then again I've only been working with it since July ish of last year. I use Alumilite White from http://alumilite.com/Category.cfm?Category=Casting%20Resins It's a little more expensive than clay I think... I figured it out once and each of the figures I cast, I'd spent a little over a dollar on the resin I used (my figures are a little smaller than G4s). But I buy the 28 oz kit, so. Not sure if you could find less elsewhere. Also, I can use off brand sealer on it and it won't get sticky as long as I don't overload it. Which is nice, because I can't find Testors where I live. What kind of a mold will you be buying though? What's it made out of and how big is it?

[bagheera86]

Oh, I see. You'd have to check whether or not the resin would bond to whatever mold you're using then. Polyurethane resin is used for a lot of figurines as I understand. It's not like feather light or anything, but Sculpey clay is DEFINITELY heavier by a long shot. It can be painted (some people recommend giving it a wash before painting to allow the paint to better adhere) quite feasibly, and I haven't had any problems with it turning brittle, but then again I've only been working with it since July ish of last year. I use Alumilite White from http://alumilite.com/Category.cfm?Category=Casting%20Resins It's a little more expensive than clay I think... I figured it out once and each of the figures I cast, I'd spent a little over a dollar on the resin I used (my figures are a little smaller than G4s). But I buy the 28 oz kit, so. Not sure if you could find less elsewhere. Also, I can use off brand sealer on it and it won't get sticky as long as I don't overload it. Which is nice, because I can't find Testors where I live. What kind of a mold will you be buying though? What's it made out of and how big is it?

Silicone and just little picture frames and flower ones xD Just things to put in the ponies hair or for a cutie mark xD the ones you find on ebay and etsy <3

[NoDivision]

There are a variety of different resins you can use. If you want something with a longer working time you can use epoxy resin instead of poly resin. There are a number of consumer quality epoxy resins available, including Easycast, amazing clear casting resin, ice resin, and a few others. These are all 2 part clear resins that can be dyed, colored, have materials mixed in or embedeed, etc. 

[bagheera86]

There are a variety of different resins you can use. If you want something with a longer working time you can use epoxy resin instead of poly resin. There are a number of consumer quality epoxy resins available, including Easycast, amazing clear casting resin, ice resin, and a few others. These are all 2 part clear resins that can be dyed, colored, have materials mixed in or embedeed, etc. 

what is their durability like? I've used resin casting thing sin high school, some of them turned crumbly, cracked or just because  discoloured, I'd at least like my things to last half a life time or more

[NoDivision]

I have had a lot of success with them. I haven't been working with resin long myself, but I have some pieces that my friend cast for me... at least 5 years ago? And they look just like they did when I first got them.

[Manda]

Hmm, sounds like green stuff is for yo, it's going to be awfully fiddly. Just keep your hands wet and such, and if you want a hard finish- Just add more blue and make sure you mix it well.

Huh? What's green stuff? And/or what is blue stuff? I'm not looking for something that would be large pieces/massive changes, just small alterations to facial structure on a g4 pony, or maybe smallish detailing on the hooves.

[dippindot]

Have you checked out Sugru? http://sugru.com/about Ever since I saw this stuff I've been dying to see someone try it out on customs.

It's a moldable silicone rubber that dries flexible, strong, and durable.  It's tough enough to be dishwasher safe, apparently. 

You have to work quick though, it's only moldable for 30 minutes.

[Manda]

Have you checked out Sugru? http://sugru.com/about Ever since I saw this stuff I've been dying to see someone try it out on customs.

It's a moldable silicone rubber that dries flexible, strong, and durable.  It's tough enough to be dishwasher safe, apparently. 

You have to work quick though, it's only moldable for 30 minutes.

Sugru is pretty sweet, but I've not tried attaching it to a pony. I wonder how it'd do. Also it's awfully expensive.

Edit to add: I saw this a while back and thought about it, but I'm afraid of a custom pony getting left in the car in the summer and melting to pieces http://www.amazon.com/InstaMorph-Moldable-Plastic-12-oz/dp/B003QKLJKQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358555194&sr=8-2&keywords=sugru

[dippindot]

Edit to add: I saw this a while back and thought about it, but I'm afraid of a custom pony getting left in the car in the summer and melting to pieces http://www.amazon.com/InstaMorph-Moldable-Plastic-12-oz/dp/B003QKLJKQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358555194&sr=8-2&keywords=sugru

Oh, that is nifty!  But yeah, the reheat to remold thing sounds like a mess waiting to happen.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

right now I'm experimenting with Cold Porcelain, but I haven't tried it on ponies yet let alone with molds added into the equation... though I have used CP with simple molds with success for the most part... I'm still getting up the nerve to try it on ponies