Materials Apoxie Sculpt pointers

Thank you VERY much for this!! I just bought some Apoxie Sculpt the other day (I've decided to try to use it for my kitsune head -- I used Super Sculpey to make Mau, but I prefer a non-baked clay, especially since hollow Sculpey can be pretty brittle), and this is going to be the first time that I've used it -- so this is perfect!

*grateful hugs*

-- Andi

 

Perfect! Thank you fairy. You have heartened me. I have a tub of it in my freezer waiting to be used.
Susan

 

I have about 4 tubs in the freezer and one set out that I've been using every day, I love the stuff, but I on't feel comfortable using it for things like fingers and toes, becuase I get stressed and worry I will run out of time. However this is because I am not very experienced with those parts and haven't really worked out a technique yet. I do love sanding and drilling/dremelling into it though!!!

 

You can also mix acrylic paint in with the white part of apoxie sculpt, before mixing it with the other part. It takes color pretty well
also to speed up curing you can put it in a warm oven,{not hot} and it will speed up the curing time -- this was told to me by a person at Aves company. I haven't tried it as of yet.
Aves Epoxie sculpt does tend to droop or settle untill it starts to firm up a bit, Aves Apoxie Clay doesn't settle and takes even better detail than the sculpt..both cure under water.
Keep your hands wet while working with either, as it will keep it from sticking.

 

~You~ ~Rock~

 

Thanks for the tip, fairy!! That really helps, I think I will try it as I haven't really been happy with using sculpey for hands and feet — too brittle. One of my other main concerns when sculpting is damaging one part while working on another, but by sculpting the parts (fingers) separate I won't have to worry so much about it.

I do use acrylic paint to tint my Part A sometimes, it works great!

I bought so much because it was cheaper when shipping to Australia. In summer I put my pieces in a black cardboard box with a lid (it was souldoll box they sent shoe and clothes in) in the sun to speed up curing, and in winter i put them on or in front of the heater.

 

I read somewhere once that apoxie is the same stuff as plumber's putty. Is that true?

 

Never too much!! I'm taking notes!! ^_^

(Love the tip about the fingers, I'm going to keep that in mind!)

Yep, the next project is going to be a kitsune-head . . . not sure if it'll be a maiden (I'm going to *try* to make the neck opening gender-neutral, since this will be a larger head and I hope I can get it to fit on male bodies and Volks necks as well as CP/DD/Obitsu necks), but we shall see!

*eagerly awaiting the arrival of my tub of Apoxie Sculpt*

-- A

 

Yes and no, its the same principle, but has a longer working time, less odour, is non-toxic and comes in several colours aside from white which can be used to dye with acrylic paints. It also comes in a larger packet than plumber's putty, and is possiby more cost effective if you use large quantities.

I think as it is made with sculpting in mind rather than a quick-fix-gap-filler, it is easier to work with in its various stages. Before I came across it, I tried Milliput and some auto-body putties and they are just not the same, even Citadel Green Stuff putty I was not as happy with as I have been with Apoxie once I started using it and getting to know its qualities. The longer working/curing time makes a big difference!

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Fairy! I may have to give this a try!

 

Thank you so much Fairy. I have just ordered a small pot to try out. Your tips etc are going to be a great help
I'm hoping it can be sanded smooth enough that I don't need to make waste molds for refining my work? It's so hard to see tiny imperfections when using Sculpy.
Thanks again for sharing

 

Just thought of something!!
Would talc work as well to stop the Apoxy from sticking to things you don't want it to stick to?

 

Dur... I replied to my own question. For those looking for Apoxy in Canada:

http://www.sculpturesupply.com/

A question Is Apoxie Scult or Clay better for making dolls? Has anyone tried either one? What's the main differences?

 

I have tried both, and they are similar from memory, but the clay wouldn't take the tinting with acrylic paint, and doesn't come in as many colours. It's worth downloading the product data sheets for both and reading through to see which will best suit your purpose. I prefer the Sculpt.

 

I'm no expert by far, dear fairy@changeling....... When I tinted the clay it seemed to change colour a little, and when sanded the colour was completely different inside.

My partner brought up an interesting point about using apoxie dust as "flour", as the sandpaper used to create the dust does shed grains as you sand, which mixes in with the pure dust.

Also, do you find that even though the stuff looks really clean when you start mixing it, and your hands are clean, you still get dust and hair and small spots in it?? Also I find that the white apoxie once cured does tend to yellow quite quickly — I don't know if this is due to my handling the pieces, or exposure to heat as I cure the parts on the heater. I does sand off though, and definitely not a problem as I will be getting molds (sp? moulds) made and parts will be recast in resin.

Finally I gotta thank you again for the tip about sculpting in sections. I broke off the Sculpey toes on purpose and started over with apoxie. I do one toe at a time, and work on it a little bit in the various stages of curing. Then when its hard I can sand and reshape and carve where needed — just like I've been doing with the bigger pieces. I guess I was just scared of the smaller details... I have noticed when looking at other companies feet that there isn't all that much detail, but I use my own feet as reference and tend to add a bit too much, perhaps. I am looking forward to a break when I finish the feet and other leg parts. I want to do some sewing before I got back and refine the arms and work on the hands, but now I feel much more comfortable about how to go about it.

 

I promise as soon as I have ten toes WITH nails I will post pictures on my LJ (twigling.livejournal.com).

Also about the variance in skintone if making the finished product with Apoxie: mix the skintone into a large batch of part A, and mix small amounts with part B at a time, that way the colour should be consistent.

 

At some point I might have a go at sculpting, ( still fairly new LOL)...and this is very useful...
I would like to ask though, what resin exactly do you use for the next stage of casting,( I've only ever been aware of the clear resin that has to be mixed with a hardener, like plasticraft,and it seems to be a right pfaff!)
Oh do you have pics too by chance?
quote: Lets say you have to make something that is rounded- like the back of a head. And you want the head to have an even thickness. You add your modeling/ non drying clay to the existing front and build out the roundness of the back of the head, and then set it aside. Then you would roll out the clay, making sure to dust it so that it doesn't stick to anything (i don't recommend the use of a pasta machine- unless you want a non moving pasta machine). When the apoxie has cured to where it's supple, but not leather hard- then you can drape it around the modeling clay. Press it along the edges and then cut away the excess with a scalpel knife or hobby knife (whatever). Use your fingers with a bit of water on them to smooth the apoxie where it comes up against the sides of the head.

 

Thanks again for this tutorial!! I tried Apoxie Sculpt for the first time today, and my kitsune head is coming along well -- I'm REALLY pleased with the "slippy" aspect of it, especially ^_^

I'd missed that benefit of working with kiln-fired clay when I was using Sculpey, and it's SO nice to be able to wet my fingers and smooth out the surface!!

Thanks again for writing all this down!

-- A

 

This is a great tutorial and I really appreciate the extra pointers that people are adding.I keep sending people here for information!
Susan

 

hey, i'm new to this apoxy stuff (haven't bought any yet but I plan to use it), I was wondering why you have to keep it in the freezer?

 

The instructions on the product label say that you can extend the product life by refrigerating or freezing it, & that it thaws without compromising the product.

I only know this because my pound just arrived - and this whole thread has been printed out & is in my project notebook!

 

It's completely freeze/thaw stable. Without freezing it has about one years shelf-life, so I have one set of containers out, and the rest in the freezer; but then I use the 2lb kits. If you don't freeze it, and let it sit out for a year or more it will start to get hard, but you can try to soften it by putting the material (not the container) in a plastic bag, or even double-bag it and hold it in hot water from the tap, then knead it till it goes soft.

If you keep it in the freezer it will thaw/defrost over night whenyou take it out. Really it depends how much you buy, how much you use it and how often, so use your own judgement.

 

The plumber's putty I've used never hardens. People use it for setting eyes for that reason. Maybe what you are talking about is a different kind?

 

does it take to mold making and casting well? I'd love to use epoxy sculpt for my doll but I could swear that I heard somewhere that it dosen't cast well?

 

I have used epoxy clays for sculpting for years and have never had one problem making molds from it. The strength of the clay almost guarantees that you will be able to take the pieces out of the mold without damage. You can't say the same thing about Sculpy.

 

awesome!! Thank you so much! so what's everyones favorite epoxy clay? And where do you get yours?

 

Apoxie Sculpt is the best IMO, get it from avesstudio.com

 

I agree. The price point is great and so is the quality of the product.

 

WAUGH, this gives me HOPE! D: i was considering using air dry clay to possably sculpt a furture doll but this seems like a perfect alternative

@_@ you mentioned that the end texture was similar to resin, and i have to ask
im much too impatient to sand those pewny little details in ( im thinking toe and fingernails ) and im horribly unskilled with a dremmel
so i've taken to using an exacto knife for mods, as the resin will let me shave off very thin slices of material, or cut little chunks out, and im wondering if cured apoxie will do that too? or if one version will do it and another wont ( say sculpt vs clay )

 

I use sandpaper, extracto knife and ceramic knife to do most of my sculpting. I do some rough work while the clay is soft, but all the detail at least 12 hours later when it's gone completely hard. You can definitely take chunks out of it, but it will behave a little different when you try to take thin slices out, because it is not as flexible as resin, but it can be done. I Love using my cera canna knife for that sort of thing though... Volks sells them for seam removal, but they are great "dry" sculpting tools as well. I have a healthy respect for sharp blades, but they ceramic knife will not cut me, so its very safe to use.

 

@_@ awesome
hnnn, may have to coax the rents into buying me a big tub soon, if only to use for modding, maybe i'll experiment with little heads

oh, and has anyone tried sticking it to styrofoam perhaps? most of the jap doll tutorials have them using styrofoam for their bases and i like the looks of using that much more over tin foil

 

I made a styrofoam core and covered it with plastic wrap when I made Sharmista's body. After the initial layer of Apoxiesculpt cured, I scraped out the foam. Worked wonderful. I am doing a similar thing with the arms and legs, only with foil instead of the foam.

I use a half round file to smooth out the basic shapes on the body and limbs. If you take long strokes with it running the length of the part, you can get wonderfully smooth curves. Well, smooth after you go over them with sandpaper.