Yet another noob looking for answers!

minisweet · 09-18-2009, 01:32 AM

Hello there! I'm fairly new to the sculpting scene (just beginning, actually), and I've done all my research to what seems to be the best of my abilities, but I find I still have a few questions. I apologize in advance if any of these have already been answered on these forums - I did do a search, but I am only human, and I may have missed some answers!

My questions are:

Is it better to wet your wood base before baking, or leave it dry? I have an untreated piece of Basswood.
I purchased Isopropanol 99% (Isopropyl Alcohol USP) to smooth out the rough spots on my super sculpey - is this too high a percentage? should I water it down? The only other option was 70%, and I wasn't sure if that would be good enough...?
Speaking of the Isopropanol... I'm slightly apprehensive about putting a sculpture rubbed with it in the oven since it is flammable stuff. Does it give off fumes when baked? Has anyone ever had it catch on fire? Just concerned since Isopropyl Alcohol is basically made of Propane. lol

I think that's it for now... if I think of anything else, I'll be sure to add it!

Thank you so much to anyone who can provide me answers!

~Kathleen~

DarkKni9hT · 09-18-2009, 11:02 AM

First off, welcome to the forums and to our little hobby/obsession. You'll find we're a friendly lot in general and we look forward to trashing your first WIP.

J/K.
To try and answer your questions, and keep in mind there are rarely definitive answers to most questions. It's usually a matter of trial and error until you find what works for you.

1) I wouldn't woory too much about putting the wood base in the oven. At the recommended temperature that we bake Sculpey at, it shouldn't bee a problem if the wood goes in. owever, there's really no nee to put the base in the oven if it's just a base and has no additions of Sculpey added for detail. Just bake the polymer parts and assemble them to the base afterwards.

2) Smoothing processes are entirely a matter of personal experimentation. Some use 99% alcohol, but you must be careful as it will kill subtle detail if you use too much. 70% alcohol will yield decent results but may take more work to achieve. Some folks use a mix of alcohol and Sculpey softener (available at your local hobby shop) to get their smoothness as desired. Play around with a few mixes and ideas. You'll eventually find one that works for you.

3) To prevent any catastrophes, be patient with your baking. Isopropyl alcohol will evaporate over a relatively short period of time and should pose no problems with baking. I wouldn't throw a piece into the oven immediately after smothing it, but even so, the temperature should not ignite the residue. Be safe. Wait till it dries out before baking.

Hope this answers some of your questions and again, welcome. Post us some of your progress shots so we can see how you're doing.

Jesse321 · 09-18-2009, 11:34 AM

Welcome to the forum Kathleen ...

Further to what DarkKni9ht posted (which was absolutely correct), I've found it better to bake SS at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, rather than to use the formula printed on the box. I usually bake the piece (approximately bust size) at around 250 to 275 for 3 to 4 hours, rather than 350. I've found that the lower temperature helps avoid cracking the sculpt.

I know that this will sound crazy, but once you're done baking, dump the piece in a bucket or large bowl of ice water, and let it cool in that for about 20 minutes ... once cooled ... just set it out to dry properly.

Looking forward to seeing your work.

VaultMan · 09-18-2009, 11:48 AM

You guys are the coolest that you know that stuff...

DarkKni9hT · 09-18-2009, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesse321

Welcome to the forum Kathleen ...

Further to what DarkKni9ht posted (which was absolutely correct), I've found it better to bake SS at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, rather than to use the formula printed on the box. I usually bake the piece (approximately bust size) at around 250 to 275 for 3 to 4 hours, rather than 350. I've found that the lower temperature helps avoid cracking the sculpt.

I know that this will sound crazy, but once you're done baking, dump the piece in a bucket or large bowl of ice water, and let it cool in that for about 20 minutes ... once cooled ... just set it out to dry properly.

Looking forward to seeing your work.

Oops. Forgot to mention the adjusted baking method. Jesse is right on the nail here. Baking at 350 yields poor results, especially with more heavy applications of Sculpey. As I stated, nothing is written in stone for curing Sculpey, however, some methods are much more likely to give you better and longer lasting results. Believe it or not, Sculpey will actually degrade from the inside over time if not properly cured, rendering all your work temporary. For a tried and true, reliable method that seems to work better than most, refer to the tutorial at the top of this section by our own venerable William Paquet on baking and curing Sculpey. This method yields perhaps the best results to date and, coming from William, is as close to gospel as you can get.

DarkKni9hT · 09-18-2009, 12:54 PM

p.s. I hadn't heard of the flash cooling in ice water method yet, Jesse. I'll have to try that with my next piece. I would have thought that would increase the likelihood of cracks, but if you say it works, I'll give it a go.

minisweet · 09-18-2009, 11:38 PM

Sweet guys!!! ^____^ Thanks so much for the advice! I've made a bunch of small sculpey stuff, which I'll post in the proper section when I get around to it

Hopefully my maquette/statue/etc. efforts will turn out good!

Jesse321 · 09-18-2009, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkKni9hT

p.s. I hadn't heard of the flash cooling in ice water method yet, Jesse. I'll have to try that with my next piece. I would have thought that would increase the likelihood of cracks, but if you say it works, I'll give it a go.

Jim Maddox taught me the technique, and it's worked really well for me so far, I thought the same thing when I first did it, but it does work.

Here's another little trick that Jim taught me ... if you have to move a sculpt from one place to another before you have the opportunity to bake it properly, give it a quick once over with a heat gun, or a hair dryer at high setting for about 5 to 10 minutes. It won't bake piece, but it will make the surface of the piece a little more rigid, so it will travel better.