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Made in us
Dakka Veteran





I'm going to work on a project at some point in the next few weeks, and I want to have some kind of greenstuff wire/thread/string coming from the shoulders and back of the model to the base. How can I keep something like this stable as it cures? (I intend to use greenstuff over actual wire or pipe as the unevenness will help with what I'm trying to convey with it).
   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

Honestly the wire you use should help it hold its shape if the wire is of suitable thickness/durability. So no using something like soldering metal.

But a nice stiff bit of brass or steel should do well.

A Blog in Miniature

3D Printing, hobbying and model fun! 
   
Made in de
Liche Priest Hierophant






I use staples for all my thin wire needs. They take the weight of green stuff just fine. I don't know how much green stuff you'd have to slap on for wire of that size to give in to gravity, but at that point you'd have so much that you can just use thicker wire. Green stuff isn't that heavy compared to what steel can bear. If you use steel wire, you should only have to worry about bending issues while you apply green stuff and put pressure on it with a tool.

That said, if you are worried you can always prop up your model while the green stuff cures so the sculpted bits align with gravity as much as possible, and thereby reduce the load on the wire.

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Made in ca
Regular Dakkanaut





Oh Canada!

Paperclips are cheap, readily available and work quite well for most support needs when it comes to greenstuff modelling. Available in a variety of gauges and should easily hold up during curing.

My general rule is if the support wire or pinning can't hold up the piece on its own without glue/curing, it's not sturdy enough.
   
Made in gb
Angry Chaos Agitator






I've had success building greenstuff cables and the like around a core of copper wire. Even if you go really thin (30AWG is what I've used), it adds enough rigidity for the curing process, and to keep it plenty strong enough when cured. Just get a piece of wire, and roll it together with a thin piece of greenstuff - it's not too difficult to get the wire in the centre and the putty around the outside.

To keep it stable when curing, make sure it's anchored properly at both ends. Drill into the area it's attaching to and sink the end of the greenstuff into the hole. Makes a world of difference over just gluing it to a surface.

Another good option is to let the greestuff cure for 1 - 1.5 hours ish, BEFORE you apply it to the model. Roll out your wires, let it stiffen up slightly, then attach them to the model. You can go as long as 2 hours after mixing the greenstuff, and it will still bend and hold its shape, but be much less floppy.

Other than that - as Geifer suggested - change the orientation of the model so gravity works in a less annoying way.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2023/10/01 23:35:49


 
   
 
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