<![CDATA[Latest posts for the thread "How to sculpt a turtle shell shield?"]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/8.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net How to sculpt a turtle shell shield?


It needs to be about the size of a penny. Would it be better to take a flat disc and put scales on it, or take a disc of greenstuff and somehow cut a scale pattern into it? I've never sculpted anything quite like that so not sure what would be easiest/best.

]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641415.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641415.page GMT How to sculpt a turtle shell shield?
1: make the shape from GS, but fairly thin.
Add another layer of GS once the first is dry then cut the pattern into it.

2: make the overall shape and basic texture.
Let it dry the use a dremmal to carve in the groves to create the pattern.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641427.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641427.page GMT Re:How to sculpt a turtle shell shield?
Also, can cured greenstuff be slightly reshaped by putting it in hot water, the way resin can?]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641480.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641480.page GMT Re:How to sculpt a turtle shell shield? GS thing. I do not think it will work.
I also suggest it is easier to build up then cut into GS. So take a flat surface, and start molding each shell from the outside in. Small balls the size of each scale placed, then press flat. Work the next layer inside on top if they overlap, or just to match up if they do not. The picture is tiny, but looks like they overlap. With this method you can spread each shell to maybe just touch its neighbor and find the gap you like. For things that overlap, nothing works better than letting the lower layer rubberize, and then flattening new on top.

Remember a few tips:
1: Wet tools! Water, saliva, whatever, but wet tools to press and push.
2: Super glue. A drop of super glue will stick GS to a surface if your having trouble.
3: More yellow means softer GS and longer working time. More blue means harder. Harder GS is actually easier to work with if you are doing a simple shape (like each pattern in the shell).
4: Remember, you never truly do more than push and prod GS. A small round glob, flattened and then rubbed outward will get these turtle shell shapes.
5: Working time for GS is about 20-30 minutes, AFTER you let it sit for 5 once blended completely. However, mix the amount you want, place half in the freezer (this retards the hardening process, I've left it for hours and hours, just knead it and its good) and work with first half (say maybe outside ring or two) then use second half.
6: These things really are best in stages. GS takes fingerprints real easy, so doing one or two rings and then going forward...you will accidently mash and fingerprint the first! I suggest outside rings...3 hours for them to rubberize, then inside to peak.

Hope it helps, and let us see if you get something good!]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641540.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641540.page GMT How to sculpt a turtle shell shield?
If it needs to be quite thin, sculpt it on to something you can remove it from later. If it needs to be flat, use something made from polypropylene or polyethylene, medicine bottles and milk bottles usually work. Greenstuff won't stick well to them so you can sculpt your design on to it then just pry it off.

My suggestion is just try it. Give it a crack, I don't think it'll be as hard as you think it'll be. Just sculpt a disk on to a flat surface, create the pattern using a sharp sculpting tool then work the scales to give you the texture you want. When you create the pattern it'll have rather soft edges to the scales, work the GS from both sides to make a harder edge. For a nice hard edge consider using milliput instead.

The lid of a medicine bottle can be a great platform to work from because they'll typically be flat, give you something to hold it by and typically they're made from polypropylene so GS won't stick well to it.

If you want the shield to be curved rather than flat, if you can find a spherical surface instead of a flat surface it'll save you some effort, I once used the semi-sphere surface of a deodorant bottle to sculpt something that I wanted to be curved.

I know they say mix up a little greenstuff at a time, but a design like that I think it'd be easier just to do it in one sitting (unless you need to create a base first, in which case create the base from a thin sheet of GS, let it cure, then come back and do the scales from a 2nd thin sheet).


Automatically Appended Next Post:
edwardmyst wrote:
3: More yellow means softer GS and longer working time. More blue means harder. Harder GS is actually easier to work with if you are doing a simple shape (like each pattern in the shell).
I'd say greenstuff is easiest to work when it's roughly 3:2 yellow:blue, that is, more yellow than blue. Look at how GW sell green stuff, they sell you more yellow than blue on a strip.

https://www.games-workshop.com/en-FI/Green-Stuff

Obviously GW just repackage kneadatite and if you buy it from elsewhere in strip form it'll also come with more yellow than blue...

http://www.polymericsystems.com/epoxies-adhesives/epoxy-putty-tapes/kneadatite-blue-yellow.htm

But if you buy the bars rather than the tape it'll come 50:50 yellow and blue.... since that's the cheapest way to buy it, that's what I do, but I mix in more yellow.

I just find it easier to work that way.

EDIT: Actually on the manufacturer's website it says "Cut or twist off 1 part blue curing agent to 1.5 parts yellow base." I've always assumed I was being edgy using something other than 1:1 because everyone says to use 1:1, apparently even the manufacturer reckons use more yellow than blue


Automatically Appended Next Post:
edwardmyst wrote:
5: Working time for GS is about 20-30 minutes, AFTER you let it sit for 5 once blended completely. However, mix the amount you want, place half in the freezer (this retards the hardening process, I've left it for hours and hours, just knead it and its good) and work with first half (say maybe outside ring or two) then use second half.
20-30 minutes? GS has a work life of 1 to 2 hours unless you live in a really hot environment.

Sometimes it can be good to let it sit for a while before trying to work it, it depends what you're trying to do. Sometimes it can be good to get the basic shape straight away then wait half an hour to fine tune the surface detail because it'll be easier to manipulate the surface without messing up the overall shape once it starts to firm up a bit.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641591.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641591.page GMT Re:How to sculpt a turtle shell shield? GS takes far more skill from me to work with, whereas harder (more blue) allows me to take my sculpting tool ( a cone of rubber/nylon) and push it into shape without overdoing it. I buy it in tubes that come with equal amounts, and suggest 50/50, so whatever.

My working time was a guess in truth. I work with it for about that long then let it sit, hadn't realized I could keep going for hours, thanks Allseeing...]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641614.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/741690/9641614.page GMT