Oh I've never had so much fun and frustration at the same time. Some questions for all you vets out there:
1. Sculpey use for custom armor, accessories, etc. I purchased some sculpey so I could mold some pieces to "update" the helmets and also give extra armor to my Republic Commando custom. 4 questions come of this:
- A - Is sculpey a good product to use for such a thing?
- B - How do you remove a sculpey piece intact so you can bake it?
- C - Do I really put them in the oven to bake them, and if so, for how long?
- D - Is there a good sealant for sculpey that'll keep it from getting brittle, cracking, etc.?
2. Taping questions (again)
- A - Has anybody ever tried using the kind of tape that auto-body shop guys use? I got this idea from watching American Choppers, and seeing the paint guys apply, twist, and bend this tape w/o any breakage, and an apparently good seal to the material. It could be that the tape just seals better to metal than it does to plastic, but it could be that the tape is just better.
[li]B - I've been doing Shock Troopers, and I'm on my 3rd now. I still have problems with getting good, clean straight lines when I pull the tape off. On my 2nd and now 3rd Shocktrooper I began using an exacto knife to cut along the edge of the tape prior to removal, and it helps a little bit. Is this what you guys do?[/li][/list]
3. Gluing, etc.
- A - I got this ultra-stinky, nasty epoxy from Lowe's at the recommendation of one of their employees, and it didn't work too well for repairing broken lightsabers. I've found that plain ol' superglue works best, but should I be concerned about durability? I'm thinking of using superglue to attach soft plastic armor and accessories to figures, but if something else is better, please share.
4. Casting my own molds - DD I'm looking at you!
- A - What items does one need to successfully make custom heads?
- B - Do you sculpt a head out of sculpey or clay, then brush on the molding material? I guess I could really use a tutorial on your whole process, DD, if you have the time and inclination. I've read through ffurg.com's section on this, but I'd like a first-hand account, if possible.
As always, I submit humbly to the Gods of Customizing for guidance.
B