Help requested: attaching green stuff accessories

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

So I finally bought a tube of green stuff and my wife has me working on a minotaur figure. She really wants the minotaur to have a nose-ring which I managed to make after much toiling (keep in mind this is my first time using green stuff or doing even the smallest conversion). The problem I am having is attaching the little bugger to the minotaur's nose! The ring is flexible so I am trying to glue one end in each nostril, let it dry, and attach the other end. The first side seems to go OK with a healthy application of zip kicker (I am using Zap-a-gap by the way) but in order to get the second end on, I have to use a liberal amount of glue and the glue cakes up on the end of the minotaur. When I try to chip away the excess glue the ring just pops off. I tried to actually sculpt the ring on to the figure when the green stuff was still workable but the darn thing wouldn't stick AT ALL. Can anyone recommend a way to get this thing on? Thanks so much!

*Note: I should have said that when trying to stick the green stuff to the miniature, I tried to do so while the green stuff was not cured*

 

[freakinacage]

Stick it when still uncured. Should work fine, that's how i have always added stuff like that. No messy glue either. If you are having trouble with it sticking to your tools, either lick or use talc to stop it

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

Stick it when still uncured. Should work fine, that's how i have always added stuff like that. No messy glue either. If you are having trouble with it sticking to your tools, either lick or use talc to stop it

Yea it was weird, I was trying to stick it while still uncured but it wasn't working in the least. Maybe I'll just have to try to make another one and try sticking it again. It was like it just didn't want to stick to the metal at all. Thanks for the tip about it sticking to tools though, so far I've just been using water.

 

[QuietiManes]

Make sure you aren't getting or letting any water get between the greenstuff and the nose. If it isn't sticking and it's dry, maybe the nose needs to be cleaned, might have mold release or finger grease or something on it. It tends to collect in holes/crevices/etc. Less super glue is better than more super glue, it's counter intuitive like that, so if you need to dump a bunch on, there's something wrong. If access was the problem, put the glue on the end of the greenstuff instead of in the nose (before attaching).

Also, have you thought about just using a piece of metal wire? Paper clip, staple, bag ties or whatever you can find around the house might work.

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

Make sure you aren't getting or letting any water get between the greenstuff and the nose. If it isn't sticking and it's dry, maybe the nose needs to be cleaned, might have mold release or finger grease or something on it. It tends to collect in holes/crevices/etc. Less super glue is better than more super glue, it's counter intuitive like that, so if you need to dump a bunch on, there's something wrong. If access was the problem, put the glue on the end of the greenstuff instead of in the nose (before attaching).

Also, have you thought about just using a piece of metal wire? Paper clip, staple, bag ties or whatever you can find around the house might work.

I didn't think about that. Maybe I'll try to make sure the nose is really dry first. It's been a juggling act; when I tried putting glue on the end of the greenstuff ring it dried crusty around the end of the ring.

I actually considered trying to find a piece of wire and shaping the greenstuff around it, not sure how that if it would turn out ok but it would be a heck of a lot easier to shape

 

[Dragonsreach]

I'm gonna suggest something and your probably gonna hate me for it.
Why didn't you just get some JUMP ring from you local hobby shop (beading section).
They are the circular rings that go between a chain and a pendant.
Cheap and very much easier to use. (In the UK £2.50 for 20)

 

[QuietiManes]

I was thinking of just using a bare wire with no greenstuff (I assumed there was no detailing) but those jump rings would be even easier...or just snag a link off some cheap costume jewelry chain might be an option too.

 

[QuietiManes]

Oh...almost forgot my other point.

You can also try letting the greenstuff nose ring cure on a piece of wax paper or a plastic bag or anything you can pop it off of, use some oil or water. Lay the backside down, obviously. Then when it's cured it should be much easier to handle and glue in place.

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

I'm gonna suggest something and your probably gonna hate me for it.
Why didn't you just get some JUMP ring from you local hobby shop (beading section).
They are the circular rings that go between a chain and a pendant.
Cheap and very much easier to use. (In the UK £2.50 for 20)

lol I don't hate you at all for suggesting it. I'm so new to all of this that I probably should have consulted the forum here before attempting to make a nose-ring out of green stuff. Thank you very much for the suggestion! I'll check my local hobby store (which would be Michael's). I'm assuming they have many different sizes of these JUMP rings? I should probably take the model along and try to match up the sizes.

I was thinking of just using a bare wire with no greenstuff (I assumed there was no detailing) but those jump rings would be even easier...or just snag a link off some cheap costume jewelry chain might be an option too.

Oh...almost forgot my other point.

You can also try letting the greenstuff nose ring cure on a piece of wax paper or a plastic bag or anything you can pop it off of, use some oil or water. Lay the backside down, obviously. Then when it's cured it should be much easier to handle and glue in place.

I'm such a newb that I let the nose-ring cure on a paper plate LOL but some how it came off just fine. I'll make sure and leave it on some wax paper from now on. I think it might have came off the plate because I made several different sizes of nose-rings when attempting to get the size right and the green stuff had been curing for about 45 minutes before I even got to the rings. I originally mixed up the green stuff to fill slots in bases and the nose-rings were an after-thought when I was trying to decide what to do with my leftover putty.

 

[Einion]

Using Kneadatite I would normally have suggested making the ring in situ; GS is one of the sculpting materials for this kind of addition.

If you did make it separately I'd definitely glue it in place in one go - superglue isn't flexible and any movement while trying to manoeuvre the second end into position is likely to crack the first glue join, breaking it or at least weakening it. With a small part like this only a tiny amount of cyano should be necessary anyway, so just touching a dot from the end of a needle should apply enough to hold it in position; the primer coat will provide additional security for a small, very light part like this if the flat of it is lying against the surface.

Although it's good practice to sculpt it I'd generally recommend making the ring out of wire for best results since it's faster and easier and the end result will probably be better anyway.

I tried to actually sculpt the ring on to the figure when the green stuff was still workable but the darn thing wouldn't stick AT ALL. Can anyone recommend a way to get this thing on?

Practice and experience with the material should help with this kind of thing. Kneadatite isn't commonly noted for not being sticky enough :laugh:

Einion

 

[Mourner]

...the green stuff had been curing for about 45 minutes before I even got to the rings.

That's probably why they won't stick uncured...

What I'd do is to roll the putty into a roll (duh) as thick as you need.
Then, either cut it to length, and press it in place (hope it doesn't sag)
Or bend it onto shape, leave to cure, cut to size and glue in place (applying glue to the smallest area, i.e. the ring ends)
Or buy one of those jump rings.

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

Thanks so much for the help everyone. I think I'll try to make a fresh ring simply because I really need the practice and if all else fails I'll try to find a ring that is the right size. This time I'll work with the GS with the sole purpose of making the ring and shouldn't have a problem with it sticking. I think I'll take the advice and make a fresh whole ring and then cut it to size. I previously tried to make the ring with a gap in the end.

 

[Einion]

...the green stuff had been curing for about 45 minutes before I even got to the rings.

That's probably why they won't stick uncured...

For me GS will adhere way past this point. 45 mins is around the beginning of the ideal-handling period for me, which is about an hour, hour-and-a-half long using the mix I use. I get more than two hours of working time and it's still slightly tacky/adherent past the point it won't easily take fingerprints.

Einion

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

For me GS will adhere way past this point. 45 mins is around the beginning of the ideal-handling period for me, which is about an hour, hour-and-a-half long using the mix I use. I get more than two hours of working time and it's still slightly tacky/adherent past the point it won't easily take fingerprints.

Einion

This was my first time mixing GS. I may have mixed a little more blue in than yellow. Do you use mix 50/50 Einion?

 

[Aoroi]

I do not know if this would help you:

When I use greenstuff for trinkets, like purity seals, gold coins, plates etc, I will drill a small hole in the model, not far, just something to grab on. take the already cured greenstuff and add just a dab of new mix to the back of the cured and press it on the model so the new putty goes in the hole.

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

I do not know if this would help you:

When I use greenstuff for trinkets, like purity seals, gold coins, plates etc, I will drill a small hole in the model, not far, just something to grab on. take the already cured greenstuff and add just a dab of new mix to the back of the cured and press it on the model so the new putty goes in the hole.

Actually that's a great idea. I'm a bit hesitant to try it in this situation because this model's nostrils are extremely small. It's actually a beastman model she is using to represent a minotaur.

 

[Einion]

This was my first time mixing GS. I may have mixed a little more blue in than yellow. Do you use mix 50/50 Einion?

Good question, and no. Kneadatite is very tolerant of a wide range of proportions of hardener to resin and IIRC you can go 1:2 in either direction and it'll still set fine.

More yellow will give you a softer and stickier mix, which stays softer when set. More blue (which is what I use) gives a stiffer and less-sticky mix.

Einion

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

Good question, and no. Kneadatite is very tolerant of a wide range of proportions of hardener to resin and IIRC you can go 1:2 in either direction and it'll still set fine.

More yellow will give you a softer and stickier mix, which stays softer when set. More blue (which is what I use) gives a stiffer and less-sticky mix.

Einion

Aaah ok thanks so much. The minotaur she is wanting me to paint is a D&D character she plays and the character is a bar brawler. I'm thinking of seeing if I can make a little beer mug out of GS and have it fallen over at the character's feet. I think I read that you want to get the basic shape of the GS and let it set about 45 minutes before trying to carve in details? Does this sound about right? It sounds like I would definitely want more blue for something like this because I don't want the mug to cure soft.

 

[Einion]

Soft is relative here, it still cures hard enough with more yellow in the mix; you might use a mix like that to create banners for example.

I wouldn't attempt to make something like a mug in a single stage, it's better to form it on something that forms a core. This could be a roll of GS that you made previously* but cocktail sticks or something else around the correct diameter could just as easily form the basis. Then you just skin over this with the putty and when it's all cured cut it down to size. You could attach the handle earlier but might be best to glue it on as the final step.

If you need it to be hollow though, that's trickier - probably simplest to make it solid, then drill it out carefully.

*All extra putty should be used to either practice sculpting or at least formed into common shapes in hopes they'll come in handy later.

Einion

 

[Hoodoo_Hermit]

Soft is relative here, it still cures hard enough with more yellow in the mix; you might use a mix like that to create banners for example.

I wouldn't attempt to make something like a mug in a single stage, it's better to form it on something that forms a core. This could be a roll of GS that you made previously* but cocktail sticks or something else around the correct diameter could just as easily form the basis. Then you just skin over this with the putty and when it's all cured cut it down to size. You could attach the handle earlier but might be best to glue it on as the final step.

If you need it to be hollow though, that's trickier - probably simplest to make it solid, then drill it out carefully.

*All extra putty should be used to either practice sculpting or at least formed into common shapes in hopes they'll come in handy later.

Einion

Thanks for the advice! Yea I'd like it to be hollow. I know its a bit strange but I was searching for tutorials on how to do a mug before posting my comment (hoping to avoid something already posted here at least) and found a little tutorial done by a lady who makes miniature furniture for doll houses. I think she was using something like Magic Sculpt (sp) and to get the hollow portion she rolled the clay around something the diameter of what she wanted. I was thinking of using a thin pen or pencil but of course I need it to come off the pen or pencil when I'm done. I'm assuming I need a release agent of some kind like Vaseline etc. The rest of it I would just be winging it LOL. That really is a great idea using the extra putty to make anything rather than wasting it. That's really what I did with the nose ring but I would imagine I could come up with all sorts of bits and bobs to make.

Since I'm hoping to make something that passes for a beer mug I keep coming up with more ideas to personalize her miniature. I bought some 30mm malifaux round bases to use (they seemed like a great deal from miniaturemarket.com) and thought about trying to make the center of the base look like a wooden floor (like a bar room floor), have the mug laying on the floor with beer spilling out and of course her mini attacking in a rage over spilled ale. I'm tempted to try and make the wooden floor with GS as well; I also have cork board to work with.

Hmm, perhaps I'm getting in over my head/skill level LOL