I\'ve used green stuff, brown stuff, FIMO, Sculpey (all variants) and Magic Sculp. So far, I\'ve found Magic Sculp to be my favorite. I\'ve read the description of ProCreate, and it sounds very similar to Magic Sculp. My question - for those who\'ve used both, how do they compare?
Sculpting putty question: Magic Sculp vs ProCreate
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Shawn R. L.
New member
I\'ve used both. Magic Sculpt a lot - coming to the end of 5 pounds of the stuff!! I am using Pro Create out of duty and it gets the job done but I hate working with it. It\'s VERY sticky. My Teflon tools that work real well for Magic Sculpt stick to PC. When it cures, it\'s quite flexible and working with it is frustrating. Hard enough to hold the shape, soft enough that it cut\'s too easily and it\'s difficult to sand.
freakinacage
Well-known member
really? i file it and it;s ok. haven\'t tried sanding though. as for the sticking, i find i need less lubricant on my tools than when i am using gs. never tries ms though (got some coming through the post)
Shawn R. L.
New member
Are you sure you\'re talking about Pro Create? I followed the mixing chart and ended up with a VERY sticky mix and soft set up.
I found this thread because I wanted to find out if anyone was having the same problems I am.
I purchased Pro-Create from the WarStore about a month or so ago. I bought it because I was sure there was something better than the GS and BS I was using. I haven\'t tried Magic Sculpt yet but if it\'s anything like Pro-Create I won\'t bother.
I haven\'t actually used my Pro-Create yet. It\'s so sticky I\'m having problems even getting it out of the package. It\'s wrapped in cardboard with an outer layer of foil lined paper. Both of these layers of packing seem to self destruct upon initial use. There is no way to get 100% usage from Pro-Create. You buy a whole bar and can only use half of it because the rest sticks to the packing.
This stuff is VERY STICKY!!! I put it in the freezer in hopes of reducing the stickiness, but I don\'t have high hopes. I got some on my hands while trying to peel it off the packing and my hands are still tacky.
I don\'t care what kind of results I get in the end, I will never buy this crap again.
I purchased Pro-Create from the WarStore about a month or so ago. I bought it because I was sure there was something better than the GS and BS I was using. I haven\'t tried Magic Sculpt yet but if it\'s anything like Pro-Create I won\'t bother.
I haven\'t actually used my Pro-Create yet. It\'s so sticky I\'m having problems even getting it out of the package. It\'s wrapped in cardboard with an outer layer of foil lined paper. Both of these layers of packing seem to self destruct upon initial use. There is no way to get 100% usage from Pro-Create. You buy a whole bar and can only use half of it because the rest sticks to the packing.
This stuff is VERY STICKY!!! I put it in the freezer in hopes of reducing the stickiness, but I don\'t have high hopes. I got some on my hands while trying to peel it off the packing and my hands are still tacky.
I don\'t care what kind of results I get in the end, I will never buy this crap again.
Einion
New member
Rest assured, it\'s not.
MagicSculp is not very sticky when mixed (very little residue on fingers after mixing for example unless you use a smooshing technique and even at that you can get most of it off with the blob of putty). It will stick to smooth surfaces - has to of course, otherwise it wouldn\'t be much use! - but not in any sort of aggressive way like a typical mixture of GS.
After trying Milliput (silver-grey and grey-green), Sylmasta, A+B, Kneadatite, MagicSculp, Apoxie Sculpt and one type of Plumber\'s Putty IMO MagicSculp is the best of them overall.
Speaking of which, any particular problems? I haven\'t used BS but even with my great fondness for MS I still like GS for some things, solo and in blends.
Einion
I\'ve used BS on lots of stuff. If there is anything you need to be thin or stiff USE IT! It\'s similar to GS, but a little less tacky and a slightly shorter working time. Here is an example of how I\'ve used it...
These purity seals do not flex and have stood up to me dropping this bit of the model. BS is especially useful for anything that requires fine detail or hard corners. I haven\'t tried MS to compare but that will certainly go on my list. Is there any particular curing method (under lamp, oven) or just let it sit?
Shawn R. L.
New member
One extra about Magic Sculpt that really makes it good for me is the cost. I just got 5 pounds of the stuff for about $30!!
freakinacage
Well-known member
yup same stuff, i just dont find it to be sticky at all. have no problems with it coming out of the package either, no wastage there
@rextalon, if it\'s anything like gs, putting it in the freezer will make it worse for attaching to the packaging
got some magic sculpt and i have to say i like it. i\'d rather use procreate for figures but for vehicles and large scale stuff, i find it great. smooths out very nicely and sands better than procreate. i find it similar, but slightly nicer, than apoxie sculpt
Einion
New member
Those look good. MagicSculp can certainly do that kind of thing (although its translucency makes it harder to see fine details, that\'s another topic though) but from the sound of it it\'s not as strong as BS which ties in with what I\'ve read elsewhere.
Like any epoxy putty it\'ll cure just fine at room temperature, but lots faster if heated. For me, working period for MS is nice and long and the full-cure time is too, but I get that with all epoxies.
Einion
Legacy Account
Active member
I\'m with Freak on this one: I like Procreate.
I find it easier to use than GS - it holds detail without any of the need for leaving to cure like GS. I\'ve sanded it with wet and dry and it worked fine. Had a bit of sticking to the packet to start with though.
Haven\'t used my pack recently. Perhaps it doesn\'t age well, or is super-sticky if you get a packet fresh from the factory???
I find it easier to use than GS - it holds detail without any of the need for leaving to cure like GS. I\'ve sanded it with wet and dry and it worked fine. Had a bit of sticking to the packet to start with though.
Haven\'t used my pack recently. Perhaps it doesn\'t age well, or is super-sticky if you get a packet fresh from the factory???
Magic sculpt is a bit like a softer milliput green with less water solubility. I like to use it for carving with a scalpel (swann morton handle3 blades 10 and 15), can also be sanded well.
I did have problems with it not curing right through and
chipping when carving it too finely- solution mix it with milliput.
Procreate is great, use it like greenstuff but handles better (for me anyway). Keep your layers thin, use a hook to pull details out.
If your PC is too sticky, soulution- use a small amount of vaseline mixed in with the putty. Add more white for sharp edged detail ( about 20%). Smooth your tools with a polishing disc or rubber point and coat them in vas aswell.
After doing this u may find it doesnt stick enough- solution: wipe down cured work with nail polish remover before adding the next layer and maybe use a dot of superglue to tac the uncured putty in place.
Have a look at my gallery for sculpts in both puttys.:idea:
I did have problems with it not curing right through and
chipping when carving it too finely- solution mix it with milliput.
Procreate is great, use it like greenstuff but handles better (for me anyway). Keep your layers thin, use a hook to pull details out.
If your PC is too sticky, soulution- use a small amount of vaseline mixed in with the putty. Add more white for sharp edged detail ( about 20%). Smooth your tools with a polishing disc or rubber point and coat them in vas aswell.
After doing this u may find it doesnt stick enough- solution: wipe down cured work with nail polish remover before adding the next layer and maybe use a dot of superglue to tac the uncured putty in place.
Have a look at my gallery for sculpts in both puttys.:idea:
See, that is just way too much stuff to think about when I\'m sculpting. I don\'t think this stuff is right for me. Does anyone want to buy or trade my unused PC for some MS?
I honestly can\'t see it getting worse. Everything this stuff touched, it stuck to like glue. It was like when you chew bad bubblegum a little too long and it starts sticking to your mouth.
Einion
New member
I think given that ProCreate isn\'t always super-sticky* - this clearly isn\'t one of those things where it\'s just a different standard for sticky from one person to the other! - that there\'s something like a bad batch, aged v. fresh, something, that would account for it.
Shawn R. L., rextalon - definitely worth contacting the maker, I\'m sure they\'d have some insight and they might even offer to replace it. At the very least I\'m sure they\'d want to know in case it\'s a problem new to them.
rextalon - how\'d the freezing work out, any help?
Not every batch of these kinds of things is necessarily identical, although GS sure gets close; with MagicSculp I\'ve seen lots of masters in the flesh and the colour can vary quite a bit from my own sculpts, beyond the range of what I could get here from variations in resin and hardener proportion.
...
*From the blurb:
Features and Benefits:
• Mixed Colour: Gray
• No shrinkage
• Very easy to smooth
• Easy tooling and less sticky
• Holds Extremely Fine Detail
• Customizable Formula (see chart)
See pics here.
From theminiaturespage.com:
\"Well my [ProCreate] finally arrived from over the pond today, so I set to work with it straight away. It mixes just like Green Stuff, but the thing you notice almost straight away is the reduced stickiness that you get compared to GS. It is very easy to push around and smooths much better than GS. I still use a bit of vasaline, but didn\'t need to use it quite so often.\"
From the Reaper forums:
\"Funny thing:
Tamiya putty is very nonsticky
pro-create is very non-sticky
The two mixed together becomes EXTREMELY sticky.\"
Einion
Shawn R. L., rextalon - definitely worth contacting the maker, I\'m sure they\'d have some insight and they might even offer to replace it. At the very least I\'m sure they\'d want to know in case it\'s a problem new to them.
rextalon - how\'d the freezing work out, any help?
Not every batch of these kinds of things is necessarily identical, although GS sure gets close; with MagicSculp I\'ve seen lots of masters in the flesh and the colour can vary quite a bit from my own sculpts, beyond the range of what I could get here from variations in resin and hardener proportion.
...
*From the blurb:
Features and Benefits:
• Mixed Colour: Gray
• No shrinkage
• Very easy to smooth
• Easy tooling and less sticky
• Holds Extremely Fine Detail
• Customizable Formula (see chart)
See pics here.
From theminiaturespage.com:
\"Well my [ProCreate] finally arrived from over the pond today, so I set to work with it straight away. It mixes just like Green Stuff, but the thing you notice almost straight away is the reduced stickiness that you get compared to GS. It is very easy to push around and smooths much better than GS. I still use a bit of vasaline, but didn\'t need to use it quite so often.\"
From the Reaper forums:
\"Funny thing:
Tamiya putty is very nonsticky
pro-create is very non-sticky
The two mixed together becomes EXTREMELY sticky.\"
Einion
Einion
New member
That sounds like a blending issue.
Although it reduces the working period, not that that\'s an issue for me, I like to mix way beyond the stage where there\'s no visible marbling.
This could also be down to not waiting long enough for a full cure (a full day at best). Any chance there was too much hardener in the mix?
Einion
@Einion not sure about the magisculpt weakness. I did mix very thoroughly in 50:50 proportions. But it was quite a small quantity.
Using milliput in the mix makes it firmer to work with and more tollerant to carving when set. I used this mix to scratch build a thunderbolt recently, pic are on the way.
Using milliput in the mix makes it firmer to work with and more tollerant to carving when set. I used this mix to scratch build a thunderbolt recently, pic are on the way.
Shawn R. L.
New member
Having used Magic Sculpt A LOT (just finishing a 5 pound can) I know what you are talking about and warming it makes all the difference. I put my stuff on the dashboard of the car, in the sun for about 2-3 hours and it comes out VERY hard, yet very carve-able.
@LouW - As to carving - a few things I have found as to not chipping -
# Having a VERY sharp knife (I have, after about literally 30 years of trying, finally found out how to get a razor edge on my tools, that\'s a whole other thread)
# also, you need to not try to take too much off at once. Shave down to where you want.
# You need to think ahead when doing a cut. Go from an edge INWARD. Shaving towards an edge will almost guarantee a chip. Think - where is the force I\'m putting into this cut aimed. Try to go so that you are pushing in a direction that is supported if possible not away from support so as to not break the piece being carved off. Kind of hard to explain.
# When cutting/shaving do so at a bit of an angle. I like some of my chisels to have a bit of an \'off square\' end on them - a bit of a slant to the left or right. As I carve, the chisel is sliding SLIGHTLY to the side, thus the force is not dammed up along the entire cut. Going in at 90 degrees can work with a very sharp knife and a shallow cut but remember to try to cock the chisel a bit or slide it a hair as you make the cut.
# I have also used, with my regular chisels and many tools I have custom made, scraping. With a very smooth, sharp edge this can be very helpful, controlled and slow....you don\'t take off as much at once so you can control what\'s happening.
One more idea for Procreate- I found it quite soft when new, preferring a stiffer working putty - roll out strips of each individual putty onto waxed type paper and leave it in the open to dry out. It will stick to the paper but what you scrape of is still useable and very firm.
