Review on Repairing with Waterproof Air Clay Sculpting by Jennifer Roberts

Love this stuff. I mainly use it for sculpting figures and props; But it is also very convenient for home and garden tools and car interior repair. You can stick it to most surfaces as a permanent filler or extension. And it's waterproof once cured (Woo!). I find the working consistency to be much more comfortable than other two part epoxy putties I have used. In the past I mostly modeled with clay, resin or paper clay. These clays allow me to keep the project closed and wet (for paper and clay) and work on it intermittently for several days. However, for those sculpting projects that I can complete in 2-3 hours, Apoxie Sculpt is perfect for my needs - a great finished product that requires no firing or other curing efforts. Once mixed, it looks like soft polymer clay when manipulated and shaped, and accepts and retains a high level of detail. Unlike many other clays, it doesn't shrink or crack when cured, making it much better for large projects where multiple pieces need to fit "just right" together. -3 hours of sculpting/manipulation time. Even after 5-6 hours you can usually still make an indentation on the nail surface. But once fully cured (about 24 hours) it becomes very hard and durable - it can be cut, sanded or drilled without cracking or chipping. Cured parts can be painted or stained (I've only tried staining a few times but the result was mediocre). But the picture works fine. Before painting, I recommend coating the parts with a good spray primer before painting. The primer is better applied by spraying than by brushing; but after a good primer, subsequent coats of paint can be applied with a brush. For those unfamiliar with the process, Apoxie Sculpt comes in two different containers and you mix equal parts of each for about 2 minutes (until the color is uniform). From now on you have a couple of hours to finish molding before the piece hardens too much. I schedule this time without interruptions to finish on time. When the inevitable breakage occurs, I've been lucky enough to place the piece in the fridge or freezer to slow down the hardening a bit (the clay warms up slightly during hardening). I try not to mix up more Apoxie Sculpt than I can easily sculpt. with at the same time. You can always mix and match more and add to your project. I use my fingers, sculpting tools, or various brushes along with water or Ave's Safety Solvent to add seamless complements to the body. Aside from the time limit, the only thing I don't care about is mixing the two parts. . Until fully mixed, the mixture is a gooey mess. At this stage, manufacturers recommend using latex gloves. I've tried this and that, both with bare hands and with gloves. I don't like using gloves but it clears up the mess on my hands. This black version of Apoxie Sculpt leaves a black residue on hands that is difficult to remove with regular soap and water. Some sculptors use Ave safe solvents to clean their hands and tools; but I find it too dry for my hands. Instead, I use Formula 409 all-purpose cleaner. It doesn't dry out my hands as much, but it does help remove residue more easily. Although the uncured Apoxie Sculpt has a very slight odor, I don't find it objectionable. There are no solvents or fumes. Not only is it waterproof AFTER curing, it doesn't need to be kept dry until it's cured. In fact, you can mix it, shape it, and pour it into a bowl of water and it will still cure underwater. Available in about a dozen colors, Apoxie Sculpt is generally more economical in larger sizes. This small 1 pound size is good for renovations and trying out to see if you like it. but if you use it for sculpting, you'd better use the larger sizes. Revain is often 4lbs (but check price/shipping). It is also available in 20lb and 100lb sizes from the Apoxie Sculpt website. The company that makes Apoxie Sculpt offers many other formulations with slightly different specifications. In general, for sculpting, I prefer Fixit Sculpt. This is more expensive but offers a harder modeling material and a longer non-curing time.