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Tammy Beckoning Bears
Nova Scotia
Posts: 3,739
Website

1)Those of you that use this product, do you find the smell sickening  ??  It reminds me of wet socks that have been sitting around for weeks.  It almost makes me gag !  bear_ermm

2) Can you paint it.  I used the natural color to make some noses and painted them.  But, the paint chips right off even with a coat of varnish.  I just used acrylic  paint, so is there a better choice before I try again. 

Thanks for any tips.

nandesign Posts: 361

Hi Tammy:

I have never had a problem with paint chipping and I use acrylic. I really let the apoxy cure... at least 24 hours before painting. I don't know what else I could tell you...you may want to try an enamel or even a stain...especially for noses.

Hugs, Nancy

Tammy Beckoning Bears
Nova Scotia
Posts: 3,739
Website

Thanks Nancy.  These noses have been curing for about a week already.  I love that they are so hard like a rock.  I just got around to painting them.  Hmm....Maybe I'll try some nail polish !

Little Bear Guy Little Bear Guy
Waterloo, Ontario
Posts: 1,395

Something else you can try with the Apoxy sculpt is to add a little bit of paint to it as you are mixing it up.  It won't change the way it hardens or sets up.  Just add a little bit and if you want it darker then add a bit more, you can use acrylic paint to do that. 

I have also used a matt or satin spray sealer before on noses to protect them once they are painted, it's used in the ceramic world when you complete a piece that was painted. It comes in matt , satin and gloss and high gloss. I think you can get it at Michaels, but spray it before you put it on the bear  bear_grin  bear_grin  and in a well ventilated area, the smell does go away but it's a little strong when you first use it.

hope this helps

big hugs

Shane

duff Deedle Bears
Dallas
Posts: 226

Hi Tammy,     I second Shane's tip.   I recently learned about apoxie and bought white and black and have tried the acrylic piant tip and it worked very well and does not seem to have changed the setting of it.      You can also buy it in several colors in the event you are looking for a basic color.      Interesting on the smell, I am going to have to go back and smell it to see if there are stinky socks hanging out in my tub of apoxie also  bear_grin

I also bought a product called "Paper Glaze" by Aleene's.  It gives the nose an very wet look and dries very hard and very shiney.    It has a gel quality to it and goes on thick.   It played around with it and it does not appear to flake off after much playing with it and needle felting around it after it was on the bear.

Good luck!    I am look forwrd to seeing what your working on!

Duff

Tammy Beckoning Bears
Nova Scotia
Posts: 3,739
Website

Thanks so much Shane and Duff.  I'll give you suggestions a try.  Duff, I  hope you don't find any  smelly socks in your apoxy  bear_tongue For some reason this stuff just does not agree with my nose.

duff Deedle Bears
Dallas
Posts: 226

Well, I had to go and stick my nose in the tub, the 1st one: no smell at all, the 2nd one: I learned my lesson.      Stuck my nose right in a breathed deep (god knows why) and it stinks!        It has been hot here in texas up until a week or so ago and I always had my fan on when I worked with it which may be why I never noticed it before   bear_shocked    Stinky - no socks in mine but I am not going back in to try and figure it out what it smells like bear_tongue         

Good luck Tammy, Let us know how it works for you!

Duff

Shelli SHELLI MAKES
Chico, California
Posts: 9,939
Website

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

Haven't started working with my supply of the stuff yet -- have been working thru other projects but am itching to try it! -- but I'll do so with the window open now that I've been forewarned about the sticky sock thing.

EXCELLENT to read about your paint and glaze tips.  I bought black and was hoping to add shimmer, glazes, etc. to it so I'm glad to hear it seems to accept them well.  Thanks for sharing your pointers, all!

rkr4cds Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)
suburban Chicago
Posts: 2,044

I've got to search out the colors... mine 2-parts are whitish and grayish and make medium gray when worked together and cured.

Let them cure at least a week, and longer if they're to be painted. They'll be hard in 24 - 36 hours but depending on the thickness, not yet cured all the way through.
I used it as both the beak and the feet/legs of the Red-Breasted Goose in The Twelve Days of Christmas feature. It was softish when completely blended so I laid the legs down and propped the feet at a 90 degree angle until they began to their form after several hours. (Half a day?)
Then I could set the feet flat and propped the legs at the angles needed for walking.

The smell was weird (like a lot of clays) but not offensive or needing a fan or open window. Or maybe my nose ablilities are also aging.

Do the rest of you mix the two parts and let the ball set for an hour or two before beginning to mold and shape your items? I usually start right away - because I'm usually up against the clock - but it occurred to me that 'next time''  l'll test - waiting until it sets up enough that my surface treatments won't smudge or dislodge.

LMK??

duff Deedle Bears
Dallas
Posts: 226

For what is worth they do sell a Super White  color although I have not opened mine yet becuase I am flying home for turkey day and figured I would have less trouble going through the airport with it un-opened.   I bought mine through:

http://www.sculptingstudio.com/index.ph … egory_id=2   

White,  Natural,Silver, Grey, Pink, Red, Green, Blue,    Yellow, Orange, Brown, Bronze, Black and super white


They shipped it very quickly and have several colors.  I have been using the solvent along with an old Kids eraser that I cut up to use as a tool for smoothing the finished product about an 1 1/2 hours have it has set up.     I also have a sculpting tool that has what looks like an eraser on the end of it in the shape of a chisle.   WHich is where I got the idea of cutting up an eraser.   Works very well and very cheap, unlike the tool.   

I leave an long indentation  in the back of the nose and let it harden, then take a piece of medium floral wire (not the wrapped type but the other non wrapped type) and make a loop out of it and a small curl at each end and lay it across the  long indentation and use another small piece of apoxie to cover it.  In essence making a wire loop for attaching it to the bear.   the loops at the end are to keep it from pulling out of the nose but may be over kill as the Apoxie is really strong.    Works like a charm.

Duff

Tammy Beckoning Bears
Nova Scotia
Posts: 3,739
Website

Bobbie,

Yes, I do mix the 2 parts and let it sit about and hour.  That seems to make it easier to work with, less sticky and much easier to smooth.   As for the smell, Shelli, just keep your nose out of the jar- PART B.  I don't think you'll need windows open.

I formed my noses with wire inserts like you Duff .

rkr4cds Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)
suburban Chicago
Posts: 2,044

Great - Thx to you both - my noses are so tiny that it's hard to do that -wire trick but it's given me a jump-start to another idea.
I've seen those sculpting tool sets, all 'erasure-tipped'. So far I've resisted...

Little Bear Guy Little Bear Guy
Waterloo, Ontario
Posts: 1,395

I have been told that you can sculpt the nose right onto the bear face, because the apoxy is so sticky that it will actually stick right to the fabric and it will not come off.  I have not tried this yet but will experiment with it in the new year when I have more time.

big hugs

Shane

duff Deedle Bears
Dallas
Posts: 226

Great idea shane,   I created a nose for a bear i am working on and to get the angles just right I set it on the face to let it dry... and sure enough it did stick.   Although I did not sculpt it on the face or put any pressure on it it did stick a bit.     I may have to try the scultpting it right on the face...      Something fun to try!        Such great tips everyone!


Here is one that I used: - Has anyone ever seen the type of Eraser that comes in it's own pen?  It is a retractable pencil eraser that has an eraser that is as thick as a regular eraser on the end of a pencil but long, about 3 inches.  You can get them real cheap and use a razor blade to cut any angle you need.    If you buy the holder then you have that too.  Here are the links.    It beats paying $10- $15 for one tool.   If you need a larger area then the Kids pink erasers work great.   for about $4 you get all the tools you need.

The holder:
http://www.buyonlinenow.com/viewproduct … U=PENZE22C

the refills:

http://www.buyonlinenow.com/viewproduct … ENZER2BPK6

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