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Greenstuff help...

Joshua Horchler
Troglodon

Joshua Horchler

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Hello Lustria,

I am a terrible modeler. I'm trying to stretch my skills and convert some old coldone models into Razordons. Greenstuff is the bane of my existence right now and I'm struggling to make spikes.

Does anyone have any suggestion on how to make spikes and the best way to attach them? My first attempt was to drill little holes and put in some paperclips as "anchors" but that didn't go well. I only really have an exacto knife, so maybe i need better tools?

-Joshua
 
More tools will certainly help, you need a pin vice drill this is essential if you want to covert models.

Your idea is right drill holes and put in wire pins, 2mm is big enough and will hold well but the hole has to be a tight fit.

just super glue the wire and insert it into the hole, once dry apply a small amount of greenstuff in the shape you want let it fully dry then sculpt detail on with more greenstuff.



 
Thanks Crowsfoot. Do you have any beginners tips for applying the greenstuff? I have an impossible time getting off my fingers, and getting a smooth finish. I know water helps, but I am really failing at it so far haha. It's driving me nuts.
 
Joshua Horchler said:
Thanks Crowsfoot. Do you have any beginners tips for applying the greenstuff? I have an impossible time getting off my fingers, and getting a smooth finish. I know water helps, but I am really failing at it so far haha. It's driving me nuts.
Click to expand...

keep a small dish next to were you work to keep your fingers wet, talcum powder works as well.

I'm a beginner also :)
 
;D

Green stuff on the fingers and thus fingerprints on the green stuff is annoying as hell.
Simple enough it’s a bit brutish but I simply give any tool I’m using a little lick ;D and yeah dip your fingers slightly in water (make sure there isn’t too much on the green stuff - give it a quick blow in between work)

Spikes if they aren’t going to be too long - don’t worry about the drilling and wire.
Simply make a small crater (think like on the moon) but obviously to scale with the size of spike you want - place this on the model where you want said spike.
When that’s done take a small amount of green stuff and roll gently like a sausage (just like play dough) but focus a little more pressure on one end (to form the thinner spiked part)
If it isn’t right - add/remove green stuff and repeat until you are happy with the shape - make sure not to make the roll too thin else it will bend)

Then add the base of the spike into the centre kf the crater - use a tool with a small-blunt end to probe the green stuff into the spike then smooth back away from the spike into the body of the model - repeat as many times as you desire.

Hope this helps !
 
Joshua Horchler said:
I only really have an exacto knife, so maybe i need better tools?
Click to expand...

Actually, you don't need TO BUY anything more to start modelling with green stuff.

About the tools. You only need your fingertips (but always have them moist, by using water, licking your fingers, using hand cream, other people use a little bit of olive oil... whatever suits you best, really).

Of course, with better tools you may expect better results, but that's not totally true. You can use the pointy edge of a wooden or plastic toothpick as a way to make holes in greenstuff or to draw something (or the point of a metal nail), the back of a metal spoon as a tool to achieve a flat surface, a small metal ball to make a circular hole... Anything you can think of you can use as a tool, really.

And follow Deed525's advice. It's simpler than it looks.
 
Nacho said:
licking your fingers
Click to expand...
I wouldn't really recommend doing that when working with an epoxy, which greenstuff is. Maybe nothing really bad will happen, but better safe than sorry.
 
Nacho said:
Actually, you don't need TO BUY anything more to start modelling with green stuff.

About the tools. You only need your fingertips (but always have them moist, by using water, licking your fingers, using hand cream, other people use a little bit of olive oil... whatever suits you best, really).

Of course, with better tools you may expect better results, but that's not totally true. You can use the pointy edge of a wooden or plastic toothpick as a way to make holes in greenstuff or to draw something (or the point of a metal nail), the back of a metal spoon as a tool to achieve a flat surface, a small metal ball to make a circular hole... Anything you can think of you can use as a tool, really.

And follow Deed525's advice. It's simpler than it looks.
Click to expand...

Ai toothpicks are great - that’s pretty much my go-to tool ;D can’t beat a classic
 
NIGHTBRINGER said:
I wouldn't really recommend doing that when working with an epoxy, which greenstuff is. Maybe nothing really bad will happen, but better safe than sorry.
Click to expand...

C'mon, i'm not telling anyone to eat greenstuff for breakfast (because DON'T DO IT, IT'S BAD). Here is the safety card for greenstuff in case you are interested: http://www.aplusbputty.com/PDF/MSDS 9900A.pdf

Seriously, greenstuff is really safe when used correctly. Then again, (as with everything in life) that doesn't mean you can't get some minor skin irritation, but in that case, it's because of your own immune (inflammatory) cells such as mast cells, in the same way you can get skin irritation if you are allergic to cats, and that doesn't mean that cats are bad for everyone's health, just for you. I mean, oxigen itself is toxic to our cells, living in a city with cars or chimneys is toxic, even eating our food from our own metal forks could be described as toxic. Even water can be toxic.

Actually, greenstuff is only toxic when ingested (swallowed) or, specially, inhaled after you sand it (but in the same way that wood is if you inhale it after you sand it), and in large quantities.

So it's ok (from a health and safety point of view) to lick your fingers or the tip of the tools you are working with. Just don't swallow it, and if greenstuff gets stucked in your fingers, take it off with a toothpick, not with your teeth.
 
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Nacho said:
C'mon, i'm not telling anyone to eat greenstuff for breakfast (because DON'T DO IT, IT'S BAD). Here is the safety card for greenstuff in case you are interested: http://www.aplusbputty.com/PDF/MSDS 9900A.pdf

Seriously, greenstuff is really safe when used correctly. Then again, (as with everything in life) that doesn't mean you can't get some minor skin irritation, but in that case, it's because of your own immune (inflammatory) cells such as mast cells, in the same way you can get skin irritation if you are allergic to cats, and that doesn't mean that cats are bad for everyone's health, just for you. I mean, oxigen itself is toxic to our cells, living in a city with cars or chimneys is toxic, even eating our food from our own metal forks could be described as toxic. Even water can be toxic.

Actually, greenstuff is only toxic when ingested (swallowed) or, specially, inhaled after you sand it (but in the same way that wood is if you inhale it after you sand it), and in large quantities.

So it's ok (from a health and safety point of view) to lick your fingers or the tip of the tools you are working with. Just don't swallow it, and if greenstuff gets stucked in your fingers, take it off with a toothpick, not with your teeth.
Click to expand...
It is not about it being toxic, bisphenol-a is a hormone.
There is a reason why the MSDS recommends gloves.
 
Is a hormone-like substance, not really a hormone per se, and it has only been banned in baby bottles due to the heating of the bottles in the microwave, because bisphenol-a "migrates" to its content, and it has been banned (at least from USA's FDA, and Europe) due to consumer's concern more than anything else. You can find it in 3 and 7 type of plastics, even water bottles. That's why it's harmful when ingested (swallowed), but you can find "microtraces" (i don't know if that is the right word in english) in almost everything. When you lick your fingers, you are not eating a chunk of it. It's not harmful. Really.
 
Nacho said:
Is a hormone-like substance, not really a hormone per se, and it has only been banned in baby bottles due to the heating of the bottles in the microwave, because bisphenol-a "migrates" to its content, and it has been banned (at least from USA's FDA, and Europe) due to consumer's concern more than anything else. You can find it in 3 and 7 type of plastics, even water bottles. That's why it's harmful when ingested (swallowed), but you can find "microtraces" (i don't know if that is the right word in english) in almost everything. When you lick your fingers, you are not eating a chunk of it. It's not harmful. Really.
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While that might be true there is also still an ongoing investigation about its cancer risk. Its structure is very similar to materials that are known to be cancerogens. Hard to prove though so that will take a while.

And keep in mind that having traces of it somewhere and touching pure bisphenol-a are two very different things.

I asked a gal that has a doctor in chemical biology and she just glanced at the structure and said "I'd definitely not touch that without Nitril gloves".

So yeah, wearing gloves here. Might be overkill but I like to err on the safe side.
 
Hey guys, just wondering never really used green stuff but how do you get it to dry?
 
Sreeves said:
Hey guys, just wondering never really used green stuff but how do you get it to dry?
Click to expand...

It dries (sets) naturally over time (as long as it has access to oxygen) think of it as clay - you mould it whilst it’s soft and damp - once it’s dry you can pick at it but can’t mould anymore.
 
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