Sculptamold Questions

[BCR751]

In light of the mostly negative comments around using light weight spackle, I talked to our local craft store here in the hinterlands to see if they had sculptamold.  No they don't.  They did, however say they would order it but need a couple of questions answered.  Is the sculptamold everyone uses made by Amaco?  and  Does it come as a powder or is it premixed?

Doug

[jwb]

Yes, it's Amaco, and it's powder.

[Noah Lane]

I personally never patronize Wal Mart, nor do I advocate doing so.  But I did see that they often carry sculptamold in the craft section of their stores. You might try that.

[arbomambo]

And, if local supply fails...a certain Baltimore area retailer carries it as well as Amazon (I get mine in bulk from Amazon)
Bruce

[jimmo]

In light of the mostly negative comments around using light weight spackle...

Where were these negative comments about lightweight spackle? I've read and participated in more than a few discussions and none of them were negative. Some of us swear by it.

If you liked working with papier mache as a kid, you'll probably really like Sculptamold.

[BCR751]

Well, it's like anything else.  Some like it and some don't.  My main reason for giving spackle any consideration is that I'm trying to keep the weight down and avoid having to mix stuff.  Plaster is definitely out.  Too heavy, messy and, have to mix it.  Drywall Compound is out because it shrinks and cracks.  I thought of trying the lightweight spackle but now I find out it comes from the tub pink and is almost impossible to get a proper tint using acrylic paint.  So, I read in Frary's scenery book that Sculptamold seems to be the universal answer to building scenery and it covers over Styrofoam well, which I'm using for my scenery base.  Bummer about Sculptamold, however, is it has to be mixed.  Just can't win.  Guess I'll just have to pick one and hope for the best 

Doug

[mmagliaro]

Did you try Michael's Crafts near where you live?
I think they carry it.

I bought lots of Celluclay there (made by the same company).   By the way, you might like Celluclay.
It can be bought in gray or white.  It's basically shredded up paper pulp and some sort of adhesive.  You
mix with water and it forms a gray thick goop, just like paper mache (in fact, that's really all it is).

It worked really well for scenery for me.  You can mix it stiff to form higher landforms, or a little thinner
to use it to smooth over surfaces of form or for transitions.   
It always has a slightly rough textured surface, so it won't dry smooth like joint compound, plaster, or sculptamold.
And it takes days to dry. 

But aside from those negatives, it was easy to paint, saw, rasp, glue, etc.  And it was good for poking holes to plant
trees and other scenery details.

[davefoxx]

Well, it's like anything else.  Some like it and some don't.  My main reason for giving spackle any consideration is that I'm trying to keep the weight down and avoid having to mix stuff.  Plaster is definitely out.  Too heavy, messy and, have to mix it.  Drywall Compound is out because it shrinks and cracks.  I thought of trying the lightweight spackle but now I find out it comes from the tub pink and is almost impossible to get a proper tint using acrylic paint.  So, I read in Frary's scenery book that Sculptamold seems to be the universal answer to building scenery and it covers over Styrofoam well, which I'm using for my scenery base.  Bummer about Sculptamold, however, is it has to be mixed.  Just can't win.  Guess I'll just have to pick one and hope for the best 

Doug

Doug,

For all of the same points that you nixed plaster and joint compound, I use this lightweight spackling.  No mixing, no cracking, no shrinking, and it dries to the consistency of the 2" foam that I use for subroadbed and forming scenery.  I get it from my local home center, and it's white (both out of the bucket and after it dries):

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Phenopatch-1-qt-Premium-Grade-Patch-N-Paint-Lightweight-Spackling-01611/100094504

DFF

[arbomambo]

As I stated before...I've used both, and I don't deny that great results are achieved with lightweight spackle. I simply prefer Sculptamold for all the reasons I stated in the other thread...it is certainly more durable after drying, sanding, etc...and, depending on how well you mix it, and in what ratios, can be sculpted and sanded just a s well as spackle-the only thing affected by adding more liquid is the drying and curing time. Cellulose (paper mache) is only part of the ingredients, lightweight hydrocal being the other, so it is a lot more flexible than the spackle...for MY purposes, providing relief on mobile, modular pieces of layouts, that will be handled very frequently, the sculptamold is ideal; it also carves better that the lightweight spackle. The advantage of the lightweight spackle really shines in providing a 'smooth' surface-the grain is very fine and feather edges can be achieved.
~Bruce

[BCR751]

Not really wanting to order the stuff myself, I asked all over town if any of the stores, Walmart, Canadian Tire, IRLY, Home Hardware, carried, or could get, lightweight spackle.  The brand I was asking about was a DAP product.  None of the stores had any DAP lightweight spackle.  Home Hardware did have their house brand, Beauti Tone.  This is the pink stuff.  (I don't know what color the DAP stuff is out of the tub).  I asked about the DAP product and they said they could order it but it cost about 2.5 times what the Beauti Tone stuff cost. 

So, for the time being, I'm on the fence.  Do I go with a proven product in the Sculptamold and just suck it up and do the mixing, or do I go with the pink lightweight spackle and experiment a little?  Or, maybe I should just stick to building models 

Doug

[wazzou]

Do you have any Ace Hardware stores?  Look for Red Devil brand LW spackle.

[MichaelWinicki]

So, for the time being, I'm on the fence.  Do I go with a proven product in the Sculptamold and just suck it up and do the mixing, or do I go with the pink lightweight spackle and experiment a little?  Or, maybe I should just stick to building models 

Doug

Mixing Sculptamold is easy.

Just get it to the consistency of "oatmeal" and start applying.  Do a bowl-full at a time.

I like light-weight spackle and use it in small areas... but I prefer Sculptamold for larger areas. 

[hminky]

If Sculptamold is mixed with latex paint it will dry to the original latex paint color:





That is why I like Sculptamold.

Harold

[arbomambo]

If Sculptamold is mixed with latex paint it will dry to the original latex paint color:





That is why I like Sculptamold.

Harold

exactly!...I did the same thing, building this mesa on an Ntrak module...sculptamold mixed with earth paint, applied over carved foam...



Bruce

[Kisatchie]

exactly!...I did the same thing, building this mesa on an Ntrak module...sculptamold mixed with earth paint, applied over carved foam...

I was impressed the first time I saw that photo, and I'm STILL impressed. Damn!


Hmm... pardon me while
I go wash Kiz's mouth
out with soap.