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 Posted - June 06 2014 : 9:37:51 PM
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Has anyone here used the Sculptamold plaster type landscaping product? Or what do you use? I'm actually thinking about using auto body filler over styrofoam, or may try the Scuptamold...
Walt
Luck, usually comes dressed in work clothes...
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 Posted - June 06 2014 : 9:52:39 PM
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I've tried Sculptamold. It's pretty effective if you do it well of course. Why not try it out?
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - June 06 2014 : 9:58:31 PM
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Have not tried it yet. I have "sculpted" extruded foam into shapes I wanted, and used plaster here and there. One of these days I might dive into it and see what happens.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - June 06 2014 : 10:02:07 PM
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I've used Sculptamold on a few occasions and found it easy to use. It also produces good results.
As for auto body filler over Styrofoam, I think you should not use it extensively until you have experimented to see if it attacks the foam. It might contain petrochemicals that dissolve Styrofoam.
Carpe Manana!
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Posted - June 06 2014 : 11:01:03 PM
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quote:Have not tried it yet. I have "sculpted" extruded foam into shapes I wanted, and used plaster here and there. One of these days I might dive into it and see what happens.
Originally posted by JNXT 7707Â -Â June 06 2014Â :Â 9:58:31 PM
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Thank You, guys... Shaggy, I have used body filler on styrofoam a few years ago on a non hobby train project. Bonds very well, quite durable and lasts forever! Well, other than someone stuffing a wad in a rust hole... Biggest problem is very short "shaping time"....
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Posted - June 07 2014 : 12:42:57 AM
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| I would use sculptamold...great stuff. Bondo might be good for making rocks but the set time is too short and the smell is pretty strong to use indoors.
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Posted - June 07 2014 : 08:32:37 AM
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Bondo smells good to a 35 year body man.. My wife of all the products I use, liked the smell of body filler in the air best. Actually it's not bad odor at all... and won't harm you unless you have your head in the can...
Edited by - walt on June 07 2014 08:49:59 AM
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Posted - June 07 2014 : 10:00:12 PM
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I've done paper mache, Plaster of Paris, styrofoam...it can all look decent, just depends on how you sculpt and paint it. The latest product I used was a drywall compound called 'Durabond 90'. It dries a lot harder than Plaster of Paris and has a much more rock-like texture. It's what most of my Atomic Lake cliffs are cast out of. The only downside I found was the dry-time was about 5-times as long as PoP (casting took a loooooong time ). It does look better than the plaster though, and a 35lb bag was only $20.
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Posted - June 08 2014 : 12:04:26 AM
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quote:I've used Sculptamold on a few occasions and found it easy to use. It also produces good results.
As for auto body filler over Styrofoam, I think you should not use it extensively until you have experimented to see if it attacks the foam. It might contain petrochemicals that dissolve Styrofoam.
Originally posted by scsshaggy - June 06 2014 : 10:02:07 PM
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It actually just sunk in but nothing in the autobody industry contains any petrochemicals or oil . Oil is an auto paints worst enemy. Even the oil left from fingerprints is enough to cause grief... So I'm quite certain that body filler has none...
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Posted - June 17 2014 : 01:09:17 AM
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Went thru our area to by some Sculptamold today only to fine no one has it. The net clamed that Walmart has it, JoAnn Fabrics has it and I thought that Hobby Lobby possibly would have some. Neither (of 2) WalMart had any, JoAnn's had never heard of it and HL had other moulding products...
Since I'm not making any large hills or mountains, I can probably get by fine with a different product...
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Posted - June 17 2014 : 08:05:45 AM
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quote:
It actually just sunk in but nothing in the autobody industry contains any petrochemicals or oil . Oil is an auto paints worst enemy. Even the oil left from fingerprints is enough to cause grief... So I'm quite certain that body filler has none...
Originally posted by walt - June 08 2014 : 12:04:26 AM
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w:
Filler most definitely does contain petrochemicals, in the sense of petroleum-derived chemicals, though not necessarily oils as such (the 3 most problematic substances in a bodyshop being 1. oils, 2. dust, and 3. customers, though not necessarily in that order)
The sweet smell of body filler is hard to forget if you've ever worked in a bodyshop (I also did, at one time). I think that delightful smell is largely the styrene monomer they add to make it spreadable. It's nostalgic every time I haul out the Duraglas to patch up the car...
More on-topic, I don't use Sculptamold or any of the assorted art or model-railroad products because of the cost. I've used anything cheap and readily available at the hardware store. My RR hills were made from paper towels dipped in joint compound. John Allen's mountains were all made from paper towels dipped in texture paint; I thought this would be similar. Also I had a big bucket of leftover joint compound.
The result took a long time to harden, but it's strong and resilient. I've used plaster of Paris the same way, in the past. I've also used plaster-of-paris or patching plaster and even cement on screen wire, or papier-mache made from newspaper and wallpaper paste.
If I ever used foam, I'd probably use joint compound or plaster as the top coat.
Edited by - Autobus Prime on June 17 2014 08:13:39 AM
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Posted - June 17 2014 : 10:40:22 AM
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quote: quote:
It actually just sunk in but nothing in the autobody industry contains any petrochemicals or oil . Oil is an auto paints worst enemy. Even the oil left from fingerprints is enough to cause grief... So I'm quite certain that body filler has none...
Originally posted by walt - June 08 2014 : 12:04:26 AM
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w:
Filler most definitely does contain petrochemicals, in the sense of petroleum-derived chemicals, though not necessarily oils as such (the 3 most problematic substances in a bodyshop being 1. oils, 2. dust, and 3. customers, though not necessarily in that order)
The sweet smell of body filler is hard to forget if you've ever worked in a bodyshop (I also did, at one time). I think that delightful smell is largely the styrene monomer they add to make it spreadable. It's nostalgic every time I haul out the Duraglas to patch up the car...
Originally posted by Autobus Prime - June 17 2014 : 08:05:45 AM
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Your list of most problematic issues in a body shop is not really correct as I am a lifetime crash tech and customized. A customer is not a problem and won't be if you are doing quality work. If you're patching rust holes with Duraglass the customer will be a problem because that's not even close to how it's done. The customer is my best friend. Because of him I get paid well. I don't have problematic customers, I have repeat ones
DUST. Is NOT, a problem with a good body tech. 98 percent of dust found in a paint job was on the car before the paint was applied. Stuck in a crack or crevice. Lack of blowing the car off well and wipe down creates as dust problem. This is fault of the one doing it.
Oil and silicone can be a nightmare but isn't in a controlled shop. It's never a problem in mine. I'm smart enough not to have either on my hands or elsewhere. Silicone products are not welcome at all I'm my shop. Being clean in a body shop makes all the difference..
If you have or work in a shop that has customer, dust or oil problems... You have yourself or employees to blame for doing things incorrectly and poorly.
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Posted - June 17 2014 : 12:31:16 PM
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Well I have to admit that as a car guy and a gearhead there is nothing like the smell of fresh Bondo and auto paint...I still paint my own cars in the garage as another hobby in addition to trains. But these are best experienced in the garage with the door open...not in the basement with the kitchen and bedrooms directly overhead.There is an alternative to Sculptamold called Hydrostone that is used by sculptors. If you have a Community College or university nearby that has a sculpting program check and see if they have a supply hut or cage on campus. You generally don't have to be a student to buy there It can be had in various set times and harnesses or it should be easy to find online. If not, I believe the only thing that sets Sculptamold apart from other plaster products is the addition of shredded paper to the mix. Should be able to make that with a document shredder and an old blender! quote: quote:
It actually just sunk in but nothing in the autobody industry contains any petrochemicals or oil . Oil is an auto paints worst enemy. Even the oil left from fingerprints is enough to cause grief... So I'm quite certain that body filler has none...
Originally posted by walt - June 08 2014 : 12:04:26 AM
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w:
Filler most definitely does contain petrochemicals, in the sense of petroleum-derived chemicals, though not necessarily oils as such (the 3 most problematic substances in a bodyshop being 1. oils, 2. dust, and 3. customers, though not necessarily in that order)
The sweet smell of body filler is hard to forget if you've ever worked in a bodyshop (I also did, at one time). I think that delightful smell is largely the styrene monomer they add to make it spreadable. It's nostalgic every time I haul out the Duraglas to patch up the car...
More on-topic, I don't use Sculptamold or any of the assorted art or model-railroad products because of the cost. I've used anything cheap and readily available at the hardware store. My RR hills were made from paper towels dipped in joint compound. John Allen's mountains were all made from paper towels dipped in texture paint; I thought this would be similar. Also I had a big bucket of leftover joint compound.
The result took a long time to harden, but it's strong and resilient. I've used plaster of Paris the same way, in the past. I've also used plaster-of-paris or patching plaster and even cement on screen wire, or papier-mache made from newspaper and wallpaper paste.
If I ever used foam, I'd probably use joint compound or plaster as the top coat.
Originally posted by Autobus Prime - June 17 2014 : 08:05:45 AM
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Posted - June 17 2014 : 1:32:17 PM
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quote:
Your list of most problematic issues in a body shop is not really correct as I am a lifetime crash tech and customized. A customer is not a problem and won't be if you are doing quality work. If you're patching rust holes with Duraglass the customer will be a problem because that's not even close to how it's done. The customer is my best friend. Because of him I get paid well. I don't have problematic customers, I have repeat ones
DUST. Is NOT, a problem with a good body tech. 98 percent of dust found in a paint job was on the car before the paint was applied. Stuck in a crack or crevice. Lack of blowing the car off well and wipe down creates as dust problem. This is fault of the one doing it.
Oil and silicone can be a nightmare but isn't in a controlled shop. It's never a problem in mine. I'm smart enough not to have either on my hands or elsewhere. Silicone products are not welcome at all I'm my shop. Being clean in a body shop makes all the difference..
If you have or work in a shop that has customer, dust or oil problems... You have yourself or employees to blame for doing things incorrectly and poorly.
Originally posted by walt - June 17 2014 : 10:40:22 AM
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The body shop I once worked as a laborer in, was, shall we say, rustic. It was a converted barn, heated by a woodstove. I'm pretty sure that a lot of things we did weren't done the right way. But we always made sure the hunting dogs stayed in the front office.
The customers were our friends too, but often a source of problems. There were the ex-girlfriends-of-employees type of problems, there was the one who brought a case of beer and insisted that those of us staying late to work his 4x4 finish it off with him before proceeding. The paint job looked great that night. 
This was all four million years ago, on another planet. I miss it sometimes...
Duraglas? Of course I know what it is for. It's a yearly sacrifice to the salt gods during our PA Inspection ritual. Those who live in other states may not be familiar with this esoteric religious practice, which involves such amusing rites as a $40 test of a $10 gas cap.
Edited by - Autobus Prime on June 17 2014 1:37:28 PM
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Posted - June 17 2014 : 2:03:14 PM
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Body Work!
I remember my dad and his friend painting my mothers 59 Chevy a number of years ago. They were painting her repaired fender, drinking Old Charter, and bragging about how good it looked. When I got up the next morning my dad was sanding the paint off and re-prepping the fender. When I reminded him of how good they said it looked the night before, I was told to shut-up and go in the house.
Regards, John **************
Dad taught me everything I know. Unfortunately, he didn't teach me everything he knows. <> Al Unser
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Posted - July 29 2014 : 02:38:13 AM
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That' funny, John!
As I ended up using the Bondo Body filler to cover poster board thin cardboard for my bridge side earth areas. I am really please of this choice. As I've worked with this stuff for many years and as I figured, this filler had more than exceeded what I expected. Very durable even in very thin areas over the paperboard. These sections are almost 6 feet long and I can carry these "still light weight" without cracking or damage. The filler allows enough flex not to damage or crack. I'm not sure how flexible if at all, the scuptamold or a plaster would be...
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