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Milliput and Cling Film - A Question...


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A quick question - if I may - for the good folk on here who use Milliput specifically...

 

I want to make a base section approx 2mm thick - with an area of about 8“ x 12“ - fairly flat - onto which I can push a few 'subtle' undulations.  I then want to 'press' a hollow building into it - but only very lightly - to create the outline of the building in the surface and 'sink' it by less than 0.5mm.  I want to create the sunken outline - but not fix the building at this point.  I want to do this so it sits level when I come to fix it into place - much further down the line.

 

My question is - if I cover my milliput sheet with a piece of cling film - will it remove cleanly later - when it has 'set like a stone' - or - will I have a piece of milliput - that I can't sand - as it's now covered in soft plastic that won't come off...

 

Any specific personal advice from a user would be most appreciated,

Thanks - Steve

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7 hours ago, rayprit said:

Maybe some ideas for you to look at here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=modelling+diarama+base

Thanks Ray - an entire weekend's viewing there...

 

...are you a milliput user yourself?  Do you have any specific advice from your own personal experience?

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I have made bases in the past, dependant on the size of the model I am making depends on the material I use.  For a small figure requiring a small base, 3"x3"(Imperial) I would use milliput, anything bigger then I favour Pollyfilla, cheap and you get plenty of it.  I made a 1/72 Sunderland flying boat picking up a downed pilot a few years ago and used Pollyfilla as the sea and painted accordingly................AFV diarama.......again, Pollyfiller, although I have been known to use Plaster of Paris(the stuff the mend broken limbs with) Hobbycraft also sell kits and molds for dioaramas, I bought a couple of molds of various size bolders and rocks to  add to AFV bases....................just make the stuff up and move with a knife or spatula to the way you want it to appear.................what your thinking of using, could turn out to be expensive and it could be a lot of hard work plus, I suspect you would need more than one pack of milliput judging by your description of your base.   Mixing the 2 x parts of milliput together..................milliput I use to make parts such as sandbags, canopies for vehicles, ground sheets..................milliput is great when you have the imagination to use it for any of your projects.................look at the instruction sheet of milliput for just a few of its uses...............heres another weekends viewing

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=milliput+modeling

 

Happy modelling

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26 minutes ago, rayprit said:

I have made bases in the past, dependant on the size of the model I am making depends on the material I use.  For a small figure requiring a small base, 3"x3"(Imperial) I would use milliput, anything bigger then I favour Pollyfilla, cheap and you get plenty of it.  I made a 1/72 Sunderland flying boat picking up a downed pilot a few years ago and used Pollyfilla as the sea and painted accordingly................AFV diarama.......again, Pollyfiller, although I have been known to use Plaster of Paris(the stuff the mend broken limbs with) Hobbycraft also sell kits and molds for dioaramas, I bought a couple of molds of various size bolders and rocks to  add to AFV bases....................just make the stuff up and move with a knife or spatula to the way you want it to appear.................what your thinking of using, could turn out to be expensive and it could be a lot of hard work plus, I suspect you would need more than one pack of milliput judging by your description of your base.   Mixing the 2 x parts of milliput together..................milliput I use to make parts such as sandbags, canopies for vehicles, ground sheets..................milliput is great when you have the imagination to use it for any of your projects.................look at the instruction sheet of milliput for just a few of its uses...............heres another weekends viewing

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=milliput+modeling

 

Happy modelling

So how does cling film react with ployfilla? any idea Ray?

 

For mixing milliput I take the 'sausages' and chop them into 'coins' - then put them back together alternately to make 'stripy sausages' - if that makes sense...

It mixes really well that way.

 

I don't really need moulds for this project - it's only an area of relatively bland flat land and I just want to 'sink' the building a tad as it is 'ever so slightly' warped and doesn't want to sit completely flat on an actual flat surface - again - if that makes sense... 

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personally i would go with the pollyfilla.................as for the building outline, you can press that into the pollyfilla and still have your outline, cant see why your using cling film, either way, for the polyfilla or milliput to stay anchored to its base, I generally drive panel pins into the base(I use hornby track pins - they are very, very small) I then pollyfilla or milliput over the nails/pins. so the pins and plaster become one..........accidently drop your base and find out what happens to the pollyfilla or milliput and bothfall apart, plus, leave your base in the sun and wood shrinks breaking the bond between plaster and base..................

 

You will find occasionally, your 'sausages' become tacky as your rolling them and material sticks to your fingers or work surface, use talcome powder to stop this happening

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Why cling film? well I guess pushing the building into polyfilla - to gain an imprint - then removing the building would leave polyfilla attached to the building.

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if you wait for the polyfilla  to start to set it  will still be malleable enough to take an impression,  but dry enough to not be  sticky.

 

Have a play with a test subject,  and polyfilla will wipe off anyway.

 

HTH

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I prefer Grouting for this sort of job. Its a lot thicker right from the tub. Can be bought for £1 in the usual £ shops

Using a plastic bag or cling film barrier will give gentle curves into the depression. For harder lines on the depression do not use the plastic barrier. The grouting will wash off the building before the grout has hardened

Cover with plastic bag or cling film, press building into it, remove plastic barrier immediately

 

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37 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

I prefer Grouting for this sort of job. Its a lot thicker right from the tub. Can be bought for £1 in the usual £ shops

Using a plastic bag or cling film barrier will give gentle curves into the depression. For harder lines on the depression do not use the plastic barrier. The grouting will wash off the building before the grout has hardened

Cover with plastic bag or cling film, press building into it, remove plastic barrier immediately

 

Thanks for a very concise and informative answer - loving the new avatar too ;)

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I've used Milliput quite a lot down the years. In the matter of the cling film peeling off, yes I have done that and it peels away fine. I had occasion to make a curved lid for a treasure chest (long story!), and I managed it by putting some cling film round a suitable coffee mug, then laying a 2mm thick layer of Milliput on it so that it formed the desired shape. Once cured, and with a bit of care, it came away undamaged and minus the cling film. Having said that, I would be concerned at the prospect of doing a 2mm thick sheet of Milliput of that size - I think cling film would be the least of your problems, given the brittle nature of the material when rolled that thin. 

 

Just my £0.04 worth, you understand :)

 

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4 hours ago, clive_t said:

I've used Milliput quite a lot down the years. In the matter of the cling film peeling off, yes I have done that and it peels away fine. I had occasion to make a curved lid for a treasure chest (long story!), and I managed it by putting some cling film round a suitable coffee mug, then laying a 2mm thick layer of Milliput on it so that it formed the desired shape. Once cured, and with a bit of care, it came away undamaged and minus the cling film. Having said that, I would be concerned at the prospect of doing a 2mm thick sheet of Milliput of that size - I think cling film would be the least of your problems, given the brittle nature of the material when rolled that thin. 

 

Just my £0.04 worth, you understand :)

 

...four peneth eh - that's inflation for you :lol:

 

On reflection 2mm may be a 'little thin' for what I need - 5mm may be better.  I have a roll laminator with height adjust from 25mm to zero and considered slapping a rough shaped piece of milliput between 2 pieces of clear 2mm perspex - with cling film on the faces and then running it through a few times - dropping the height in stages.  I should be able to see what's happening through the top perspex - just an idea at this stage.

 

Thansk for coming back with some sound advice Clive.

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Ok 5mm sounds better on the face of it, however one issue might have concerns the amount of Milliput you'll need for a sheet that size and double the thickness. Remember that as far as the curing is concerned, the clock is ticking from the moment the two components come into contact. I would reckon you'd have about 45 minutes at the most before it starts to harden off to a point where it becomes too difficult to compress. 

You'll need to get a shift on in order to thoroughly mix that amount and get it rolled to the required dimensions before it starts to become unworkable.

Unless you're doing it in sections and then sticking them together with a bead of Milliput, of course!

 

Good luck with it however you go about it.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm late to this discussion...

 

Regarding the specific question about milliput and clingfile - use talc.

 

If I want a thin flat piece of milliput I will often use a clear plastic bag. Sprinkle talc inside so that both inside surfaces are covered. The put the milliput inside to roll flat. With the talc it won't stick to the bag

 

I've also used the same method with clingfilm around the hull of a boat, coated with talc when I have used milliput to create water and waves.  The boat can be left in situ to build up milliput around it (eg creating a bow wave) and then the hull can be lifted out when the milliput has cured.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Al

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2 hours ago, Al Gunthwaite said:

I'm late to this discussion...

 

Regarding the specific question about milliput and clingfile - use talc.

 

If I want a thin flat piece of milliput I will often use a clear plastic bag. Sprinkle talc inside so that both inside surfaces are covered. The put the milliput inside to roll flat. With the talc it won't stick to the bag

 

I've also used the same method with clingfilm around the hull of a boat, coated with talc when I have used milliput to create water and waves.  The boat can be left in situ to build up milliput around it (eg creating a bow wave) and then the hull can be lifted out when the milliput has cured.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Al

Thanks Al - that is a brilliant tip :)

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