Recommendations for sculpting work surface

[wizardwolf]

I need to flatten my putty and then cut it - is wax paper the best surface to do this on, or does anyone have a suggestion that's alternative? I'm also wondering if there is an optimal hardness for when you flatten as well as cut. I know I need to experiment with this on my own, but any tips about work surface and methods for getting nice smooth flat pieces are appreciated.

Edit - for context, the putty I am using is aprox. 50% grey stuff and 50% milliput - I'm sculpting up on the armored plates of the Revenant Titan.

 

[QuietiManes]

Um, lots of alternatives. Wax paper should work quite well, as long as you back it with something smooth and solid (so you don't get creases and crinkles when you smooth putty out). I think plastic wrap is used more often though. Something I've been thinking of trying is silicone. Like, baking sheets, you can get them for a couple bucks each. They'd be difficult to use though, they're thick, usually textured on one side, can't see through them, etc.

 

[Dragonsreach]

I don't think that there is a single right answer here.
I still have an old white tile I roll out the pro-create or green stuff on simply because the putty doesn't stick to the surface and I can cut the putty to fit with out damaging anything else.
But I see no reason why Greaseproof paper couldn't be used or for that matter a smooth kitchen vinyl chopping board.

 

[freakinacage]

I'd go for something solid, myself. The wax paper would move and ruckle up too much. Something like a tile would be best I'd say, less movement. Talc it like a baker would flour a board and it'll stop the putty from sticking

 

[Chrome]

I use two pieces of a plastic bag when I need flat green stuff, I wet one piece and let it stick to the work bench, then I place freshly kneaded green stuff on it and put the other piece of plastic on top and I just flatten it with anything that can act as a rolling pin. as a final measure, when it's almost as flat as I want it, I use a book or something similar, put it on top and just give it some even pressure until it's the thickness I want. Depending on how I intend to work with the piece I remove the plastic at different stages.

 

[KHAAAAAN]

I have had success with a simple glass chopping board, just dip your hand in a handy pot of water and moisten the area you going to be working on is usually enough to prevent sticking. I have tried this technique with Greens stuff, procreate and brown stuff no issues thus far encountered.

 

[Einion]

I need to flatten my putty and then cut it - is wax paper the best surface to do this on, or does anyone have a suggestion that's alternative?

Just to check, you only need the putty to be smooth on one side correct?

If so one thing you can consider rolling out on is a reusable Teflon baking sheet. Teflon will resist just about anything sticking to it (permanently stick, you can still get stuff to cling) so it's perhaps the ideal reusable non-stick surface.

Wax paper is a great choice though. So are polythene and other sheet plastics including plastic food wrap, which is probably the ideal disposable non-stick surface.

I'm also wondering if there is an optimal hardness for when you flatten as well as cut.

I think you can really roll at just about any point until the putty won't easily squash down any further, depending on how much sticking you're getting. (This is dependent on putty, the temp, how much lubricant you're using if any etc.)

But I would generally advise doing this with the putty pretty far along, either wait a good long while (2/3 of the working period at least) or speed-cure freshly-mixed putty to around the same consistency.

... any tips about work surface and methods for getting nice smooth flat pieces are appreciated.

Use a perfectly-smooth rolling pin would be my #1 tip, as obvious as that might sound. And you need to keep it clean, even a tiny dot of putty smooshed to a flattened oval will leave an obvious depression in the working surface... although you could always rely on the other side if you're working on a featureless flat surface like glass.

Other tips:
try talc as a lubricant;
try oil or petroleum jelly as a lubricant;
don't be afraid to let the putty cure on the working surface, even if it's bonded you should be able to pop it free if you heat it up well (hairdryer will do perfectly for this);
do final cutting/sizing after the putty has cured if you need accurate measurements.

How thick are you rolling to BTW?

Einion