The Abbey of Aves

[seam-filler]

I can't put my finger on it but Milliput also has a "grain" it seems, almost like "plasticy-porcelain." Aves, on the other hand is more like styrene when cured.

Does that help?

Kenny

I am a long-time milliput user (30+ years) and have only recently been able to get Aves - and I am mightily impressed!

The 'grain' Kenny refers to is likely to be the grade, There are 3 grades standard (available in yellow/green & terracotta), fine, (available in silver/grey & black) and superfine white. I use the superfine white because there is virtually none of the graininess.

The big disadvantages of milliput are it's stiffness when mixing, the fact that you have to be very precise with the 50/50 mix and it is also relatively hard when cured comapred to Aves. Being so stiff it's not as good for filling.

The advantages? Well, there are some... It is workable (I mean for scribing/sanding) after only about 3 hours - less if the room is warm. It is more adhesive, making it good when building up something big. Water is all you need to turn it into 'mud' - no alcohol or special thinner. Put it mixed in a fridge and it will last for days; put it in a freezer and it will last months. Being stiffer, it can be easier to work with for bigger sculpts.

The biggest advantage in the UK, though, is availablility. Milliput is a UK product and is fairly readily available. Aves, on the other hand, is available only through one or two UK-based internet shops and even then, it is usually really expensive. In fact, it was only because I found a relatively cheap source that I am now using Aves at all.

I may not be a complete convert, but for most of my modelling, Aves is the best thing.

[Ti Raven]

The Aves is to extend it's Blessing upon 'The Fist', a Ti Raven, 2009 gifting to The Iron Modeler Chairman.

May my endeavors find the Joy & Serindipity that only a Blessing by the Holy Aves may impart.


Model on~ my Brothers & Sisters.

Sister Ti

[TD1701]

You all convinced me! I just placed my order for Aves through the SSM Store! I can harldy wait to try it on my current build!


Tom

[Squall67584]

So I think I messed up with the mixing... I don't know how I could fudge up mixing equal parts, but some how I did, and now after 24 hours it hasn't fully cured. It's hardened somewhat, but can still be indented with your finger nail. Is there a way to make it harden, or am I going to have to try scraping it all off and starting over?

[TER-OR]

Wow, did you blend it thoroughly? It should be fully cured after 3 hours or so. I'd remove it if you still can.

[Squall67584]

It turned the grayish color that it did in previous uses, but I think I may have used more of the part B than I should have.

[Lt. Z0mBe]

So I think I messed up with the mixing... I don't know how I could fudge up mixing equal parts, but some how I did, and now after 24 hours it hasn't fully cured. It's hardened somewhat, but can still be indented with your finger nail. Is there a way to make it harden, or am I going to have to try scraping it all off and starting over?

You could try varnishing it with CA glue. Put a drop on the affected area and smooth with your finger. Move your finger REALLY fast and do_not_stop_moving. Sand IMMEDIATELY and repeat until the Aves has soaked up enough CA to harden it.

I hope this helps.

Kenny

[Kylwell]

One of the things we (I) have found is that mixing it well is paramount. You should be mashing & folding for @ least 2 minutes to get everything evenly distributed otherwise you can end up with areas not curing fully.

I also always error to the side of hardener.

[TD1701]

I have been converted by the power of the AVES. It has blessed upon me the gift of almost effortless seam filling. I was seduced one last time to the evils of green putty, and again it had shunned me. Aves can be sanded down so divinely with the greatest of ease.

Tom

[Squall67584]

Well, after letting the aves sit for another day, it has gotten slightly harder, and since I applied it in liberal amounts, the semi-hardened excess can be scraped off with a #11 blade, and then sanded down with 100 grit, though it gums up the paper something fierce. So even when improperly mixed due to user error, it still comes through amazingly in the end.

[Old Wombat]

OK, you've sold me, I gotta find me some Aves!

I've been using Milliput & white putty, so far, but my latest builds aren't liking them too much.

Think I know where I can get some... Tomorrow... Hope so, anyway.

[TER-OR]

And lo, to the people was revealed tools of unparalleled use!
http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/CLAYTO ... hapers.htm

[Old Wombat]

NO AVES!!!!!

So, I've had to go with Squadron white & green putty (at least they're better than Tamiya white putty ).

[Lt. Z0mBe]

NO AVES!!!!!

So, I've had to go with Squadron white & green putty (at least they're better than Tamiya white putty ).

http://www.avesstudio.com/Products/Apox ... culpt.html

You can get it straight from heaven itself. Shipping...err tithe and other fees may cost you a bit more if you canna find it locally.

May Aves be with you.

Kenny

[Antenociti]

Aves Paste.....

FOr a while (sacrilege i know) i reallys truggled with this goeey, messy, weird stuff.

Kind of love it now though, even though its still messy tow ork with.

Basic shape formed in styrofoam - then mix up the paste, slap it on the styrofoam, then using plenty of water, smooth it all over with a finger - then put to one side and let harden up.

end result is a lovely rock-hard workable surface that is strong enough for pressure casting and requires very little extra smoothing by sandpaper.

[Lt. Z0mBe]

Aves Paste.....

FOr a while (sacrilege i know) i reallys truggled with this goeey, messy, weird stuff.

Kind of love it now though, even though its still messy tow ork with.

Basic shape formed in styrofoam - then mix up the paste, slap it on the styrofoam, then using plenty of water, smooth it all over with a finger - then put to one side and let harden up.

end result is a lovely rock-hard workable surface that is strong enough for pressure casting and requires very little extra smoothing by sandpaper.

"...for through your suffering, there is discovery - and filled seams."

~II Decals 1:6



Try smoothing Aves stuff with isopropyl alcohol or denatured alcohol, and your proverbial worm will turn, Brother Antenociti. You think water's great, you're in for a treat. Terry taught me that one. You can often brush the surface with the alcohol smoother than you can with water. I have used that trick along stubborn canopy seams.

Kenny

[Jagdson]

This self may have to try the Paste. An attempt to skin a Styrofoam cylinder with Aves Putty resulted in a somewhat realistic model cucumber. The bumps took some effort to remove - three sheets of 100 grit sandpaper died for the cause.

The priest and priestess at WF'09 were mystified by my account. The most we can figure out is that there is an unholy reaction between foam cells and the hardening putty. This results in expanding gas pockets. Amusingly, they had not heard of this happening elsewhen.
The old spindle was not accurately shaped, so perhaps the Aves was venting its displeasure at my work. I've since fashioned a more decorous spindle... and taken the precaution of coating it in Future. Final shaping occurs soon. Then, I will relate whether or not I've regained the Putty's favor.

[wraith1701]

I apologize if this has already been asked & answered, but is there a way to thin Aves for filling small spaces? Is it already pretty thin when first mixed? Is there a better alternative to Aves for filling small seams?

-Eric

[Squall67584]

I just got done using the paste for the first time 30 minutes ago, and can say that small seams are easily filled with the paste and a makeshift tool cut from .030 gauge styrene. I made my disposable tool out of a piece of scrap I keep in a box. I just used the styrene piece like a trowel, loaded it up with some of the paste, slathered it into the seam, then after clearing off any excess from the tool, scraped the excess from both sides of the seam. While filling in a few sink holes in my project, I think I've found yet another use for aves... my kitchen's linoleum floor has a crack where the two large sheets are starting to separate...

[wraith1701]

OK; I just tried Aves out for the first time on a kit-bash project I'm working on.

AMAZING!

This stuff is super-easy to work with. After 2 minutes of kneading, I was able to easily smooth it into the nooks and crannies of the piece I'm working on, and with a little water, my fingers, and the edge of my hobby knife, I was able to quickly form it into the contours I was envisioning.

And unlike some other fillers & puttys I've used, the stuff easily washed off my hands with some soap & water! No more walking around with putty residue clinging to my fingers.

Bless you, Aves!

-Another convert

[Lt. Z0mBe]

I apologize if this has already been asked & answered, but is there a way to thin Aves for filling small spaces? Is it already pretty thin when first mixed? Is there a better alternative to Aves for filling small seams?

-Eric

Isopropyl alcohol or denatured alcohol for smooth and "just right."

Water to just smooth and annoyingly sticky.

Both work for different applications.

For instance: You might want to thin a bit with water to get it to stick to some glossy surface you're worried about stuff sticking too OR you may want to use alcohol around something you need easily smoothed. I use the alcohol 90-percent of the time; Terry taught me to use the alcohol to thin the stuff into a paste and brush into canopy seams. Then, brush smooth with a bit more alcohol and you don't even need to sand.

Hope that helps.

Aves be with you both.

Kenny

[TER-OR]

Once it's partly cured a bit of water on the surface will give it a very glossy surface, and hard too.

[JadedMonk]

Behold, my brothers and sisters, for I bring you the means to end your strife as I have ended mine. Lo, while the blessed and holy Aves Apoxie Paste doth bind us and sooth the fragmented paths, we must never stray from the ordained 1:1 mixture. As it is with the universe itself, no cure may be found in this life or the next, when the alpha and the beta are out of balance.

Thus I share with the flock my own piece of enlightenment.





I picked up a couple of oral syringes and packed each up. Now I can be sure I am getting an even mix. I'm even using a timer to make sure I mix for no less than 2 minutes.

Why?

Well, I don't know if it is another joy of living in tropical South Texas, and the high humidity, or if I am just that poor at mixing equal parts of A and B. I have no trouble with the Sculpt or the Clay, just the Apoxie Paste and FixIt Paste. They do eventually harden, but I always seem to get a tacky surface even days later.

So to eliminate as may variables as I can, I have chose an (almost) fool proof way to dispense both compounds.

I also save on popsicle sticks this way!

Cheers,

JM

[Squall67584]

I was just attaching two rather large resin pieces together with 5 minute epoxy, and after trying to hurry to get the two halves glued together before the stuff began to set, I wondered if Aves Paste would work. Has anyone used Aves to completely glue resin models together? Do I dare doubt that it might not work?

[TER-OR]

If they're big you'll probably want to pin them. Aves does work well as an adhesive - the paste works very well. You can thin the putty down, too.

I wouldn't rely on it to be super-strong though, so you'll want to make sure you have pins for mechanical strength if you're able to.

[Squall67584]

Hmm, very interesting. I'll have to give it a try on my next resin kit.

[Squall67584]

Bah! I took the clamps off of the model today, and the damned thing came apart! I've just got done cleaning all the epoxy off (it literally just peeled off like rubber cement...) and sanded down the surfaces. I thought about pinning the two halves together, but the bottom piece is really thin and I'm not sure I'd be able to drill into it without just going through. Oh, the model's the 2 Fat Guy's Acclamator. So, I've decided to try using Aves Paste to attach the two.

[Mark Yungblut]

If I had to guess as to why that happened it would be mold release residue. Wash the whole thing down with laquer thinner (the thinner will not hurt the resin kit) and then try gluing with 5 minute epoxy. Remember that the paste is not designed as an adhesive. so get a good epoxy adhesive and give that a shot. save the paste for seam filling.

Cheers,

Mark

[Squall67584]

D'oh In a momentary lapse of sanity, I totally forgot to wash down the model parts... And since between this post and the last, I've all ready slathered the paste down and clamped the two pieces together. Well, I guess I'll know in 24 hours if it'll hold or not...

[TER-OR]

Another thing about epoxy paste or putty as adhesive - rough surfaces are your friend. I will score the surface with a knife to increase surface area. Don't make them too smooth, or you're better off with CA or epoxy.