Aves Apoxie Clay - 2 Part Self Hardening Modeling Clay - 1 Pound White

I picked this up simply to experiment with clay again after a 20-year break from sculpting. I was able to get some pretty good detail and it has hardened well. There does seem to be a sweet spot of time where it's at it it's best working stiffness. the first hour of working, it's very sticky and tacky and a little hard to work. The next hour it's at a good spot in terms of not being super sticky and allowing for pretty good detail. I found I had about 30 minutes after that to work in very tight detail with wooden sculpting tools. i also use old dental picks which worked to some degree well after that.I have mixed up 5 or 6 batches at this point with a lot of success but I also use a small scale to measure my two parts to ensure they are equal. I get within about .02 of a gram and that seems to work out best for me. I use a small pocket scale that cost around $10.I am not sure but I believe temperature will impact how long it takes to harden. Also, I haven't painted this yet, but other test pieces I did took acrylic paint very well.

This two part epoxy works great. Sets up time is around 12 hours. Drys solid and hard. Sand easily and doesn't get air pockets if mixed properly. I would highly recommend for value and quality.

This is a fantastic product, it’s simple and easy to use. It can to sculpted into almost anything, painted, sanded, strong and durable. Great for small to large projects, I’ve used other epoxies over the years and I have to say this is one of the best when it comes to affordable and availability.

I was ultra curious about this product. As an artist/maker/diy'er, this product is a must have in your studio. I haven't used it for a specific project but I mixed up a small amount to get an idea of the texture, color, how it rolled out or could be shaped and how it held the shape, take and maintain impressions etc..it has a nice smooth texture and is much softer than I expected- I have worked with sculpey firm so was used to using a firmer clay. It also has a sticky quality to it though I read that letting it sit for a few minutes after mixing may help that. I rolled it out to a little thinner than 1/8 of an inch, on a piece of non stick parchment. I had to use a single edge razor blade to lift a disc I cut with a metal circle cutter. It wanted to stick to the parchment and left a residue of the clay on the parchment. This surprised me as I had never had anything stick to the parchment in the past. I cut several 3/4" triangles with a metal shaped cutter and used a tiny dotting tool to press a design into the clay and it held the impression well. I used a plastic credit card to press straight lines across the clay. I left it to air dry and after 5 or 6 hours, I turned them over. They were a bit firmer but seemed pliable. The following day, about 13 hours after mixing and forming the clay, I turned the pieces again and the back sides were still sticky to touch and I left them to completely dry. There was no curling or cracking and no visible shrinkage. There are endless possibilities to this product and as I use it for different applications in the future, I'll update this review with the results. I'm repairing a broken soapstone carving for a client and plan to use it to fill in areas where pieces were lost. I'm optimistic it will adhere to the soapstone.

This product was easy to model and stuck to whatever we put it on! One thing we learned was that we will only mix half a container at a time. 40 minutes in it was harder to share and get a smooth finish because it started to dry out. This was our first time using this product (me and my boys 17&13) and we had so much fun! We will be buying this again.

I do a lot of repair on all kinds of things, and I always have need of epoxy clay. I've been tempted to try lesser costly compounds, but Aves always works for me. It is sometimes difficult to knead, but I've never had a batch fail me, and I am able to model it and carve it for the fine detail that I often need. I just finished off my last batch joining the broken off arm of a figure on a 1903 spelter lamp and rebuilding a damaged, broken 1910 spelter eagle cigar and matches holder. On the eagle, the side of his face was crushed in, he had holes and missing toes, and the person wanted him mounted on a sculpted base that would fit a metal box. Both required a lot of sculpting and faux painting to blend the patinas of the originals, and Aves Apoxie clay handled it all. I figure with as much hard work it takes to restore a lot of the things I repair, why fuss about a few dollars when I have something that I know will get the job done right the first time.

I bought it based on IPMS master modeler Paul Budzic’s video review on his website. He said it had longer working time and finer grain and scribed more easily that the epoxysculpt. I used it on an Airfix B-25C to fill a gap as he showed and it worked well and I was able to scribe across it the next evening, matching he existing panel lines. Also used it to back some sheet plastic structural changes on another model. It’s working fine for my purposes.

Strange usage: Making an elks hoof. Purchased an antique ottoman with 4 elk legs, one hoof was missing. Was able to mold this product to the exact shape of the other three. No mess, easy clean up, no smell. Molds beautifully without sticky residue and sets firm. Wonderful product.