The SylCreate inbox has been inundated with a steady stream of emails over recent months. “They stopped making ProCreate Putty… what can you recommend as an alternative?” The answer – like almost every question when it comes to model making and sculpting – lies in experimentation and personal preference.
Work it out for yourself is perhaps not the most helpful insinuation from the opening paragraph of an article professing to help the reader find an alternative to a much-loved-but-now-discontinued putty. But if you are still reading by this point, then stick with it. It gets better. I promise…
Because we cannot just recommend one alternative epoxy modelling material to ProCreate Putty. Anyone who has used different putties knows that each has different properties. This is what sets them apart from each other.
ProCreate was so popular because there was not anything else like it. If you enjoyed working with it and found it ideal for whatever miniatures, sculpts or custom figures you were creating, then it was the putty for you. In the same way Green Stuff, Brown Stuff and Magic Sculp all have their fans based on how those putties perform for them.
So, rather than tell you one or the other is the best alternative, we have compared four other epoxy modelling putties to ProCreate Putty. Listing the pros and cons. The similarities and differences.
Hopefully, this will be of some use in your search to fill the spot previously occupied by ProCreate on your workbench. A good starting point for the experimentation process needed to find the putty which works best for you.
Green Stuff
Having said we would not tell you which is the best alternative to ProCreate Putty… our own personal sales experience suggests it is Kneadatite Green Stuff.
Most feedback we have had from those customers making the switch is the modelling putty popular amongst war gamers is the best bet.
Green Stuff is stickier than most epoxy putties, including ProCreate. It remains slightly malleable when set and holds really fine details.
Hence its popularity with war gamers for sculpting goblins and other creatures. It is also well-used by military modellers creating tiny pieces of insignia and other conversions.
Pros of Green Stuff:
- Known for its versatility in sculpting fine details.
- Malleable when set.
- Similar stickiness for those used to working with ProCreate
Cons of Green Stuff:
- 90 minute to two-hour work time is slightly shorter compared to ProCreate.
- It can be harder to smooth out initially but does firm up as it begins to cure.
Green Stuff is sold in two different formats. The 90cm reel comes with the resin and hardener side-by-side. To use, you simply cut the putty from the reel and mix by hand.
Similar to ProCreate is the Green Stuff Stick, featuring totally separate components of resin and hardener. This allows greater control over the mixing quantities.
By adjusting the ratio of hardener to filler, it is possible to change the stickiness and cure time of Green Stuff.
Green Stuff Reel (90cm)
Green Stuff Stick
Magic Sculp
Magic Sculp is known for its smooth consistency and long working time. It is popular with scuptors and restorers for its ultra-smooth finish and non-cracking propertites – even when formed in large structures.
The somewhat creamy texture of Magic Sculp when mixed makes it easy to mould, shape and carve. It cures rock hard. It is supplied as a two-part epoxy modelling putty, requiring measuring out and mixing from separate components of resin and hardener.
Pros of Magic Sculp:
- Cure time of up to three hours, ideal for larger projects.
- Easy to use and allows for fine details.
- Perfect for both sculpting and repairing models.
Cons of Magic Sculp:
- Might require some experimentation to find the right consistency compared to ProCreate.
- Much finer consistency than ProCreate.
Magic Sculp
Geomfix Original
Sitting somewhere between Green Stuff and Magic Sculp is Geomfix Original. Geomfix is ceramic-filled, meaning it sets harder than any other epoxy putty on the market.
This enables intricate details like Green Stuff. At the same time, it can be formed and shaped in bulk for large-scale models and repairs, similar tp Magic Sculp. It bonds to all materials and can even be applied to wet surfaces or underwater.
The versatility of Geomfix makes it popular with a range of customers. Model makers, war gamers, sculptors and restorers all use Geomfix. It is suitable for major DIY and renovation tasks, including brick repair.
Geomfix has even been used in the restoration of a 19th century cast iron pit wheel at a corn mill in Herefordshire, United Kingdom. Imagine using ProCreate for something like that!
Pros:
- Sets ultra-smooth and rock hard, enabling it to preserve extremely fine details.
- Excellent adhesion to many materials including wood, metal, stone, ceramic, plastic and wet surfaces.
- Very durable once cured, making it ideal for outdoor use.
- Sold in cost-effective quantities up to 50kg for large-scale projects.
Cons:
- Slower work time than ProCreate, setting in two hours.
- Has a more putty-like texture compared to the clay-like feel of ProCreate.
Geomfix comes as either a two-part epoxy putty or in a pre-formatted stick. The two-part version is packaged the same as Magic Sculp, with separate components of resin and hardener which require measuring out both mixing.
A Geomfix Stick has resin on the outside and hardener in the middle in an exact 50-50 ratio. Instead of measuring out from Part A and Part B, you simply cut the required amount of putty from the stick and mix it by hand.
Geomfix Original A+B Epoxy Modelling Putty
Geomfix Original Epoxy Modelling Putty Stick
Milliput
Milliput is one of the most well-known epoxy putties on the market and a reliable alternative to ProCreate. It comes in a variety of formulations and colours, meaning there is a Milliput for almost every possible application.
Superfine White is the closest alternative in the Milliput range to ProCreate Putty. It offers a smooth, clay-like finish which is ideal for delicate sculpting.
Other variations include Milliput Metallic, which cures to look like a shiny metal. Turquoise-Blue is popular with wood turners. Terracotta, sets to a copper colour for the repair and sculpting of pots and other outdoor items.
Milliput is supplied like Green Stuff Stick as separate sticks of resin and hardener. It is sold in 113g packs and comes with an extended work time of three to four hours.
Pros:
- Highly durable for use in outdoor repairs.
- Accepts paints well, making it ideal for detailed finishing work.
- Can be mixed to a variety of consistencies, from soft to firm.
Cons:
- More liable to cracking than other putties.
- Four hour work time can seem at times too long.
Milliput Superfine White
Milliput Metallic
Mixing Epoxy Modelling Putties
There is one more alternative to ProCreate Putty, should none of the above end up floating your boat. (Incidentally, Geomfix has been used to refloat a sunken dock before. Don’t ask me how. The science went straight over my head).
Mixing modelling putties together creates a unique putty with customised properties. Say you are working on a fantasy figure which required the detailing Green Stuff provides, as well as the stiffness of Magic Sculp.
Add Green Stuff and Magic Sculp together during the mixing process and Bob’s your uncle. When it comes to a ProCreate alternative, get the mix right and you may find yourself making a much closer match to our fallen friend than any standalone epoxy putty on the market.
Again, it all comes down to experimentation. Just like we said at the start. And if experimentation is the road you end up going down, do let us know how you get on and what you find.
If you would like more information on any of the epoxy modelling putties we sell at SylCreate, please email sales@sylmasta.com or phone us on +44 (0)1444 831 459 to speak to one of our technicians.
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