I can handle my consumption of milliput?

[martin goddard]

Obviously I use a lot of Milliput for modelling.

https://www.milliput.com

How many packs (two sausages of putty in a box) of milliput do you use in a typical year.
Maybe none, as you have an alternative?

martin

[Leman (Andy)]

Less than one pack of Greenstuff.

[Colonel Kilgore]

I'm still on the same pack of Fine White that I bought many years ago. Bit I tend to use it just for filling / reinforcing rather than "proper" modelling.

Simon

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

1 to 2 packs per year for me. I use it for filling and sculpting (mud brickwork, render, sandbagging, thatch) etc. It is a staple on my Christmas list along with Winsor & Newton Peat Brown drawing ink...

Neil

[Panzer21]

Use much more Greenstuff. My Miliput tends to dry out so I have to extract the useable stuff on the inside of the crusty shell.....

I seem to go through a lot of liquid Greenstuff as well....
Neil

[Smiley Miley 66]

I use Green Stuff a lot more than Milliput usually, depends on how much terrain pieces I do over the year ?
I corrected the "free stuff" to Green Stuff.
Miles

[Bankinista]

I hope I've misremembered or the story is just "an old wargamer's tale" but wasn't there a wargames figure designer who used Milliput and a fine paintbrush which he constantly licked to add details to masters - the hardened Milliput that he'd ingested over time killed him. Anyone know the truth of this or not?

Bankinista

[Panzer21]

Never heard that one but all the putties are unpleasant chemicals.
Most figure manufacturers have to ensure their staff have regular blood tests to monitor for lead poisoning.
Neil

[martin goddard]

I have never heard of problems with putty or lead poisoning but maybe there is a real story there somewhere?

Some of these stories are popular myth I suspect?

I do not have the name of any figure maker who tests their staff for lead poisoning. I did discuss the matter  many years ago with each of the metal sellers (Geoff Neale, Mountstar etc al). They all informed me that a few folk tested once (1968) for lead problems and nothing was ever found. Thus  no testing any more.

If there is a  company that does regularly test their staff for lead poisoning, then their name should be broadcast for putting staff in danger. I will happily do that given the names and witnesses to that act.

Quite a few gamers over the years have dropped by the PP trade stand to tell me "truths " about figure making.

As an amusing aside I remember the late Robin Hunt (wargamer reviewer) berating me with strong language and physical threats at the Reading Colours wargame show (at the hexagon).
It turned out that he thought Peter Pig was owned by Steve Ward of SDD (ie me). After he calmed down he  walked off with no apology offered.

Another show attendee informed me that we could stretch our moulds and make the figures come out as 20mm. He was apparently an expert in figure casting. We needed to spin the moulds very fast to create the stretch.

One chap gave me an insight into the technicalities of moulding.
Apparently figures must be turned 90' each time they are made a mould of, so that compression is equalled out.  Fine for solid objects but for that charging figure? But he was the expert.


I ramble, sorry.

Of course I don't eat/lick any quantity of milliput or Duro. I agree that would probably be unwise!


martin

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

https://www.stonehouses.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/milliput.pdf
The data sheet states it can be just an irritant... the advice on using rubber gloves and a barrier cream is funny though - how are you expected to sculpt with it?!!!

It has Museum conservation applications and has been used to reconstruct damaged sections of items...

Neil

[martin goddard]

That is useful Neil.
It is a product I could not do without.

martin

[Panzer21]

Martin,
I was referring to a large figure manufacturer that was based in Nottingham, now Nottinghamshire.
When I briefly worked there, the staff were required to have an annual blood test for lead levels. It was part of the H&S  checks.
No-one as far as I know suffered any problems. I wasn't there long enough.
Neil

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

Given the amount of lead rot in many of my 80's fantasy castings and the sheer weight of some figures I can attest to some dubious metal compositions in the past... the move to lead free pewter was a step forward in casting quality and health...

Neil