The Formula P3 line has an all-new putty, so I thought I’d tell you a little bit about it. The new Formula P3 Brown/Aluminum Putty has some great unique properties, and I’m pretty excited to work with it.

First off, it’s very hard when cured. This makes it durable and easy to scribe with detail, to sand, and to scrape surfaces smooth. Despite this, it can be cut fairly easily when heated in a putty oven, which is beneficial for breaking a model down for mold making.

Second, it has a firm but smooth consistency and texture; it can do fantastic wrinkles and drapery but also hold a hard edge while uncured for mechanical details. A problem with other putties is, while making a form, pushing on one side of the putty will distort the other side, requiring a constant back and forth to refine details. This effect is drastically reduced with our Brown/Aluminum putty.

I don’t mix equal parts together—I mix in more aluminum than brown. I also usually just eyeball the amounts to get the ratio I prefer. It will set up fine as long as you have a good amount of either component. The more aluminum you add, the firmer the uncured putty is, the shorter the work time, and the harder the cured material will be. Adding more brown will have the opposite effect: softer putty, longer work time, and cured material that can end up being flexible.

All in all, our new putty has some pretty unique characteristics that make it stand out, and I’ve tried them all. I highly recommend trying it out!

Brian Dugas
Staff Sculptor