Stablemate remaking, Day 2

Thank you for all the great comments! I do want to make some additional safety comments. I place a small fan behind me to blow the alcohol vapors away, and better yet have a window open too. Alcohol fumes, if inhaled excessively, can be harmful so its better to be careful. As far as the apoxy itself. I put lotion on my hands before I handle it and wash thoughly afterwards, and try to do as much sculpting with the brushes as possible. When was working in a lab I hate to think of all the stuff I had all over my hands (like benzene, yikes) so I try to use caution. If I am mixing up large amounts for larges bases, I wear gloves. Research for yourself and make sure you are comfortable with your personal safety!
Speaking of bases, since both of these guys are on two legs, they will need bases! So I wrap a hardcover book in foil, then pressed out thin oval sheets. I make the sheet long enough so it entends past the stride of the horse, and about a 1/4" wider than the horse on each side. Then I put a LOT of alcohol on them, and press the horse into the clay, making good hoof imprints. Gently lift the horse out, you may need a finger to hold the base down. The excess alcohol keeps it from sticking too much.


Then I place these in front of the space heater to dry. Several people have said that they are scared to try remaking, please don't think that! A year ago my parents moved out of the house I grew up in, and I found this guy in a box, the very first horse I remade over 20 years ago! I used a candle and bondo to do it, he still has one shoe that I remade flattening solder on the basement floor....oh man what a memory! So try and try again and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Remember Edison said he never failed, he just learned over a 1000 ways how NOT make a lightbulb!

Another thing, even with a simple remake you can make a big difference by cleaning up the pasterns and ears. This reiner is getting a new mane, but I want to get rid of all that extra stuff in his pasterns. Here are the little diamond dust bits I use to do this. The variable speed dremel is a must for that. At high speed it would tear his legs to bits! I do have a cordless one I use to do seam sanding, but it just doesn't have enough torque to really drill areas out.

Now here is the drafter with his neck bulked out. I to this by laying down little pieces of clay roughly shaped into the muscles outline, then smoothed into place first with my fingers, then with the brushes. Let the clay set up a bit (about 30 minutes depending on your room temp) before you try to put in details.

The brush I use is in the picture, a golden taklon flat. I use cheap brushes, but be warned, sometimes the alcohol with cause the bristle glue to dissolve and they fall out! Try several till you find a brand you like.

Above I have used the sculpting tool to make wrinkles, lightly score a line into the clay where you want the winkle, then smooth using a ROUND brush, like the blue one here. Now he has to dry, and hour in front of the space heater does this. When dry sand the neck area nice and smooth, I use a 150grit sanding sponge. Not perfect, just get rid on any big goobers. Now I block out the mane. I want him to have a double sided typical drafter mane, so I make little chuncks in the approximate shape I want the mane and tail to be.

I forgot the last picture of the mane with hair details, but its the same process I did on the warmblood tail. I use the little plastic tool, sharpened pencils, dental tools...try different things and see what you like! Tomorrow I will do through sanding and prepping, and then off to paint!