My new favorite props medium: PAPERCLAY:
paperclay.com

I like to use Aves Apoxie Paste (basically a kind of stiff liquid epoxy) as a coating over my large props. It comes in two parts like all epoxies, and goes on kind of goopy and viscous. After it dries, it’s a greyish color and feels like plastic. It’s very sandable and durable, and put over a base sculpture, won’t ever come off. The problem is that sometimes this stuff doesn’t work in places that aren’t flat and need to be set on their sides (like a curved sword guard or a bottle) because it runs as it dries so you’ll get drips.

Paperclay solves that.

It’s a paper-fiber based air-drying “clay” that can be shaped and sanded after drying. It sands VERY smooth. I used it over a plastic bottle as a test and it came out very smooth and durable. It also sticks really well. I’ve heard that it cracks if you put too much on, so I haven’t tried to make anything large out of it, just used it as a cover medium. The texture is a little bit wood like, so I think I’ll have to paint a coat of varnish over it to get it to look smooth.

The grey bottle-like thing on the left side of the plastic tubing is covered with Paperclay.

I’m also working on a pretty fun project, Yoko Littner’s rifle from Gurren Lagann, which I TOTALLY should watch because this show seems right up my mecha alley. Except right now I’m busy catching up on Naruto Shippuden and rewatching Gundam Wing, because I think Shane needs to see GW.

Anyway, here’s Yoko with her giant sniper rifle of doom.