Suitable modelling cement or similar.

[blackbat]

Sold! Ideal because of the range of colours. Just ordered some from Ebay.

Thanks to all that posted.

[john]

For stained glass work the stuff is called "Leaded Light Cement" (ebay search). It's a Black Linseedy oil type putty and hideously expensive at about =A39 a tub (bought some last week) but it does the job.

[blackbat]

Thanks but I was looking for a 'blob' of resin/cement.

[Dave Osborne]

Well I didn't mention it because I'm not convinced it's the right solution. To get a tennis ball-sized lump of Milliput, you would need several packets. Just to mix it up would be very hard work and take you the best part of a very long time . I don't know what the working time is offhand, but by the time you've mixed up the fifth or sixth packet, the first may well be going off and this is before you've tried to embed the glass and pebbles, which may not have a good initial adhesion as you would need to use a significant amount of water to stop it sticking to your hands.

Worth a try on a small scale, maybe, but I wouldn't contemplate making a tennis-ball sized lump.

As the OP has ordered some, perhaps he will be kind enough to let us know how he gets on.

Cheers, Smudger

[geoff]

You need to use gloves - horrible stuff to mix

What's the problem of using a ball as a former and building on the surface ?

Smudger ?

[Dave Liquorice]

Galt Modeling Clay - cheap, air dries, grey only I think.

Fimo Modeling Clay - cheap, needs to be low temperature baked, range of colours.

Both available from many places mail order, the Galt might be found in toy shops. The Fimo more likley in craft places.

[Dave Osborne]

Still need the water, though. It sticks to gloves even better than fingers.

You could certainly give it a go.

My brother in law as it happens. His comments about Milliput. Pretty lucid reply considering we'd been on the ale all evening. ;-)

[blackbat]

What I decided after considering everyone's ideas, is to try Milliput but (instead of making a tennis ball sized blob as I originally pictured) use it as an an adhesive to stick the glass pieces to a large piece of attractive white granite that I have. I chose the Milliput because it was available in white.

The pebbles are from Lake Como in Italy are grey and I'm guessing have some kind of ore in them that makes them glitter. The kids were delighted to find them. They'll be fine in the ordinary (and cheaper) grey Milliput.

Sure thing.

[blackbat]

Yup - similar to what I eventually decided. Lump of granite rather than a ball.

[blackbat]

Not sure of their adhesive qualities but quite tempting to have a play with these two anyway.

[Dave Liquorice]

range

Good point. The Galt stuff will wet down then dries rock hard. As the stuff you are attaching is has a textured surface that would hold the bits on. Or you could use it as a base and another glue to attche the bits, that epoxy stuff mentioned.

But anyway a lump of nice granite sounds better than boring lump of clay. B-)

[Bruce]

I've used Milliput for a very long time and have never had any problems. If you're doing a job where slow setting is required, you just put it in the fridge before using it. If you want it to set quickly you can then put it in a low oven (heat to 70C then turn the oven off, then put in the item).

It would be very silly indeed to use a large tennis ball-sized blob of Milliput - just use it over a former, such as a piece of wood or brick or a suitably sized stone.

And it doesn't stick to your hands to anything like the extent that you claim. I can only conclude that you have never used it yourself, or that you have strangely sticky hands.

Milliput is very widely used by a great many model makers and by arts and crafts workers for exactly this kind of application. It is the

*perfect* material for this job.

[Stuart Noble]

It won't be replacing polyester filler in my toolbox because of the slow setting time, but it sounds like it might be handy for delicate work on the edge of mouldings etc where the long open time would be a benefit.

[blackbat]

eewwww

[Bruce]

Yes, it would be good for that. It's open for about 40 minutes at room temperature, about an hour and a half out of the fridge. You can also add to it when it has set. It's brilliant stuff.

[Adam Aglionby]

For larger quantities of casting including clear and GRP resins Glasplies

smaller quantities of epoxy putty, Poundland have had various branded tubes recently, Poundland`s Maxi-Bond plastic adhesive just doid a great repair on a Landrover tailight, big brand hard plastic glue about 4 quid a tube..

Adam

[blackbat]

For all those that replied to this post, I used Milliput in the end. Appears to have worked very well; used a piece of granite as a base and the Milliput as a 'chunky' adhesive. Thanks for your replies.

[Bruce]

You're welcome. This is exactly the sort of job that Milliput is made for, and it is very widely used. I'm glad it went OK for you.