polymer clay premo

Do you really NEED liquid polymer clay? I just started working with polymer clay (specifically premo and kato) and was wondering...in order to make things stick to each other - say, a cherry on top of a cupcake or a rose on top of a wedding cake - do you need to secure it with liquid clay before baking or will the clay bond together enough by itself? I'm worried about small parts falling off after baking, so any hints, tips, and advise would be greatly appreciated!...:-) Two raw pieces of polymer clay will bond very well if there is a larger enough area of contact between them. For smaller areas of contact, there are various things that can make a good bond though. One would be liquid clay, but there are other substances you could use, and other techniques you could use entirely. Rather than write about them all here, just read at least the section on this page at my site called "SOME BONDING TECHNIQUES": http://glassattic.com/polymer/glues-Diluent.htm (There's info on using liquid clay as a glue on that page as well, but liquid clay also has its own separate page at my polymer clay "encyclopedia" site because it can do so many different things.) And P.S. The answerer above is right... polymer clay is an oil-based clay not a water-based one like pottery clay and other air-dry clays. So water is never used where it could get inside polymer clay... various oils are used. HTH, and good luck! Diane B.

Binturong Premo sculpey polymer clay animal handmade gift figurine Bear Cat

Picking the Right Modeling Clay

A few of you have heard of the term modeling clay. It normally refers to the malleable clay-sculpting products as a group. The term broadly describes the products for sculpting experts, hobbyists, students, kids or even potters. The modeling clays come in a range. Even so, each type of clay you select is easy to shape, and alter using the available modeling devices. This is why you have to choose the clay type and the tool type, at the same time. Generally, you must have tools for mixing, sculpting, narrowing, cutting, rolling, piercing, scraping, and finishing. This clay is flexible enough to allow molding it on a ready framework or on its own. You should know the 3 types of clay for modeling:

• Polymer – This is one of the best clays for modeling available. It is normally man-made; making it, the easiest to alter into anything you want. As the main product, polymer clay comes as Premo, Sculpey and Fimo. You can decide to buy only one form, two or three of them. Mixing any of the three clays to reap the benefits of each is okay as well. Each type of polymer clay has a given level of softness at room temperature. This means that you can simply make your sculpture firmer or softer by mixing the clays. One of the advantages that polymer clay has is that it requires slightly lower temperatures. Therefore, you can use your oven if it has a maximum temperature range of 270 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not want to mix clay molding and kitchen matters, then buy a special kiln. The second advantage you have is that polymer is available in a range of beautiful colors. All you have to do to create an interesting piece of art is choosing the clay colors perfectly. In addition, you could freely choose among the metallic, vivid colors, translucent and fluorescent colors. Some clay types will even glow in the dark. Simply explore the available clay choices well.

• Oil based clays – The other type of modeling clay to select is oil-based plastilina. This is an old form of clay, which emerged in Germany, in the 19the century. This type is malleable and easy to work with. Its reliability does not compare to that of wax clay or even the pottery clay. This product is special in a way because it does not harden or dry up unexpectedly. The clay does not stick on your hands as you work with it too. Thus, this clay does not need toasting in the oven at all. Just like polymer clay, this one is available in many colors. This is why you can easily use the oil-based clay to make the prettiest items.

• Firing Clay – This type of clay for modeling, which is pottery clay in other words, has many uses. The user has to make use of his or her hands most of the times, plus the potter's wheel. It is available in a few glazes too, including the specialty, matte and glossy. The clays are all for creating elegant finishes. A detail you should know before buying is that this clay has three divisions. You can buy clay requiring low, medium or strong firing. When you make the sculpture designs, the next thing is air-drying them. Then, kiln-dry the modeling clay designs. An example of the firing clay is usually the terra cotta, white clay and rust color style. Note that you have extra colors of clays to select as well.

About the Author

G. Smitty is a writer who loves to discuss many topics ranging from molding clay to professional basketball. Thanks for reading!

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