Comments on: Fimo Clay, Premo, Sculpey – Which is Best for Cane Making + Sculpting

By: Polymer Clay Tutor Cindy Lietz

Polymer Clay Tutor Cindy Lietz — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:38:44 +0000

I have not heard of that problem Stephanie. Is it possible that the packages were old and made back when they were still putting phlalates in the clay? That could possibly be the source of the smell. I would contact Fimo on that one and see if they have any answers for you. If you do find out what is going on there, do let us know!

By: Stephanie S

Stephanie S — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:13:51 +0000

I have used hundreds of packages of polymer clay, all the different common brands. i was working with 2 packages of fimo that had such a strong chemical smell, i had to put it outside. i thought the smell would go away after i finished my project and baked it (with the windows open), but it smells so strong, i don’t know if i can even use it. i have never run across this before. have you? do you know anything about it? i hate to throw it out, but it’s giving me a headache!

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 09:33:27 +0000

@Melanie S: Hi Melanie, there's an article that tells what Pledge with Future Shine is called in different countries -- it's actually on a modeling website: swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html. I think Future is called Johnson's Wipe & Shine in your country, although someone else may be able to offer some 'newer' information about it -- and/or know of other products available to you in the Philippines. I'm so glad you discovered this amazing website. As you can see, Cindy has created a fabulous place filled with great information & wonderful video tutorials (and much more!) Welcome to this lovely clay community! ~Kat

By: Melanie S

Melanie S — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:34:58 +0000

Thanks deborah and cindy… will do that!!! :)

By: Cindy Lietz@Best Finishes for Polymer Clay

Cindy Lietz@Best Finishes for Polymer Clay — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 01:20:19 +0000

@Melanie S: It is so nice to have you here all the way from the Philippines Melanie!

Yes I am afraid Deborah is right… nail polish is not good for polymer clay. I know some people on the internet say it is OK. But they are wrong!! Although it seems OK now that you put the glue on it, it will react with the clay and will eventually get sticky again. Try and remove it with nail polish remover if you can. Then you can add a polymer clay safe finish if you like. The link by my name will take you to a post that will help you find a good finish.

Yes you can make your own molds from polymer clay. Type ‘polymer clay molds’ into the search box at the top of the page and it will take you to a list of posts and tutorials that will help.

As far as clay Brands, try to use Premo Sculpey, if you can get it there in Manila. It is stronger than Sculpey III and most of the color recipes I make are using Premo.

Have fun and let us know how it goes!

@Deborah: Thanks for pointing Melanie in the right direction. I really appreciate that!

By: Deborah

Deborah — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:16:07 +0000

Oh Melanie, NO nailpolish!!! It will almost always dry tacky! I’m not sure what products are available in the Philippines, but I (and alot of folks) use Pledge with Future Shine no wax floor polish. It’s a clear liquid that dries clear as well!

By: Melanie S

Melanie S — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:52:36 +0000

hi!!! it’s my first time sculpting with clay…

i dont know what type of clay i purchased since i bought a cheap kiddie set just for practice… (it’s the eraser type clay thing) i oven baked it and glazed it with nailpolish… it’s been 1 whole day and it stayed sticky… are there any remedies for this?

Heres what i did: i tried baking it again and it worked fine but discolored just a bit… did a few retouches with paint… it still had a sticky (not that much) feel to it so what i did was brushed it with “elmer’s” glue and that did the work! it dried up and doesnt have the sticky feel anymore.

Im planning on using sculpey III on my next projects…

Can i bake my own mold using sculpey clay as well? I want to do my own molds… what do you recommend? Thanks cindy… Love the site!!!

Your fan from Manila, Philippines!!!

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:46:17 +0000

@Carol: Hi Carol! I haven’t done any sculpting, so I’m not much help with question 2. I know that Michael’s and JoAnn’s carry some cool sculpting tools by Sculpey (or Studio by Sculpey—they have changed the packaging, so it could be under either name.) Of course, you might have different craft stores nearby—where are you located?

Question 1: Good timing, Cindy just did a video about a fantastic product called MicroMesh. It’s fantastic for sanding polymer clay. It’s meant for sanding plastics, so it’s perfect! The post that shows the product info & the video intro is called Sanding with Micromesh Abrasives.

The abrasive material in the pads is also available in little sticks, which would be perfect for getting into little detail areas of a sculpture. Read the comments below the article in the link I gave you for more info about where people are finding these great sanding/finishing materials!

You can also use the search box at the top left of any page to find articles on any topic you like. I tried typing “sculpting” into the box and found an article about the Studio by Sculpey Style and Detail Tools.

You can try other things in the search, like “sculpture”, “tools for sculpt” or “sanding sculptures” or you can try different combos.

If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to sign up for the Polymer Clay Newsletter. It entitles you to 3 free videos, as well as free color recipes from Cindy’s palettes (each week.) There’s also a Polymer Clay Basics Course that teaches you how to get started working with polymer clay. It has 39 videos that are high quality, and extremely helpful for people who want to learn the Fundamentals, as well as Cindy’s special tricks and tips that make claying so much easier. Even intermediate and advanced clayers will find somethings in the course that makes it worth the price! There are links to both at the top of the page.

The best thing is to become a member! The link for that is also at the top of the page. That’s how to get your hands on the video to learn about the MicroMesh for sanding. It costs $3.32 a month ($9.95 ea. 90 days) to be a member of the video library. It works out to about 80¢ per video—an amazing deal.

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help more with sculpting details—I need to give that a try sometime! Best of luck to you, and hope to see you around! Take care…
~Kat Riverside, CA, USA —Where are you from?

By: Carol

Carol — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:29:55 +0000

Hi. Reading these posts has helped me so much as someone completely new to polymer clay.
I made some animals out of Sculpey. The finish was rough after baking and it was very hard to get it soft (I’m going to start the car). Though I had problems with the Sculpey, it was a fun project and the shape held up during baking perfectly. (I am being careful though, since I read that it does break.) The animals had an armature and aluminum foil at their core and then I overlayed the Sculpey to finish the form and detail.
Question 1: What’s the best way to sand a figure, especially the detail areas around eyes, etc.?
Question 2: What’s the best product or combination of products to use for sculpting and sanding figures?
I appreciate any help you can give. Thanks.

By: Terry McLaughlin

Terry McLaughlin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:25:39 +0000

Thank you very much for your response, and yes I do have a Michael’s
in my area. I will get some clay and get to work.