April 14, 2008
Finishing Polymer Clay Beads with Future Floor Polish
Vid #42: Bead Finishing is Easy with a Little Help From The Grocery Store:
Have you ever noticed how some of your best craft supplies don't even come from the craft store?
Future Floor Polish is a great example of this for me. You may know it as Future Floor Finish/Shine/Wax… I'm pretty sure they are all the same. For making shiny beads that'll sparkle up a room, there's nothing better.
Of course, the more time you spend sanding and buffing before applying any type of liquid finish to polymer clay beads, the better they will look.
Some people like to dip their beads in finishing liquids. However, my advice is to use a Q-Tip as an applicator instead. You'll get much better results by layering on several thin coats rather than one thick one, which is what happens if you dip.
By the way, if you decide to try Future Floor Finish, you'll find it in the household cleaning section of your local grocery store… by the mops. Or you can get it at Amazon here: Future Floor Finish
>> Finishing Polymer Clay Beads <<
"Make Your Beads Shine" Video Description: The full version of this tutorial is available in my Beads and Beading Membership Club. In it I demonstrate how to apply Future Floor Wax to polymer clay without leaving the drips, sags and bubbles that can quickly ruin the look of your beads.
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Filed under 03: Supplies, 10: Finishing by Cindy Lietz
Comments on Finishing Polymer Clay Beads with Future Floor Polish »
Future Floor Finish is compatible with polymer clay, but not all finishes are. Some will never dry. Some will seem like they dried and then some time later become sticky. Some quickly become yellow and then crack. So don't ruin your beautiful work by covering it with something that is not compatible.
Cindy's last blog post..Baking Polymer Clay Pendants in a Ceramic Tile Sandwich
I just posted some more info about future floor polish and varathane finishes for polymer clay beads over at the following link…
Cindy Lietz's last blog post..Polymer Clay Finishes - Which One is Best
I spend a weekend looking all over New York City for Future Floor Polish. Well not all of NY, but a number of places. Home Depot, Target and K-mart carry "Pledge with the Future Shine". I was not sure if the formula still works with polymer clay or not. When I final decided to buy it the store was too crowded. I know Varathane(sp) works but it comes in gallon cans. I wanted something smaller. I purchased a can of stuff that said it was "Polyacrylic". I will have to test it and see if it works okay.
Oh Cassandra, what a pain that must be for you! It's funny how a dinky little Safeway grocery store 5 min from me in Surrey BC would have it and no where in NYC would… Figures!!!
I have heard of people having problems with the 'Pledge with Future' though. Something about a surfactant or a grease cutter in it, so it is probably not worth the risk.
Anyways you can buy both the Future Floor Finish and the quart sized Varathane online. Read this previos post for info and the links for them: Polymer Clay Finishes
Hopefully that helps.
Thank You. Is there much information about Minwax - Polyacrylic? I found it a a Home Depot. I liked the word "polyacrylic", so I purchased some. I have not figured out how to speed up the time test of "does it get sticky several months later". I tried a sample piece and put it in the oven. I looks good. But will it stay good. I would be interested in hearing out peoples' experience with that particular product.
Cassandra Williams's last blog post..MG Pendant w/ Cass' Swirl Hinge
Cassandra, unfortunately many people have had problems with the Minwax. If humidity is high it can get very sticky and many people find it scratches way too easily. Some people have found the stickiness to go away eventually, but I really would not recommend it for your beads. Sorry about that. If you can't find the Varathane or Future in a local store, why don't you buy them online? I do have links in this "Polymer Clay Finishes" article where you can buy them through Amazon.
Hi Cindy :) I hope you are enjoying your Sunday.
I made a little container to hold some hair pins a few days ago. After I baked it, I used Future finish (I love it!!!). I have decided that I would like the little container to be a bit taller. I would like to know if it is OK to bake it again after I have made it more like I want it, even though I already applied the Future finish on it once.
Thanks for all that you do! you are amazing :)
Sincerely, Cindy
Hi Cindy! Yeah you can bake it again. Just make sure to watch the temp. that it doesn't get too hot. Also where you want to add more clay sand off the Future so it has a place to stick. It can also help if you rub the baked clay with a little Vaseline or baby oil where you want to add raw clay. This will help them bond better.
Let me know how it goes…
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Thank you, Cindy…I will let you know how adding the clay to my piece, using your tips, works.
I wanted to let you know that I found a place on the web that says that Pledge with Future shine is the same thing as the old Future Floor Polish. Here is the URL to see it:
http://www.airline-hobby.us/forums/showthread.php?t=815
I have been using the Pledge with Future shine for about a week now, thinking that it was the same thing as the Future that you have talked about here (because I saw the above info myself), and so far I love it. Of course, if it really is not the same thing, I guess time will tell. I am wondering if because C. S. Johnson supposedly changed the name of the product, perhaps this is why people seem to be having such a hard time finding it. Hope this sheds some light…
Sincerely, Cindy Erickson
Sorry Cindy, somehow I missed this comment. (I think I read your name and thought it was one of my own comments!)
You're right the product has changed. I haven't had a chance to try the new one yet because I still have quite a bit of the old stuff. But I have seen the change on the shelf.
Since you are not having any problems it should be OK. I am hoping the formula is the same because that would be a huge pain if it wasn't. Let me know if you see any changes so I can pass it on.
Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention!
Cindy Lietz's last blog post..Cool Polymer Clay Tutorial - A Fimo and Sculpey Cane Making Tip