Liquid Sculpey vs Studio by Sculpey Bake and Bond – Test Results

Bake and Bond Studio By Sculpey

Two Liquid Polymer Clay Products that Look and Smell the Same. But Are they Really the Same?

Lately I’ve been having a ton of fun ‘test driving’ some Studio by Sculpey products. Now the last thing I would want is to keep all of this information to myself. So today’s post is yet another in my ongoing “Studio” educational series. This one is about the Bake & Bond, bakeable adhesive product.

By the way, if you missed any of my previous Studio Reports, here are the links to them:

Studio by Sculpey Polymer Clay – Oven Bake Clay for Bead Making: My “First Impression” Notes with Some Comparisons to Premo Sculpey.

Quick Notes About Some Studio by Sculpey Polymer Clay Tools: It was Like Christmas In June When the UPS Driver Arrived.

Testing Studio by Sculpey Antiquing Medium on Polymer Clay Beads: A Little Goes A Long Ways!

Faux Leather Rose Beads Made From Studio by Sculpey Polymer Clay: Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, And Some Clay Roses are Leathery Too!

Studio by Sculpey Glaze – a Beautiful Finish for Polymer Clay Beads: It Appears To Soak Right In, Rather Than Just Form a Coating.

Comparison of Studio by Sculpey Polymer Clay and Premo Sculpey: Two Artist Quality Clays Made By Polyform.

OK… Now Back to the Bake and Bond Review:

Bake and Bond is an adhesive meant to adhere baked and unbaked pieces of polymer clay together. The applications include: Joining raw clay to raw clay; Baked to baked; and Raw to baked. It can also be use to adhere baked clay to porous items such as  paper, wood and canvas. Baking is always required to get this adhesive to cure.

When I opened the bottle, the smell and consistency of the Bake and Bond liquid reminded me of TLS (Translucent Liquid Sculpey). TLS is used in many polymer clay techniques, including: Faux ceramics; Faux opals; and Image transfers. I couldn’t help but think that maybe these two products were the same, just packaged up differently for separate markets. After all, they are both made by the same company (Polyform).

So I decided to do some testing. For each of the 2 products (Bake&Bond vs TLS), I added thick blobs and thin smears to a piece of parchment paper. This was to see how each compared in translucency when baked. Prior to baking, the wet  Bake&Bond felt a little stickier than the TLS… more like white glue. After baking, both were pretty much identical in transparency. However, the TLS did end up feeling slightly more stretchy and rubbery. These findings make me want to try the Bake&Bond in place of the TLS for all of my faux techniques, since I think it has a nicer feel than the rubbery TLS. I’m hoping it will sand up better. Will let you know when I have more info on that.

Next I wanted to test for adhesion strength. Using the Bake&Bond as well as the TLS separately, I joined raw to baked samples of clay; And baked to baked pieces. Both products worked extremely well. I couldn’t pull the samples apart at all. However, my guess is the Bake&Bond is probably a little stronger because it seems to have something additional in it that made it stickier when wet. But that is just speculation at this stage.

I’ll be doing further tests with my Studio by Sculpey Bake and Bond, to see if it is viable alternative for using in place of liquid clay. Is there any specific ideas you would like me to test out for you? I’m definitely open to suggestions here.

Cindy Lietz SignaturePolymer Clay Tutor


  1. Ken H., 07 July, 2009

    There are techniques out there that make window “clingies” and stained glass looks how does the new product hold up to these?

  2. Cindy Lietz, 08 July, 2009

    That is one technique where the TLS might be better, since it is more rubbery than the Bake & Bond. Don’t know for sure though, since I haven’t tried it yet. Will put it on my list of things to try.

  3. Ken H., 09 July, 2009

    Thank You.

  4. Nazanin, 09 July, 2009

    I’m in Iran (unfortunately), and I love this job… but here we just have Eberhard Faber without help catalog and etc. I don’t know what to do. Please please please help me.
    .

  5. Cindy Lietz, 09 July, 2009

    Hi Nazanin – With all the political unrest that is happening in your country right now, I was pleasantly surprised to receive your request for information about polymer clay. I think if I were in your situation, I would be playing with my clay constantly as way to help relieve some of the stress you must be feeling these days.

    I’d be happy to help you out if possible. Could you be more specific about what it is you are looking for? I’ll see if I can point you in the right direction.

  6. Ken H., 09 July, 2009

    Don’t say unfortunately, be proud of your heritage, we all go through our ups and downs, we have a 233 year heritage here in the US (nowhere near as long as yours) and we have just been through an 8 year dark age here, things got better here just as things will get better there, we are all here to help, be patient and keep crafting.

    Wishing you peace.
    Ken

  7. Nazanin, 25 September, 2009

    I’m really thankful Cindy,I was in bad situation,something like prison…I’m free now!
    Yeah…I am so proud,we are all together and I know the whole world wathing us (I hope so),I said “unfortunately” bcs in America,Europe and etc,people think we don’t know anything…but here we are like all young people in the world,(I’m studing theater in the best university of Iran),but our hands are empty,we don’t have a good matherial in Iran,2years ago I was in Germany and I saw KUNSTHALLE for artists and I told myself that we deserve better…
    anyway,dear Cindy faber fimo its like cake,you must put the beads into the macrowave for 30m and then its ready to use.
    if u have offer for me,I have a cusin in Canada just tell me what can I do?
    *goverment has checked on my mail every day & if you sent me a mail…so so sorry
    P.N:my French is more better than my ENG I’m sorry if I did wrong.

  8. Cindy Lietz, 02 October, 2009

    Nazanin, I am so glad to hear you are free now. I can only imagine what that was like for you.

    Maybe your cousin can send you some Premo Sculpey, if you want to try a different clay.

    If your Fimo is too hard , you can soften it easily using mineral oil or Fimo Mix Quick. Click the link by my name to learn how.

  9. Bette L, 04 February, 2010

    Hi Cindy,
    I just purchased some “Bake and Bond” Studio by Sculpey. I could hardly get it out of the bottle. It was way too thick and stringy and syrupy. More like a very thick Karo syrup. I think there may be something wrong with it. It was extrememly hard to spread too. You remarked that it was similar to TLS in consistency, but not this batch. What do you think?
    Bette

  10. Cindy Lietz, 18 February, 2010

    @Bette L: In the Q&A part of today’s post about Softflex Beading Wire, I provided some feedback regarding your Studio by Sculpey Bake and Bond question.

    The link by my name will take you to today’s blog post. Once you are there, scroll down the page a bit to get to the Q&A section. Hope the information is helpful for you.

  11. Jessie, 18 February, 2010

    Bette – nothing wrong with your Bake and Bond. Pretty stringy stuff, huh? Don’t plan on squeezing much out of the bottle. I’ve found the best application method is to remove the top and use a tool. Foget about that paint brush – a finger or toothpick both work well. Messy but Bake and Bond excells at its job. Even though not recommended by Polyform I use it to adhere unbaked sheets of clay to plastic and glass. It hasn’t failed me yet. Great for switch plate covers when you want your piece to stay on the plastic plate. I have even gluded two pieces of glass together with it. (Again Polyform states for use with porous materials, but I use it to attach all types of materials.) With smooth surfaces prying hard will result in damaging your clay work – but the clay does not pop off in one piece. After using both TLS and Bake and Bond I think they are made from a very simular formula. Bake and Bond has more polymers – thus it much thicker than TLS out of the bottle and not as flexible once baked. I haven’t tried multiple bakings – and don’t know if that would affect the bond. You may try thinning your B&B with liquid clay softener – I haven’t yet – not very cost effective.
    Hope this helps.
    Jessie

  12. Dawn Lee, 26 September, 2010

    @Jessie:
    Hi Jessie, when applying clay to glass with bake and bond. What kind of projects have you used this technique for? I’d love to embellish drink ware with polymer clay but its been a question of glues as well as the process.

  13. Phaedrakat, 18 February, 2010

    Interesting tips, Jesse. I need to get some of this stuff to try for myself. Sounds like I would definitely get my money’s worth out of it!

  14. Bette L, 18 February, 2010

    Thanks Jessie,
    I also asked Polyform my question, but you gave a much better answer than they did. They just said “that’s the way it is supposed to be”. Maybe you should work for Polyform! Anyway, I really do appreciate your feedback and tips.
    Bette

  15. Brena, 22 May, 2010

    Hi, I just have to say, love the site. Its very helpful and has some great info.

    I saw your little test with the Bake & Bond vs TLS and was wondering if you ever tested whether you can use the Bake & Bond to make ‘icing’ like you can with TLS. Thank you in advance.

  16. Phaedrakat, 24 May, 2010

    @Brena: Hi Brena, welcome! I haven’t ever made icing, so I don’t know the answer to your question. But I wanted to say “HI!” and let you know that Cindy will probably answer your question soon. She just recently started taking weekends off, and I’m guessing that Mondays are pretty busy (answering emails, comments, getting back to everyone, etc…)

    In the meantime, use the “search” box at the top left of each page to find info on any subject you like. There’s also a Polymer Clay Newsletter, if you’re interested. The link is at the top of the page, and you get 3 free video tutes and color recipes for joining the guest list. It’s pretty cool! Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, but I hope to see you around! Have a happy clay day ;D
    ~Kat, Riverside, CA USA

  17. Cindy Lietz, 25 May, 2010

    @Brena: HI Brena, Sorry to take so long getting to you. Sure Bake and Bond would work great for making polymer clay icing. You can either add a drop of Alcohol ink or a tiny piece of colored clay, to get the tint of icing you want. Just keep stirring and stirring until you have a nice fluffy consistency. If you need to thin it down some more, try a drop of baby oil.

    @Phaedrakat: Thanks for welcoming Brena and helping her out. I can always count on you to cover for me when I get too busy! :-)

  18. Cindy Lietz, 01 October, 2010

    @Dawn Lee: Although I have covered a few glass things with polymer clay (votive holders and vases) I haven’t covered drink ware of any kind. For what I worked on, glue was not necessary since the clay stuck pretty well and they didn’t need to be washed in water. Maybe someone else has some advice for you on covering drink ware? The one thing I do know is that there should not be any clay where food, liquids or lips would touch, so keep the clay on the outside and away from the rim.

  19. Don, 12 November, 2010

    Would it be suitable to stick unbaked clay to a wooden structure, then bake to bond together?
    thanks
    Don

  20. Cindy Lietz, 14 November, 2010

    Hi Don! Yes you can bake polymer onto wood. The wood should be baked alone first to dry it out and do any cracking that it may want to do during the baking process. You can hide most cracks with the clay later but it is harder to fix if you’ve put the clay on first. The wood will also need to be sealed before applying the clay.

    There should be more info on this blog if you type ‘wood’ into the search box. I linked to one article by my name that talks about covering wooden bathroom door handles.

    Hope that helps!

  21. Jayne Shankle, 09 July, 2011

    Cindy, I made some pendants using paper graphics glued onto domino size glass inserts, let dry for 2 hours, then I glued the glass dome with the graphic into the pendant tray. They looked great for about a week…then all the colors began to run together and now look like watercolor which isn’t unattractive but I can tell that the paper is breaking down and won’t last. Do you think I could seal both sides with liquid clay to seal it? And exactly how would I do that and would the image show through the liquid clay? Thanks so much!

  22. Cindy Lietz, 11 July, 2011

    @Jayne Shankle: I haven’t tried that myself, but it would be cool to test out. In the Polymerized Postage Stamp Tutorial I show you how to use liquid clay on paper. It might be a good one for you to try. The link by my name will take you to more info on that. If you do try adding paper and liquid clay to a glass insert, do let us know how it goes. Sounds like an interesting project!

  23. Jocelyn, 12 July, 2011

    @Jayne Shankle: Jane, I’ve trialed washi paper under gloss on a polymer piece and went with Terry Morris’ suggestion to “seal all paper first,” and it’s worked great for me every time.

    Back in the olden days, I used white craft glue, thinned with water, to make a sealant for paper, wood, etc.

  24. Sonia Y, 03 April, 2013

    Hi, I love the tips I have gathered from here! I was wondering if I used bake and bond to decoupage unbaked clay if that would work and what I should bake it on? I would be covering all sides and wasn’t sure if the bake and bond would bond the entire project to whatever i used to bake the decoupaged clay on.

  25. Cindy Lietz, 05 April, 2013

    Hi Sonia, as long as the piece can handle going into the oven, you should be able to use Bake and Bond for decoupaging your clay pieces. Of course the only real way to know if it will work, is to test it your self and find out. Do let us know if you try it. We’d all love to hear how it goes!

  26. maria davis, 15 December, 2015

    after a year, my bake and bond is very, very thick. what do I use to thin it?

  27. Cindy Lietz, 28 December, 2015

    Hi Maria, I have never thinned mine down, but Sculpey says you can dilute it with the Sculpey Clay Softener. I am guessing a couple drops of Baby Oil would do it too, but I would test that on a small amount first to see how it works. Let us know if that works for you.

  28. Sharon Aur, 26 June, 2017

    Hello, I’ve been making one of a kind sculptures for about 10 years now,but I’m yet to find something suitable to adhere the eyelashes. I’ve tried pva and I don’t like the residue it leaves behind. I’ve also tried matt varnish, it worked to a degree, but it was hard work ! I’m wondering would ‘bond and bake’ be suitable ?

  29. Cindy Lietz, 26 June, 2017

    Hi Sharon, that is an interesting question! I don’t have experience with that specifically, since I have never made dolls, but I do know some who does, that may be able to help. There is a wonderful polymer clay doll artist that we did a feature on a few years ago… her name is Bonnie Jones. I’m sure she would know what to use to glue eyelashes on your sculptures. Check out the post we did, there are links to her blog there.

  30. Sharon Aur, 03 September, 2017

    Thank you so much for your reply. I know of Bonnie Jones, will message her. Thank you, Sharon X

  31. Mia F, 01 September, 2017

    Hi i was wondering if bake and bond would work for making clay icing

  32. Cindy Lietz, 05 September, 2017

    Yes Mia that would work!

  33. Diane E, 26 September, 2019

    Cindy,

    This question regards small pieces such as earrings and pendants.

    I have a question about whether to glue pieces together – usually it isn’t necessary, if you put one piece on top of another, right? But what if you stick two pieces together, such as two different colors that have been cut with a ridge cutter.

    I had a disaster. I simply stuck together two pieces with the ridges fitting into one another perfectly – but after baking they came apart. So I glued them, put them back – and burnt them to a crisp!

    In the case of two such small pieces with ridge-cut ends, would you suggest gluing them together with Sculpey bake and bond? I have a bottle of it.

    Thanks!

  34. Cindy Lietz, 01 October, 2019

    Yes if you find your pieces aren’t sticking well together while they are raw, then you may want to use Sculpey Bake and Bond to help them stick together better. Also as far as baking goes… if your oven is set at the right temp (use and oven thermometer) then your piece should not have burnt to a crisp. I have several baking videos that should help you have some real success with your polymer clay projects. Thanks for commenting!

  35. Rachel Mariano, 04 May, 2020

    Hi! Thank you for all your helpful vids! I’m wondering if I can seal my clay with Sculpey bake and bond? I saw your sealing video and you mentioned TLS. Not sure if it’s the same thing.
    Thank you!

  36. Cindy Lietz, 07 May, 2020

    You could use Bake and Bond as a sealer if you wanted to but it isn’t as clear or as shiny as Sculpey Clear. Bake and Bond has some extra ingredients (fibers? binders?) that makes it more matte, more frosted, stickier and gives it more adhesive properties than the regular TLS. The newer liquid clay called Sculpey Clear is way shinier and way clearer, so it makes a better option if you want to give your piece a glossy finish. Just play around with the different liquid clays and see what you like the best.

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