“Is it possible to coat the wires with some ‘non-tarnish’ stuff?” ~Debi-S
The main focus for today’s article is really about a fun testing project I am doing, using the PYM II (Preserve Your Memories) fixative and sealant product, as an anti-tarnish spray for copper findings.
But first, I’d like to remind you that coming up later this month in Video 016-3 at the Polymer Clay Members Library, I will be teaching you guys how to make Beaded Copper S-Hooks like the ones pictured in the photo above.
The nice thing about these copper wire findings is they can be made with custom accent beads that compliment the main beads you use in your necklace or bracelet projects. This combination really gives your jewelry pieces a one-of-kind artisan look that your customers will love.
Next week I’ll post a preview video for the Volume 016-3 tutorial, as usual. But for today, I wanted to talk about a spray fixative product that I have been using with these copper metal findings. It’s called Preserve Your Memories II (PYM-II), manufactured by Precision Blue, a US based company in Woodstock, GA.
It was back in April of this year (2009) that I first learned about the Preserve Your Memories Craft Fixative Spray, from Valerie Aharoni. She had already been successfully using this unique product as a protective coating over ink applied to polymer clay from metallic leafing pens. She had also tested it as a sealant for polymer clay image transfers.
Unfortunately at the time, the PYM-2 product had not yet been approved for shipping into Canada, so I could not try it out for myself. But thanks to Shades of Clay in Toronto, as well as to Donna Shepherd from Precision Blue, that Canadian shipping problem has now been solved…
Hi Cindy, I wanted to thank you for the write up about Preserve Your Memories II. My husband is the inventor and patent holder and we so appreciate the way all of the artists that find PYM II help us to get the word out. We have just signed Shades of Clay in Canada as a distributor so it should be available thru them for Canada within a week or so. If you or anyone that is on your blog has any questions we are always more than happy to answer them. Thanks again.
I am in the process of doing some testing on a variety of different applications, and will share the results when I have something more conclusive to say.
The can says it can be applied to Newspapers, Inkjet and Laser prints, inkjet digital pictures, metals, pencil art, plastics, chalk, children’s marker art, over head transparencies and more.
I recently sprayed the beaded wire s-hooks in the photo above, with PYMII. They ended up with a beautiful sheen, and my hope is that the finish will also prevent the copper wire from tarnishing. So far so good!
Has anyone else tried PYM II yet? Please do share your thoughts below. Or if there is something specific you would like me to test it on, let me know that too.
FYI
Premo and Fimo are on sale at Hobby Lobby this week (Sep 7 to 12) for 99 cents.
Can this finish be used on baked clay or should it be coated with something else first? It sounds like Valerie is using it without any other coating except the metallic inks. How would it work on Sterling?
Cindy, is this sealant able to tolerate skin contact? I love the look of freshly polished non-oxidized metal. I also love the greens in tarnished copper. Would this preserve a certain point in the tarnishing process as well?
Um wonder what the equivalent would be in the UK? Nice s hooks though, I have been experimenting quite a bit with making them. I’ve started hammering mine flat.
PYM-II UPDATE FOR UK AND EUROPE: I received this email (Sept 18) from Doug Shepherd, the inventor of the PYM-II product, and am posting it here for information purposes…
“We would like to find a distributer in the UK that is familiar with importing aerosol products and is the supplier to the local craft retailers. If your students know of one we would be glad to speak with them. Very tough to get a distributor set up unless the demand is really high. We would need a min order of 5000 cans since it would have to be shipped by surface cargo ship.” ~Doug Shepherd
So if anyone has any suggestions for Doug about possible distributors in the UK or Europe, then let me know and I will get the word to him.
@Cindy Lietz from Beaded S-Hook Clasp: Here’s the current answer regarding availability in UK and Europe.
Is this the correct way to point someone to the answer?
Thanks Cindy, did you have a nice Holiday? Will be looking forward to the results of your testing. My husband Doug originally invented PYM II to coat copper and metals. Donna
.
On everything I have used PYM II, it is fabulous.
My son wanted to preserve some papers…PYM II.
Krylon edging for polymer pieces…PYM II.
Baking parchment ink jet transfer …PYM II.
Layered drawing!…PYM II.
The fact this product is compatible with polymer clay has meant it has become quite a useful tool. I have needs for sealer/fixatives in areas other than polymer clay. Having PYM II on hand means I have one tool for multiple uses. And I am quite pleased.
Thanks Cindy for this great forum!
@ Donna: Where can we get PYMII?
If you are in Canada from Shades of Clay link on our website. In US from our website or in a Local Scrapbook Store it would be called CI SuperSeal. (picture of the can on our website. Thanks for asking.
Jocelyn, To answer your question about skin contact. First it must dry 24 to 48 hours. It will dry to the touch within 2 minutes but for jewelry in contact with skin 24 to 48 hours. Everyone is different and has different allergies, many people our wearing jewelry coated with PYM II. It has not been laboratory tested for skin irritation,but we have not had any negative feedback from those who are wearing it. So it is an individual choice. Myself I can only wear silver or gold earrings or I have an allergic reaction to other metals. AS for the copper question the answer is yes.
Good info here everyone! Thanks Donna and Valerie for sharing your knowledge on the product with us.
@Laurel: There is a link to where you can buy it in the article I wrote before. Just click the ‘Spray Fixative’ link by my name to go there. For anyone in Canada, you can order it from shadesofclay.com in the supplies section.
Bette,
Yes PYM II can be used on baked clay. Yes it should work well on sterling.
Donna, thank you so much for providing all this excellent information on this product. Very appreciated.
Folks, if you click on Donna’s name in her thread, she’s linked to the product site with plenty more information.
Thanks Donna for the info! That really helps to get information straight from the manufacturer. Very reliable that way!
In case there are any pray-ers in our community … I wanted to let you know that I received an email this morning from PYM II’s Donna. Her mother is in ICU in the hospital. I have no further information, but God does.
Thank you Carolyn for your note about Donna Shepherd’s mom. Many of the people in this community pray. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to you Donna.
Here is an update direct from Donna Shepherd: Hi Carolyn,
God answers prayer. Her heart is pumping strong, her hemoglobin levels are back to normal, her color is good. Two days ago they were not giving us much hope. So thank everyone and I will continue with our praise report when they find nothing wrong with her heart when they do the heart catch on Monday. I expect her home and back to her bowling team in a couple of weeks. My mom is about to turn 87.
Thank you to all my email prayer partners,
Donna
It is so nice for Donna to take the time to let us know her mother is doing better. She sounds like a very strong out going woman with a wonderful caring family. You are all in my prayers.
God bless you all, Peggy
Hi Carolyn – Yes that is the correct way to point to an answer higher up on this page..
NOTE: The link by my name goes to a conversation between Carolyn and myself about how to use permalinks as reference information when answering questions for others, here at the blog.
I just love these S-hook clasps. They really are a great way to have your clasp match your the rest of your jewelry. Very pretty, indeedy!
(Did I just say “indeedy?” What does that mean…?)
Doh! I meant to write about the S hook clasps on the page where I saw the video preview. I’m just messing up right and left. But that’s what happens when there are so many pages to see and so much information! Not that it’s a bad thing — it’s definitely good (it’s fantastic!)
PYM-II UPDATE FOR AUSTRALIA AND UK: This just in from Donna Shepherd…
“Hi Cindy. Our PYM shipment just arrived in Australia. It up on their website now. If you have followers in Australia we would greatly appreciate your sending the info along. Thanks a bunch for all your help. We have had a couple more inquiries from UK but no distributor yet.” ~Donna Shepherd, Preserve Your Memories
The link by my name will take you to the web site where the PYM II product can be now be purchased in Australia.
@Cindy Lietz from PYM II Now in Australia:
The link is coming up as error, so can’t find out about it in Oz.
If I’m not mistaken, the same distributor will also be covering the Indonesia market. I knew the Australian distributor was in the works and I have been communicating with Doug and Donna about the UK market. And a little plug here … the USA market: I’m on board for that, either through my blog or my website. Click on the link by my name to go to my website. My blog has an endorsement with photos of my testing. This is a great product of PCers. One tip … it helps if the items are covered – like with a box lid – after spraying.
@carolyn: Hi Carolyn, what did you mean about covering with a box lid? Are you talking about keeping dust from sticking, something like that?
@Phaedrakat: It is a good way to keep dust off, however, it also ‘captures’ the mist and seems to leave an even better finish on the pieces. I use two large boxes, by large I mean the flat surface is large. They are only 3-4″ deep. One is smaller than the other and the smaller one is my ‘cover’ box. I line the spraying box with paper towels, arrange the pieces, spray and cover. I always wear a mask when spraying anything. I also use a surgical glove, but that is just ’cause I don’t want to get any spray on my trigger finger. I wear goggles also – ones that fit over my glasses. Don taught be to be over cautious when spraying as well as doing a lot of other tasks. Mask, glove and goggle was his motto!
@carolyn: That’s a great motto! Your hubby was looking out for you — better safe than sorry. Sure they say certain products are safe, but then who knows? Years from now they could find that a certain ingredient causes medical problems. (I don’t mean PYM II, I’m talking about any kind of product or chemical…)
Thanks for explaining how to use a box with the spray. Another smart idea! I still plan to buy some PYM II from your shop, as soon as I use up some of my existing finishes. I have a huge inventory right now — I need to get to work so I can put them to use!
Hi, I just bought a can of Preserve Your Memories 2 and used it on some baked polymer clay pieces. It’s been over 72 hours and they are still not dry. The surface is still sticky like what happens with most acrylic sprays. I was so confident about this product but now I’m not sure. Has anyone else had this problem? I desperately need a spray varnish for polymer clay that doesn’t react with it!
@Danielle: I bought some PYM2 recently too but hadn’t got around to trying it. I sprayed a baked test piece a few minutes ago and it’s not sticky at all now, but I’ll leave it for a while to see if stickiness develops from a reaction with the clay.
I also sprayed another baked test piece with another spray varnish I had on hand (Krylon Crystal Clear). It too is not sticky at present, but I’ll see if any reaction develops.
I have some Helen Breil polymer clay surface effect tutorials that were updated to recommend PYM2 as part of the finishing process, so it must be suitable for at least the particular processes she describes.
It might also depend on which brand of polymer clay you are using. For example, I have personally observed extremely different behaviours between unbaked Kato, Premo and Fimo when testing whether plastic containers are “polymer clay safe” or not. (My baked test pieces were Kato.)
@Danielle: Hi Danielle. This is surprising! I haven’t tried PYM II yet, but I have heard countless good things about it. Many trusted people have used this, including Cindy. Carolyn F., a member of this blog who actually sells this product, uses it for most of her projects. This is supposed to be “the one”, the only spray that doesn’t react with polymer clay. Is it possible that you put on too thick a coat or something like that? Or perhaps it IS a particular clay thing, like Sue F. said, although I believe it’s been tested with Premo and Fimo brands. Cindy should be able to provide some insight into this, having used the product lots of times.
You can also contact Donna Shepard if you like. Her husband is the inventor of the product, and they hold the patent. They’re really nice and helpful people, in fact Donna might even monitor these threads. I’ve seen her pop in with a comment from time-to-time. You can find her email at this website: precision-blue.com/Contact_us.html.
Good luck! Please check back for input from others, and also let us know what happens with your project! ~Kat
@Danielle: Hi Danielle, I hope I am not answering this twice but I did not see my answer show up. The first coat should be a light coat, let dry for a couple of minutes before adding another thin coat. Too thick would make it sticky. Cindy may also have some feedback because she has tested PYM II for us on different materials. I would appreciate it if you would let Doug (inventor) call you and discuss your problem and he will solve it. Just leave us a number on our email and the best time for him to call you (we are in Atlanta).
Thanks, Donna
@Sue F and Phaedrakat and Donna Shepherd: BIG thanks for responding to Danielle’s PYM questions and concerns so quickly.
@Danielle: Since I have only had excellent success using PYMII on polymer clay, it makes me very curious as to why the stickiness occurred. So I have a few questions for you, Danielle, that should help us all to figure this out.
* Are there any other finishes that were already on the clay? Coatings, paints, varnishes, oils, antiquing mediums, shoe polish, inks, glues, etc. Even maybe a hand lotion from your hands getting transferred to the beads?
* Are your beads sticky everywhere or just in patches?
* What brand of clay are you using and did you bake them long enough? Maybe there is a brand difference as Sue F has suggested?
* Did you do a very heavy spray without drying between coats as Phaedrakat and Donna have suggested could be the problem?
The Product Tester in me would love to figure out the cause of this so that no one else (including me) has to run into any problems. Donna’s idea of you talking with her husband Doug (inventor) on the phone is great. You should do that. He would definitely be able to advise you about the “science” behind the problem.
If you do talk with him, make sure to come back here and let us know the results. Many people reading this blog get a great deal of value from this kind of ‘field testing’ by people just like you. It helps us all to come up with new and innovative techniques as well as avoid as many problems and hassles as possible.
Thank you so much for sharing your problem us! Make sure to come back with your answers to the above questions. We will surely get to the bottom of this for you!
Wow! Thanks for all the quick replies!! I was hoping for maybe one or two after awhile since there haven’t been any recent postings…I’m pleasantly surprised! I checked my pendants again this morning and they still haven’t dried…
To your questions @Cindy no there were not any other varnishes on them, I make sure to wash my hands thoroughly when handling the clay. The pendants are sticky everywhere, not in patches. Most of the pendants are sculpey 3 but one is primo and the primo one is actually less sticky but still doesn’t seem like it it totally dry yet. The problem could be a too heavy coat, I think I remember passing the spray over them 3 times. If that is the problem, will it just take longer to dry or will they never dry?
I just sprayed a light coat on one piece to test it out. I will post later if it dried. Thanks again everyone!
@Danielle: For what it’s worth, my PYM2 test piece hasn’t developed any stickiness yet.
I gave it a pretty thick coat too, much thicker than what you describe or what would normally be used (my test piece was small enough to be covered with minimal movement of the spray, and I gave it an uninterrupted 1.5 to 2 second blast). That makes me think that you might unfortunately have a “never dry” situation with your pieces, although I’d like to be wrong about that!
I’m quite curious about it now and will do a little extra testing with various brands and baking times…
@Sue F: You are seriously AWESOME with your experiments!
@Phaedrakat: Thanks! :D
(I was one of those annoying “But why?” kids!)
@Danielle:
Hi Danielle,
I haven’t been able to reproduce your stickiness problem so far.
I’ve now tried PYM2 on the following types of polymer clay:
– Kato
– Premo
– Sculpey 3
– Fimo Classic
– Fimo Soft.
I tested two samples from each of these, baked at the temperature recommended on the relevant clay’s packet, but one baked for the time shown on the packet and the other baked for twice as long. This was to try out one of Cindy’s ideas above and see if minimal versus longer baking made a difference.
I then took all the samples and laid them out next to each other so that I could spray them all in one go, to avoid different amounts of PYM2 cover influencing the results. I gave all the samples an initial spray with PYM2, waited a few minutes, rearranged the samples so that those on the outside moved to the inside and vice versa (just in case my spraying pattern wasn’t completely evenly distributed although I was being pretty careful about that), and then finished with a second, slightly heavier spray of PYM2. The samples were then left for an hour or so in a ventilated area.
At this stage none of them are sticky.
The Fimo Soft and Fimo Classic samples feel very slightly tacky, as a tactile impression when I place a fingertip onto a sample and then start to slide it along the surface, but I wouldn’t describe them as sticky. The PYM2 also appears to be set: even a hard push with my fingers leaves the surface unmarred, i.e. I’m not getting a surface change like I would if I touched paint or glue that hadn’t quite set yet.
The surfaces of the Kato, Premo and Sculpey 3 samples all feel hard and slippery.
What is interesting is how the finished appearance varies. The finish on both Fimo Soft and Fimo Classic is effectively satin; the finish on Premo and Sculpey 3 is a smooth high gloss, and the finish on the Kato sample is glossy but somewhat granular. It looks as though the sprayed PYM2 droplets spread on the Premo and Sculpey 3 to give that smooth cover, didn’t spread on the Fimo samples resulting in the satin finish being caused by the tiny droplets’ surfaces, and clumped slightly on the Kato (more so on the Kato sample with the shorter baking time than on the Kato sample baked for twice as long as recommended on the packet).
I’ll check them again in 24 hours and see if there’s any change.
@Sue F: I totally agree with Phaedrakat, you are seriously AWESOME with your experiments! I completely get that need for asking why. I have told my kids since they could talk, the more questions you ask, the smarter you get. So never think of yourself as that annoying kid. You were and still are, a Smart Kid!
I am thinking the differences between finishes on different brands is because of the differences in the surfaces of the clay after baked. Each brand is slightly different. Some are more matte like Sculpey II or Studio by Sculpey, and some are shinier like Premo and Fimo.
PYMII is said to ‘take on the same texture’ of whatever you spray it on. I have noticed a big difference between how it looks on an unsanded piece compared to a sanded and buffed piece. That is the nice thing about using it on paper for scrapbooking. The paper pretty much looks the same as it did before it was sprayed, only now it is protected.
@Danielle, with my testing and now Sue’s here, I am thinking your stickiness problem is more of a contamination problem rather than too thick a coat. Something is causing the spray not to cure. One idea that popped into my head is the possibility that maybe an oily residue got onto your beads in the baking or sanding process. Is your oven really dirty or could there be soap or something else on your beads? Did you sand your beads before spraying them?
One thing you could try is popping one of these sticky beads into some rubbing alcohol to try and remove the coating. Then sand the bead and rinse well. You could then respray the bead and see if that makes any difference.
If it does, then there was something on the beads. If not, you could try Donna and Doug’s idea of re-baking the bead. It won’t hurt the clay and if they think it is OK to bake the spray, then it should be fine. Just watch it closely and make sure you have good ventilation.
Also If I were you I would try it on another set of beads and see how it comes out. I guess there is the far off chance that there is something off in that batch of spray, but since other’s aren’t having this problem (that I’ve heard of any way) I doubt that it is that.
@Donna, Is there anyone else having a problem with the spray getting sticky on clay or any other material for that matter? I haven’t heard anything in my circles.
Thank you to Donna, Doug, Sue, Phaedrakat and you Danielle for this great discussion!! The more questions we all ask, the smarter we get!!
@Cindy Lietz from Polymer Clay Tutorial – Zebra Cane: Hi Cindy, No the very few times we have had this problem it is due to many of the factors you related too. Also, sometimes the weather that is why we posted on our site under helpful tips a way to cover your work while it dries: pymii.com
@Cindy: Regarding the differences between finishes, my two sprays probably added up to somewhat more than you’d use to “just” seal/protect the surface as my sprayed sample shininess doesn’t quite correspond to the unsprayed sample shininess.
For example, the Sculpey 3 (naturally more matte) and Premo (naturally shinier) ended up equally highly glossy. But the Kato, which was by far the shiniest sample before spraying, didn’t end up as shiny as the Sculpey 3 or Premo after spraying. The Kato samples were also less smooth after spraying than before, although my first Kato test piece, which got a single really thick coat of PYM2, was completely smooth.
The Fimo Soft and Fimo Classic samples, however, were relatively matte before spraying compared to the others, so the fact that they have a satin finish after two coats is consistent with the original surface although that didn’t seem to me like the full story. (Neither of them feel tacky any more, by the way.)
So I decided to sand and buff a couple of the Fimo samples to see if the PYM2 then took on a glossy appearance. I hand-sanded the samples at 240, 400, 800 and 1200 grit, then buffed one half of each sample to a glassy shine using my Dremel. I then gave them a light initial spray with PYM2, followed up with a second slightly heavier spray a few minutes later.
Interestingly, they still ended up with a satin finish despite being very smooth and/or shiny to start with. The glassy-buffed halves of the Fimo samples aren’t really any shinier than the sanded-only halves, although there is a slight difference in the texture of the satin finish (on the Fimo Classic sample anyway, where the glassy-buffed half’s satin finish is a tiny bit more granular than the finish on the side that was only sanded; on the Fimo Soft sample, you really can’t tell that one half started out super-glossy and the other didn’t). And on the Fimo samples, my favourite finish is actually what I got on the completely unsanded samples!
So as far as I can tell, the properties/composition of the various clays have an effect on the finish you get. It’s definitely not just whether the surface was shiny or not to start with, and from this round of testing my impression is that the initial (unsprayed) finish is less of a factor than the type of clay.
I’m looking forward to experimenting with the PYM2 further, with my first real uses of it being with a couple of surface effects, and seeing if it will help preserve the colours of botanical inclusions. :)
@Sue F: Hi Sue, This is Donna with PYM II. I really appreciate all the research you are doing with our product. Between you, Cindy, Carolyn and Valerie the feedback is great.
You are all appreciated more than you know.
Doug & Donna
@Donna Shepherd: Hi Donna,
You’re most welcome… It’s really nice to find a product that can be used in so many areas with so many mediums!
Sue
I was wondering if I could varnish then spray the PYM2? I am making Christmas orniments and would like for them to be very shiney.
I would be careful using any varnish on polymer clay Paige. Most varnishes are oil based and not compatible with polymer, especially the sprays. They may dry but often over time they become sticky. PYMII is one of the only sprays that I know of that is totally safe with polymer clay, but it isn’t very shiny. If you want your ornaments to be shiny, there are many different options that will work. Type finishes into the search box at the top of the page and a list of posts will come up that will help. Let us know if you need any more help!
@Danielle: Danielle, Enjoyed talking with you yesterday I hope Doug answered your questions. I would ask Cindy, because that is her expertise, if you could rebake the one piece that is remaining sticky? Also, remember PYM II is dry to the touch in a couple of minutes but not fully cured for 24 to 48 hours.
Hope this helps.
Ok, I tried doing multiple thin layers, and it seemed to work for the first two, but the third layer hasn’t dried yet and its been a day. Unfortunately, I’m leaving tomorrow morning to go out of town for a month, so I won’t be able to wait the full 24-48 hours. I’ll leave them be while I’m gone and check them and do more testing when I come back. I’ll be back July 4th so I’ll check back around then! Thanks again for all the advice!
When I first saw Danielle’s problem I zapped off a message to Donna since I knew I was not well enough to even type a real response. It has been really great watching the exchange of ideas regarding the PYM II. I did a lot of testing before deciding to become a seller of this great product. I never did find stickiness to be a problem. I did find that using too thick of a coat of PYM II on metals caused the finish to eventually rub off. Using quick, thin coats is always best … saves on the amount of product also! Have a great vacation time, Danielle, at least I hope you are vacationing, but whatever, we’ll be looking forward to hearing from you on your return.
Cindy,
Donna from PYM II suggested I contact you. I have read the threads on this forum (and very thankful I am) but I wanted to know if Superseal can be used on *unbaked* clay? I have transferred images (thanks Valerie Aharoni!) I would prefer not smudge while I handle the (Fimo) clay and wanted to know if it was OK to bake it after spraying Superseal? If so, do I need to wait 24 hrs (curing time for Superseal) before baking it? Any help would be appreciated.
@carolyn: That is great to know about the thickness of the coating on metal being a factor. As with most spraying, thin coats with proper dry time between always seems to give the best results. Glad to see you are feeling good enough to be writing comments now. Praying that you are getting stronger everyday.
@Sue F: I love reading about your detailed test results Sue! You are our Resident Poly Scientist!! That is so interesting about how the surface wasn’t actually a factor in the shininess in the end. Threw my theory right out the window! :D That is why theories are only theories until they are tested! Keep it up. It is extremely valuable information to us all!
@Donna Shepherd: No problem! PYMII is an exciting product to work with. It solves so many problems for us clayers and jewelry makers. I am working on some neat ideas for using it in new ways. Just need to play with it a bit more. Thanks goes to you and your husband Doug for bringing such a great product to our industry!
@MaryFaithPeace: Hi Mary! Nice to meet you! You bring up an interesting idea. Are you referring to the parchment paper technique that Valerie came up with? Because you’re right that technique is very prone to smudging. Using PYMII in a situation like that should work in theory. The only way to know would be to test it. Try it out on a sample piece and see if it works. Make sure to work in a well ventilated area when baking because I do not know whether there would be any fumes or not since I haven’t tried it myself. After baking, let your sample sit for a bit to see if it changes over time. I would love it it you were to come back and let us know how your experiments went. Maybe some of us others could try it too, to ‘add to the research data’. It all sounds so official doesn’t it? Thanks for coming by and presenting your ideas / questions, Mary.
@Cindy Lietz from Parchment Paper Image Transfers: We may want to get Valerie in on this discussion also because she has baked PYM II several times. You all do sound very scientific I can hardly wait for Doug to read all your testing and results.
If anyone would like to post a picture of something you have created and tell about using PYM II on clay on our FB page we would love it. There is a link on our website.
Thanks again,
Donna
@Cindy: It was a good theory. ;)
And it actually might still hold for Premo — which you know much better than I do — and Kato, etc., since I didn’t test them specifically in the sanded-only versus sanded-and-buffed states. (I did those tests on the Fimo because the finish on those initial samples was so different to the others that it piqued my curiosity.)
It’ll be great to see your new ideas on using it!
@MaryFaithPeace: Hi Mary, glad to meet you! If you’re planning to test this, it seems like it would be best to let it dry thoroughly (24 hrs) before baking. Besides the potential problem with it being “flammable”, you might get bubbles in the finish, as well. That’s what happens sometimes with other clay finishes, when they’re baked before they’re completely dry. Good luck, and I hope this works for you! Let us know how it goes… :D
@Phaedrakat: FYI: It is mainly the propellant in PYM II that is flammable. Once sprayed on clay it becomes a plastic which the only thing it could do if heated to high is melt.
I have re-baked pieces after they have been sprayed. I did not detect any odor.
IMO, it is perfectly safe to bake pieces once they have been sprayed with PYM II.
If you want to buy PYM II, USA only, go to my website or my blog, and purchase using PayPal. Your can will be shipped the following day. No sales of anything, though, between 6/15 and 6/30 – vacation time with my family.
@carolyn: Is it safe to put in the oven when it’s wet? That’s what I was trying to say in my comment — I was MORE concerned with the wet finish becoming bubbly than with any potential issue with it being flammable. Don’t you need to let it dry for a while after spraying before putting it in the oven? If not, that’s even more amazing!
Hope you’re feeling even stronger and better!
@Phaedrakat: Unless your spraying area is right next to your oven – which is unlikely – the PYM II will already be ‘dry’ by the time you get to your oven … unless you have put on too thick of a coat. Then all bets are off!
Me too, Cindy! Can’t wait to see those ideas you’re working on… I can see that I need to go ahead and order some PYM II. I have a long list of things to buy this week, I was hoping not to add anything else. But I can’t stand to be left out of the discussion! LOL. Just kidding, I just really want some of this for the wire/clay combo items I’ll be making in a couple weeks.
I need to get going with my clay again soon, because once the pool’s ready, I’ll have a real dilemna. Pool, or clay? Jacuzzi, or clay? Nah, I’ll find a way to do it all! They “Gunite-ed” the pool today. The guys looked like they were “frosting” something with their trowels, although the “icing” was gray. What is it about a man, or men, hard at work that’s so nice to, um, see? Is it wrong for me to find lots of reasons to go outside to “check” on things in the garage? (Which means I just happen to have to walk past the shirtless guys…LOL) ~Kat
@Phaedrakat: You should know where to get your PYM II :-} And using Paypal is really convenient and easy. Just give the word – and the payment – and I’ve have a can on its way to you the next day! But this would have to be before June 15th when I fly to spend two weeks with my son and his wonderful family. I’m not taking stuff with me, except for some clay for when I get to meet up with Ken H. for a clay play day! Hey, that has a nice ring to it … but don’t try saying it ten times fast … your tongue will get twisted.
@carolyn: Oh, yeah! Thanks for reminding me about the time constraints — I need to order before you “hit the road”. Or “get on the plane” I guess, with the change of plans, LOL. How nice that you and Ken are meeting up. That should be interesting and fun!
I’m planning my shopping, trying to figure out where to order this or that from. With shipping costs, and products only available in certain places, it’s a nightmare! I had to make a spreadsheet to keep track of it all. At least the PYM II is easy — I know to get that from you! I’ll send you the order once I’ve got the “bigger orders” taken care of.
I have to make sure I’ve got enough money for the larger purchases, like my Lortone tumbler, along w/steel shot and other asst. goodies. I also need to buy UV resin & light, and the ‘companion products’. I need other supplies too, like wire, jeweler’s saw, bench pin, sanding sheets/pads, etc. And, let’s not forget, Amaco bead roller #8 (which Ken made me want, after I saw those oh-so-perfectly round, tiny, graduated beads.) I wish they had this tool at one of the other stores I’m buying from, so I could combine shipping. But it’s discontinued; I’ve only found it in two shops. I’ve got to buy one, before they’re completely gone!
I’m also thinking about buying those Lindstrom’s I’ve been wanting for so long. Yay! It’s going to feel like Christmas when I start getting my “gifts” in the mail. Anyway, thanks for letting me know about your timetable; I’ll try to hurry with my order. Also, I’ll stay away from the tonque twister — never been very good at those! 8~P I hope you’re doing well, Carolyn. Eat lots of yummy & fattening desserts! ~Kat
Back…after a few days of testing. I used Valerie’s image transfer technique using our big office color Laserjet (HP4700 DTN). You can read all about it on Valerie’s blog. Here’s what I found:
NO, Superseal sprayed on unbaked clay will **NOT** prevent the images from smudging. No help for it: you must work FAST (within 30 minutes) when using transferred images via Valerie’s technique. This is a potential downside if what you’re creating is intricate.
Superseal lightly sprayed (one pass) on unbaked clay, left to dry for 2-3 minutes, and then cured in the oven at manufacturer’s recommended temperature settings (for me, Fimo @ 230F for 15 min) permanently seals the image on the clay with no bubbles. No rubbing or fingernail etching will scrape that image out once baked. Afterwards, you can choose to coat with Varathane or any sealant if you wish a glossy finish.
You can also spray (light pass) Superseal after baking the image and leave to dry for 24-48 hrs. This leaves a slightly more “tacky” feel to the image – nothing troublesome though. I find that I prefer spraying BEFORE baking.
I find that the images transferred via parchment are not as clear as the method I previously used, but it is cost-effective and relatively easy (there was still a learning curve, mind you). Thanks to all who contributed to this forum especially Valerie, who shared the technique with all!
@MaryFaithPeace: Thanks for letting us know how your testing went! This is helpful for others who want to know how PYM II (aka Superseal or CI Superseal in Scrapbooking stores) works when spraying on unbaked clay. This is excellent to know that it can be put straight into the oven after just a few minutes. I’m sorry it didn’t work out the way you wanted, though. It would’ve been nice to have a less messy/smudge-free way to play with Val’s transfer technique. Sorry that part didn’t work out for you. Thanks again for sharing, and have fun! ~Kat
@MaryFaithPeace: So sorry for not speaking up sooner, but wow! Thanks so much for sharing your findings. That is incredibly helpful!
Too bad it didn’t quite work for the parchment technique. That would have been nice. It is such a unique way of doing transfers, thanks to Valerie. Do you know if Valerie is still working with polymer clay? A couple months back I bought some supplies from her, because she was apparently quitting clay and moving to knitting or something. *Gasp, Sputter* I know… it would be impossible for me to quit! Too many things I haven’t done with it yet. But to each its own. Just wondering…
@Cindy Lietz from Polymer Clay Tutorials (Vol-024 Videos): Hi Cindy! Valerie quickly replied to my questions/comments on her blog. From what’s on her gallery, she has not quit doing polymer clay. She does not do that much transfers though (which she has mentioned before). I meant to ask you, what do you use for image transfers when you need time to work on the surface the image will be on? Have you tried those water slide decal transfer papers (more expensive, but works on raw clay)?
@MaryFaithPeace: That is interesting about Valerie. I wonder why she sold all her clay stuff then? Just de-stashing I guess? Any way that’s great she got back to you quickly.
I actually haven’t worked with the water slide decals. I never really liked the plastic-y look of them, though they do look really nice under resin. Will maybe have to give them a shot now that I am working with resin. They do work on raw clay and are probably tougher than the parchment transfers.
@Cindy Lietz: Michael’s has Lisa Pavelka waterslide transfers now, although they only had one pkg. left and I wasn’t happy with the transfer designs it came with. Do they sell other types of these transfers at craft stores, or do you have to buy online?
The above question is for anyone who knows about where to get waterslide transfers…
Hi, There is a company on our website Crafty PC and we did extensive testing for her with her waterslip transfers. I am not sure if hers is what you are looking for but we did test to seal them with PYM II. Secret was coat after cutting out and seal the edges. Hope this helps.
@Phaedrakat: I hope more people add to this for you Kat since I haven’t worked with the water slide transfers myself yet. Also there is very little around here in regards to craft stores so online would be pretty much the only place for me to get something like this. Would like to try some out though. So any info others have on the subject would be appreciated!
@Donna Shepherd: Thanks for the info. I’ll have to check that out!
I can’t find exactly what you are referring to on the Crafty PC site. She has various kinds of papers, but I can’t find any actual picture transfers. Can you be more specific?
thecraftypc.com/watdec.html
Hi Carolyn, I hope we are talking about the same thing. Waterslip decals is what she calls it on her site. If you hit her index button and scroll down to the w’s. Above is the link to the page. Glad to see your feeling better!
@Donna: Thanks, Donna. I didn’t find this page on my own. I’m going to have to try this … maybe after I get back from Philly.
@Donna: Thanks, I couldn’t find it, either. This is a cool product. Did you test it on polymer clay? Can you print using an inkjet printer? Thanks for the help, Donna!
I saw a couple of other papers that recommended using PYM II with them (bumper sticker paper & another type) on the site, but no waterslide/slip papers. Perhaps the paper’s no longer available? It’s okay. I’ve got TONs of techniques to work on. I’ll get by without having these transfers. I can try some regular transfers also, using some images I’ve got just for that purpose. My goal is to get some projects finished so I can send in some photos. Now that Carolyn has won some beads, it makes me want my own spotlight! (JK) ;D
Oh, now I see in the projects that you can use an inkjet printer. I’m guessing it’s fine with polymer, too. Thanks for your help with this!
On my blog: dovedesigns.blogspot(dot)com I have a page that shows photos of the results of my using PYM II on polymer clay pieces. I am so thrilled with the product that I now sell it through my blog and also on my website: lordstreasures(dot)com.
I just ordered a can of PYM II and had a couple questions for those of you who have tried it. A couple of you had probably seen my question about preventing tarnish on my chain in another post. I have some bracelets where I used some base metal spacer beads and I want to seal in the silver plating. The clay beads are already varnished with the Flecto Diamond Elite Varathane. Does the PYM II work with other varnishes and sealers? I am hoping I can just spray the entire piece with it.
I also wanted to share my disappointment with the Studio Sculpey Glaze. I loved this product and was using it exclusively for several months. I have purchased a total of only 4 bottles of it and I got a bad bottle! The varnish completely peeled off the items I used it on. I was working on a large custom job and this job was the only project I had used that bottle on, and this job was the only project I had that was peeling. The varnish that came from other bottles was fine on my other projects, I couldn’t even purposely scratch them. The bad thing was that I was unaware of the problem until the purchaser of these 100 bracelets contacted me and said she had one of the bracelets returned to her. Her customer had worn the bracelet for a day and the varnish was gone. She checked the ones she still had in her posession and they too were peeling. So she sent them all back to me. I had to cut apart all the strung bracelets, remove the old peeling varnish ( which I did by putting the beads in my tumbler with hot water, all the varnish was gone in about 2 hours if that tells you how unusable the varnish was), varnish with my new stuff (the Flecto, which I LOVE!) and restring them.
Because of this bad varnish, I had to do an extra 12-15 hours of work (not counting drying time) and it cost me an extra $20 in shipping costs.
Moral of the story: be careful buying Studio Sculpey varnish!!!
The good news is that the bracelets are fine now, my customer is selling them like crazy and is placing another large order this week!
@Carrie W.: Carrie, I forwarded your PYM II question on to the Shepherds … the makers of this product. I would imagine you will have an answer real soon. I’m just not sure about this one and don’t want to give you wrong information.
@Carrie W.: Thanks for letting everyone know about this! I’ve been seeing some comments about the Studio Glaze, and I wondered why there was a problem, since this product has worked so well for me and others. Was there anything different about that bottle that we can look out for? This is a shame, and I’m sorry to hear about all that extra work you had to go through. Good thing it was caught ‘fairly’ early, before all the items were sold & too many more items returned.
Best of luck with the PYM II & Varathane! Please let us all know…
Wow Carolyn! That was fast! Thanks for your help!
Hi Carrie and Carolyn,
Just asked Doug your question. He thinks there should not be a problem with spraying the whole piece with PYM II and it should work well. Of couse make sure the bracelet is clean of body oils, etc. if they have been worn or handle a lot. PYM II will dry to the touch in about 2 minutes but is not fully cured for 24 hours. When Cindy reads your question she will probably also have great input because she has used PYM II extensively on jewelry.
Hope this helps. I would do one bracelet and let it dry then if you like the results do the others.
Donna
Donna- thanks so much for the quick response and I’ll be sure to let you all know how it works for me!
Hi
I am new to polymer clay , I live in the UK and interested in buying PYM II
here in the UK , is PYM II available here
Hi, Dick t – Welcome to the best place on the web for polymer clay info and instruction. You definitely have come to the right place. Be sure to check out Cindy’s free videos, if you haven’t already. Her videos are truly top drawer.
There are several others here on Cindy’s blog who live in the UK and will be able to give you some guidance regarding local products. Also, using the search field at the top of the blog … there on the left … will give you tons of information.
Now to answer your query: unfortunately, PYM II is not currently available in the UK. The makers’ are trying to get something going there but so far, no luck.
@Carrie: I agree with Donna and Carolyn that it should be no problem to spray your chain and varnished beads, BUT it is very important that you test this first before spraying all of your pieces. You don’t want another situation like the peeling glaze problem.
Speaking of that ‘bad’ bottle, I suspect it is more likely that the ingredients in the glaze had separated or that there was a residue on the beads that caused the glaze to not adhere properly. I have a bottle that was from some older stock and it had a hard milky ‘sludge’ on the bottom. It took a lot of stirring and shaking (and waiting for the bubbles to dissipate) before I got it back to its original state. That settled out material is where the bonders and hardeners are and if it is not properly mixed, you’re basically just putting shiny water on your beads. If you still have that bottle test this out and let us know what happens.
I just used my PYM II! It works perfectly fine with the varathane. Dried like it should. My only complaint is that I lost some of my shine and smoothness on my beads. Another quick question- When the stuff is fully cured, will it be scratch resistant on my metal stuff? I have some pendant bezels and some bezel bracelets I am using it on. Carolyn, I’m pretty sure you will be the one to respond here, lol! So thank you in advance!
@Cindy: Makes sense! I didn’t know this when Anna mentioned her problems with Studio by Sculpey. Apparently this separation problem is really bad! I still have some left in my bottle — I’d better keep it well mixed. Anna left a warning not to use the remainder left at the bottom of the bottle on this Studio by Sculpey thread.
I hope she reads Cindy’s advice about mixing…
Hi Carrie, We think maybe you put to thick of a coat if you lost some of the smoothness and shine. This is very common with first time users of PYM II. The first coat should be a light misting. As far as durablility you might check our FB page, there is a link on our website home page, Tonja just wrote about the durability once dry on her jewelry that after 48 hours should could note scratch it off with her fingernail.
Hope this helps.
Great! Thanks for your help again Donna!
Carrie W. – As I usually do when questions come up about PYM II, again forwarded your question on to the Shepherds. They don’t mind answering and though I did quite a bit of testing, as did Cindy, on this product I’d rather have them answer. I do sell PYM II on my blog and website. You probably won’t need more for quite some time … it does go a long way … but thought you might like to know. dovedesigns.blogspot is my blog and the link by my name will take you to my website. Hope all goes well with this next round of bracelets. Do you have helpers when you get orders for a hundred?
@Carolyn- Yes I have helpers! My mother and my 14 year old sister-in-law. They do most of my prep work (using cookie cutters to get the right amount for each bead, cutting and rolling tiny pieces for polka dots, etc.) Then after I drill holes, my mother helps me varnish and string them. My mom has started to do most of my stringing of bracelets and seed bead necklaces. She does it while she watches TV in the evenings. Since I’m getting ready for 2 more shows in September plus the 9 day show next year, her help with those jobs really saves me some time so I can be doing other things!
Carrie – A question for you … do you use bead rollers? If so can you clue me in as to which cutters can be used for which beads, assuming the clay has been rolled at the thickest setting? I’m like Cindy, looking for ways to be quicker and easier,
On the big job I roll by hand, but I do use my tri-bead roller sometimes. The oval cutter in the new mini cutter set works pretty well (thickest setting). Sometimes I still need to take off just a tiny pinch. I don’t remember what brand my pasta machine is but the thickest setting on it is a 9. Hope this helps ya!
Thanks, Carrie – This gives me a starting point for the roller. The little cup thingie is not very efficient.
Hi Charlotte,
If you go to our website and hit distributors and then click on the picture of Image products in Queensland Australia it opens then click on their tab inkjet coatings. Their they have PYM II.
Hope this helps.
Hi Donna: Thanks for chiming in. I did some checking, and your distributor in Australia (Image Arts) has a reference on their home page to what they call, “Hahnemuhle Protective Spray” (it looks to be a re-packaged version of your PYM product). But their link for more info goes to a 404 error page. Perhaps you could find out if they have an updated page for me to reference here at my blog, for all of our Australian readers. Unfortunately, the “Image Arts” web site does not have a search function so I was not able to find the missing PYM info on my own.
@Charlotte & Cindy: PYM II is listed on the Inkjet Coatings page:
imageproducts.com.au/inkjet-coatings/pym-ii
The product’s individual page is as follows:
imageproducts.com.au/inkjet-coatings/pym-ii
I bought a can from them back in May. Service was good and delivery was quick, but relatively expensive at $16.72.
Oops. The first address above, for the Inkjet Coatings page, should be:
imageproducts.com.au/inkjet-coatings
Thanks for the update, Sue.
I’ve gone ahead and fixed the link further up on this page, that Charlotte was referring to.
Hi Cindy! Just read your review of Preserve Your Memories II on their website – I have been experimenting with it for a couple months and love it – just wondering if you have any idea how long it lasts? Thanks! :)
This is all great info. I just purchased my first can of PYM II and you have answered all of my questions. Can’t wait to get it and try it out!
Cindy – Thanks for the link you emailed to me! After reading all the postings, I’m going to try PYMII on aluminum:)
Hi Elvie,
Did you happen to click on the product test tab on our website? One of the test shows the fade, UV protection that PYM II provides. I am glad you are happy with PYM II. Also, thanks Cindy for providing links.
Here’s a an email question that Donna Shepherd from PYM sent over, to see if I could provide an answer to. The details may be helpful for others as well, so I am posting a copy of the information here at my blog, to add to this PYM resource page.
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Hi Donna,
Hoping you can help me. I’m working on a polymer clay project that Ive been commisioned to do in a short amount of time. I recently heard that your spray was great to use on polymer clay projects and Im delighted to hear that. I have not ever used it before so I’m a little nervous. What I do is that I add Pearl Ex metallic powders to clay AFTER its baked. I need a
product that I can use to make the powders adhere to the clay. and seal them in. Can you tell me this:
1) Do you know if I could spray your PYMII to the clay and then sprinkle on the powders to make them stick. Then come back with a second coat of the spray to seal them in? In the past, Ive actually used Aqua Net Hair Spray..sprayed a light coat…then sprinkled on the powders, let it dry, brushed off the excess powders, then sealed it again with Aqua Net Spray. It worked so, so. I think with time the metallic powders were coming off. Dont think the hair spray suggestion was the best advice. LOL
2) Even if I cant use your spray before adding the metallic powders, will your spray keep the powders from coming off? Give them a permanent coating so to speak?
3)Lastly, option I above wont work (spraying the PYMII first to create a sticky foundation for powders to adhere to), could I possibly use the Aqua Net Hair Spray as a foundation, then put on my Pearl Ex Powders, THEN coat all that with your PYMII to seal everything in? Not knowing about the chemical makeup of your product, just wondering if you think there would be
any kind of reaction between the two.
Ok, so sorry for the rambling email, just lots of questions going thru my mind. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a million for your help!!
Jon Williams
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Hi Jon, I sent your question to Cindy Lietz and this is her answer. Hope this answers your concerns. Donna
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Jon,
I just tested it myself on a baked piece and it works great. The Pearl Ex will stick to the wet PYMII no problem and seals in after being sprayed again. You do have to work quickly though before it dries. I would give it a couple coats after that to protect it even more. I found the surface to be more textured than if the Pearl Ex was rubbed onto raw clay because it was sprinkled on rather then rubbed, but the effect is lovely.
I wouldn’t spray with hairspray first. I don’t like it’s long term effects on polymer clay plus I would worry about a contamination issue with the PYMII. But since the PYMII worked fine on it’s own, this step would not be needed anyways.
I would love to see photos of the project when it is done. Sounds interesting!
Hope that helps,
~Cindy
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Hi Donna,
I cannot begin to thank you enough for your help. You do NOT know what a huge relief this is to me given that Im in the middle of doing a commisioned piece for a man thats due to him next week. I was thrilled to have discovered your product and just wanted to make sure it would work like I had envisioned. Not only do I thank YOU for replying but for taking the time to contact Cindy to get an answer. PLEASE PLEASE convey my gratitude to Cindy Leitz as well and tell her how much I appreciate her testing this for me. You both have been a tremendous help to me during a somewhat stressful time and I am very grateful to both of you. God bless you and thanks again.
Warm regards,
Jon
Sounds neat… I’ll have to try it!
I’ve recently tried PYM2 for faux antiquing. (Antiqueing? Bah. Computer people can’t spell anyway!)
I was following a polymer clay necklace project that includes roughly coiled wire beads and hammered wire components, supposedly in oxidised sterling silver, but it was the middle of the night, I didn’t have the right gauge of sterling wire on hand, and totally didn’t have the patience to wait for the next day to buy some!
Liver of sulfur and my other standard oxidising/antiquing products didn’t do anything to my silver-coloured copper craft wire, so I mixed some black and brown alcohol ink together and used that to coat my wire pieces. Once it was dry I took a piece of kitchen paper towelling, sprayed it very lightly with isopropyl alcohol, and used that to remove some of the alcohol ink (a bit like sanding lightly with normal antiquing). When I was happy with the appearance I used 3 coats of PYM2 to seal it.
It looked good, and so far it’s stood up to wear including where the two hammered clasps hold on to each other (I put one at each end so that I could add a long extension piece that still looked like it belonged, and to give me a bit more flexibility with length when wearing it without the extension).
@Sue F: Thank you Sue for sharing the results of your experiments with us. The antiquing idea is really neat. Very clever! Donna from PYMII appreciated this info as well and liked it so much that she posted about it on her Facebook page.
It is this kind of sharing and creative thinking outside the box that advances techniques in our industry. I am grateful that you are willing to share your ideas. You are making the mixed media world a more innovative place to be!
PS: You haven’t mentioned it, so I am assuming you were not harmed by the recent cyclones that ripped through part of Australia over this last week. Even if it is miles away from where you are, it must be devastating to your country. I am thinking of you and the others there and hope that you are OK and are able to bounce back quickly from all the destruction.
Hi Cindy and all,
It would be great if the PYM II becomes available in main land europe too. Finnish art and craft supplies are quite limited and expensive on the whole.. so I tend to buy online and get things posted to me instead. It seems that most crafts supplies come from either Germany or Sweden.
Should this product come to Europe.. I would seriously like to know.
In the meantime is there anything else that could be bought from the hardware store type place, that could be used as a sealant on the metals and is safe for skin contact?
Thanks for any replies… x
Hi,
In answer to the post about PYM II becoming available in Europe, we talked with Rayher Hobby (Germany) at the CHA in 2006 they had considered bringing PYM II to Europe then. Since that time sales and uses have greatly expanded.
We are asking them to reconsider bringing PYM II to Europe because we have so many inquiries from Europe. It wouldn’t hurt to let them know of your interest in the product and ask for them to bring it to Europe.
I am looking to buy this for my movie tickets. Recently the cinema near my house has switched from regular tickets to the cheap, heat sensitive paper that many big box stores use for receipts. The problem is, after a short period of time the ink fades. I like to keep all my movie tickets in my journal, but in a short amount of time it looks like I just taped in blank scraps of paper! Will this product keep the ink from fading?
@Kate N: That is a great question Kate! I don’t know if it will work, since it is heat that effects the paper, and the spray can’t protect against heat. But it would be a fun thing to test. I have been looking around the house to find one of those thermal printed receipts to try it on. When I find one and get the chance to try it, I will let you know.
You could try Doug and Donna Sheppard at pymii.com who are the creators of the product and ask them if it will work. Do come back and let us know if you get an answer from them. Now you got me curious!
Hi again Kate and everyone else interested in this topic… I just received the following information via email, from the “makers of PYM II” (Douglas and Donna Shepherd)… in regards to your question about using PYMII on those thermal print movie tickets. Sounds like you will have to photograph or scan them if you want to be able to save them long term.
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Hi Kate,
Doug Shepherd from PYM II,
I don’t known of a product that would protect the thermal print receipts.
The chemicals in the thermal paper disperses/disappears when another liquids comes in contact with it.
Douglas Shepherd
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I wondered what is the difference between PM and PMII? A friend told me about PMII, and I mistakenly bought the can labelled PM.
@Diana Ramsey: Diana, I don’t know what PM or PMII are.
What is being discussed her is PYMII, which stands for Preserve Your Memories II.
@Diana Ramsey:
Hi Diane,
I don’t know of a product PM? Our product is Preserve Your Memories II (PYMII). If you scroll to the top of this page to the beginning Cindy talks about using PYM II on wire. Also, our website is pymii.com. Sorry I can’t answer your question. The first version we sold on QVC in 2005 was just PYM and when we added the write/erasable capability we added II for second version but I don’t think you could buy any of the original anywhere?
If I can help in any other way let me know.
This thread is cracking me up. I keep referring to the stuff as PMS spray, lol. Now, wouldn’t that be wonderful?
Anyone know, offhand, who has the best price on PYMII in the US right now? I need to buy very soon…
Probably us we are having a sale until the end of July, 12 oz. can $9.95 + $7.95 shipping for up to 6 cans.
WOW ! So much valuable information here, even after over a year. I went to the precision-blue.com site for information and there was a link to our Cindy’s blog and MY QUESTION ANSWERED. I read this back in Sept./09 as I faithfully follow her blog but my memory fails me sometimes with so much info overflow. Age has nothing to do with it of course ;-)
I’ve been using Pym ll for a couple of years?? and have never had a problem on polymer clay.
BTW my question was going to be “has anyone re cured clay after spraying your project three times with Pym ll(my usual) ? I have to make adjustments to a clay project. done a month ago. ”
We are so lucky to have this site as a reference. Yay Cindy….
Thank you so much for saying that Lawrence! You really are so sweet. It has been fantastic having you here and getting to know you over the years!
I am glad you are finding this site such a valuable resource. It is funny, I even use it for information now. (Got the same kind of memory as you I think. ;-) I often say to myself, ‘How did I put that together? Oh yeah, it is in the so and so video or the so and so post. Then I have to hunt it down for a reminder. lol ) There has been so much added by the members and readers too, that even I could get lost for days, reading everything again!
I checked out your gorgeous kumihimo bracelets on the guild site. You did a great job. Did you teach yourself or take a course? I am so sorry I haven’t been participating with the guild at all lately. I just am having a difficult enough time as it is with all that needs to be done here with the business and my family. I wish I could keep up with everything. Hopefully one day I will be more balanced and I can actually start coming to meetings and having fun with you guys.
Thanks again for your comment. It means a lot coming from someone who has been here pretty much since the beginning!
FYI: PYM II demo video just posted… Waterproofing Hemp Cord Using PYM II
Hi Cindy, I cannot find Pym ll anywhere I live in Canada and I used to be able to get it now I don’t know what to use because I need that to seal pastel on clay what do you recommend that I use thank you very much for your time
Hi Sylvie, yeah it is sad that this is no longer available. The only other recommendation that I have for a spray is Helmar Crystal Kote in Matte. I haven’t actually tested it myself, but Ginger Allman has and I trust that she has tested it properly.
Hi Cindy
Thank you so much for responding I ll try that and will see i ll let you know how it turned out I wish you a good evening