If you are reading this article, you may have more than once been faced with the question of how to properly store this or that self-hardening clay in order to preserve its properties for as long as possible.
Let's list the most popular clays on the Ukrainian hobby and crafts market.
1. Creative Paperclay
The material is resistant to frost and heat, which undoubtedly plays in its favor. This means that you can safely buy this material at any time of the year.
If the material is frozen during transit or for any other reason, do not open it until it is completely thawed. Defrosting should take place under normal conditions at room temperature. Do not speed up defrosting by placing clay on the radiator or heating devices. The complete process of defrosting and restoring properties will take about one to two days.
Resistance to heat does not mean that now your entire supply of paper glue can be placed on the sunbathing window. This just means that transportation/delivery on hot days will not damage it.
Store paper glue at room temperature, out of direct sunlight and away from heating devices. This applies to both closed and opened packaging of the material.
Once opened, the material can usually be stored for about a month without problems. Wrap the rest of the paper glue in original packaging, then wrap it in cling film and put it in a bag. You may take other measures, at your discretion, to prevent air from entering the package.
2. La Doll, Premix, Premier
Self-hardening clays made in Japan. They have many similarities with paperclay. Storage is similar to paper glue - read above.
3. Modena, Modena Soft (Modena, Modena soft)
Self-hardening clays for ceramic floristry. They contain PVA and latex.
Clays are sensitive to frosts below 0°. When frozen, latex molecules are destroyed, so the clay can become unplastic.
Prolonged exposure to heat and sunlight is undesirable.
Important note: clay should not be dried in the microwave!
4. Hearty, Hearty soft
Clays are poorly resistant to frost. Transportation and delivery are allowed at a temperature of -1°C.
Store at room temperature away from sunlight.
The opened material is stored without access of air inside - wrap the package with film and put it in a bag. Storage in this form is about one to three months.
5. Flumo (FLUMO)
A casting material containing natural porcelain clay.
The material is sensitive to frost - when completely frozen, grains may form. Delivery is allowed at temperatures from 0° to -1°С
Apart from the formation of grains, freezing does not in any way affect other properties of the material - color, consistency and strength. If freezing occurs, strain the material through a nylon stocking to remove any grains.
Opened material is stored tightly closed with a lid. During long-term storage, if Flumo has thickened, it can be diluted with distilled water. Distilled water can be found in pharmacies or car repair shops in your city.
6. Living Doll Clay.
Delicate clay. It should be stored at room temperature or cooler. Cannot be frozen. Do not store in direct sunlight or near heating devices - this may lead to premature polymerization. It is also advisable to use clay in the first two years from the date of production. The clay should be slightly soft when pressed. If the clay is too hard and covered with small cracks, it is expired or was stored/transported incorrectly. The clay has a peculiarity - the production date is not indicated on the packaging, this is a big disadvantage for those who want to purchase fresh clay. Therefore, you have to rely entirely on the integrity of the stores. We are ready to offer you always fresh LivingDoll clay, because... We check the production time of each batch specifically with the manufacturer, we do not deliver it in cold weather and store it correctly.
Polymer clay: questions and answers
What can be made from polymer clay?
Modeling and modeling from polymer clay- this is very common and popular hobby. Beads, buttons, jewelry, sculptures, dolls, masks, mosaics, collectibles, laminated fittings, decorative items and illustrations for books and magazines - all of this can be made from polymer clay. Very popular at the moment making jewelry from polymer clay. Another common type of creativity is creation of designer dolls from plastic. In creative hands, this material provides ample opportunities for creativity. You can create many things from polymer clay, with the exception that polymer clay cannot be used to make items that will heat up above 145-150 degrees Celsius: smoking boxes, smoking pipes, hot stands, cooking utensils, tableware. Plastic is not used to create foundations or to manufacture towing devices for cars. When creating objects from polymer clay, you must first of all be guided by common sense, and the areas of application of this material can be very diverse.
What is liquid polymer clay and how to use it?
Polymer clay is also available in liquid form, which is very effective for gluing parts of a product together before heat treatment. Liquid polymer clay can be used to create printed images. This type of polymer clay includes TLS (transparent liquid plastic), FIMO decorative gel and Kato liquid plastic. Varieties of liquid clay vary in degree of transparency; the finished product from any liquid clay can be made more transparent by selecting the firing temperature, grinding and polishing after heat treatment. Liquid polymer clay often used as a glaze or finishing layer on a finished plastic or clay product. Various pigments and powders can be added to liquid clay to create artificial enamel and other effects. Sculpey Diluent is a thinner, not a polymer clay, but a liquid plasticizer that can be added to any polymer clay to soften old or hard plastic.
What is “conditioning” and why is it so important?
Any polymer clay for modeling and modeling must be conditioned (brought to the desired condition, to the desired state), even if it is already quite soft and plastic. Conditioning process makes the clay softer and more flexible, aligns the molecules of the polymer mass and makes them stronger. Without proper pre-treatment of plastic, products made from it will be fragile and brittle after baking. For conditioning polymer clay manually you need to cut the clay into small plates (or pieces). Knead and roll the plastic into a sausage, fold it several times and roll it out again. Repeat this process at least 10 times. Conditioning polymer clay greatly simplifies and speeds up this process. It is necessary to cut the polymer clay into large slices. Roll these pieces of plastic through a pasta machine (at its thickest setting). Fold the two resulting sheets together and roll again. Fold the resulting sheet in half and roll it again. This process must be repeated 20-25 times.
How do you know if the clay is sufficiently conditioned?
One way to understand how long it takes to condition polymer clay is by mixing colors. The conditioning process can be carried out using clay of two or more colors. When the colors are completely mixed into one uniform color, the conditioning process can be stopped. It is worth noting that there is no need to condition the clay before the color mixing process or before making the “Gradient Transition”. Mixing and stirring the material when using this technique completely conditions the clay.
What is the Millefiori technique for polymer clay?
What can you do with polymer clay if it is too hard or too soft?
If polymer clay is too hard, you can soften it using a food processor (combine) with a chopper. You can add a few drops of vegetable oil to the clay. You should not add oil directly from the bottle - it is difficult to control the amount. You need to pour a little oil into a spoon and from the spoon into the plastic. Run the food processor for short periods of time and do not leave it unattended as the clay will heat up as it grinds/rotates in the food processor.
Then you need to lubricate your hands with vegetable oil and continue working with clay further. Another option to soften hard clay is to add transparent plastic to it; it is very soft and can make any material plastic. hard polymer clay. You can use a paste machine to mix the clay during the softening process.
If polymer clay is too soft, it can be made harder by removing excess plasticizer from the working mass. To do this, roll out the plastic into layers and place each layer between two sheets of paper (newsprint or printing paper). You can leave the clay in this state for several hours. After drying, the clay should bend freely without cracking. Removing too much plasticizer can significantly reduce the strength of polymer clay. Finished products made from such plastic will be fragile after heat treatment. But the best way to remove excess plasticizer is to leave the clay in its package in a cool, dry place for several months. After this, the clay will become harder without losing strength.
How long can polymer clay be stored without losing quality?
Polymer clay for modeling has a shelf life of 5 to 10 years at proper storage. Polymer clay produced 6 years ago, packaged and stored according to instructions, can still be used. But it will no longer be as plastic and pliable in work as during the first year after production. It is not recommended to store plastic bars in the refrigerator or freezer, as this leads to the evaporation of the plasticizer from the surface and the clay becomes less pliable. Store packaged blocks of polymer clay in a cool place, away from sunlight. Since plastic begins to harden at temperatures around 55 degrees Celsius, you should not leave polymer clay in the car on a hot day. It is recommended to order large volumes of polymer clay during the cold season to avoid shipping thermally untreated plastic at high temperatures. To avoid dust and pet hair contaminating the surface of untreated clay, unfinished plastic works must be covered with plastic film. It is necessary to use plastic film or special packaging bags for storing raw polymer clay. Over time, some plastic wrappers will react with untreated clay, and clay can also react with some hard plastic containers, so don't store it unwrapped. Unprocessed polymer clay can be packaged in wax paper, but you shouldn’t store plastic in it for a long time either - such packaging will eventually draw the plasticizer out of the clay.
Is it possible to add other art materials to polymer clay?
You can add a variety of artistic materials to polymer clay to create various interesting effects. They can be used both on the surface of a plastic product and mixed with the bulk of the clay. , pigments, can be applied to a textured surface to highlight a design. Polymer clay to which is added looks especially impressive. powdered mica. Mica Powder for Polymer Clay Available in a wide range of metallic and colored reflective particles. After adding mica powder, the clay must be thoroughly kneaded so that the mica particles are evenly distributed throughout the entire mass of plastic. The more transparent the polymer clay, the greater the illusion that mica particles are freely floating in it. Such clay will have an opalescent effect, which will be especially noticeable after final polishing, which will give the product a strong gloss. Glitter, foil, confetti and various fibers can also be added to polymer clay: Use these additives on the surface of the product or mix directly with the plastic itself. Embossing powder, alcohol-based dyes and stamp inks and other dyes - the use of these pigments will help create interesting effects. The more transparent the plastic, the more impressive and attractive all of the above additives for polymer clay look. Finding different new materials to add to polymer clay is another opportunity to experiment with plastics. When working with fine powders and powders, it is strongly recommended to use a protective dust mask.
These are two very different materials in their properties.
Self-hardening plastic dries on its own in air (about a day), its texture is most often uneven, and after drying it shrinks slightly. The feeling of working with such material is very similar to working with real clay or papier-mâché mass. Very often such plastics consist of natural materials. After drying in All types of self-hardening plastic are easy to process; they can be sanded with sandpaper, drilled, polished, and also painted with paints (for example, oil or acrylic), as well as varnished. Most often, such plastics are used to create sculptures, dolls, and toys. And quite rarely for creating jewelry.
Baked plastic most likely feels like plasticine during operation, only more plastic, viscous, and holds its shape better. After baking, it completely retains its shape and color. It is more difficult to process after baking (than self-hardening after drying), it is harder and denser, heavier. Most often, baking is the final stage, but sometimes (for example, if fingerprints remain) the product is sanded, polished, or varnished. Because baked plastics have a wide color palette; they are very often used to create costume jewelry, accessories, and dolls.
Self-hardening plastic is much cheaper than baked plastic. In order to understand which type of polymer clay is most suitable for you, it is best to try both materials, or consult with our specialists.
Questions regarding self-hardening polymer clay.
1. What is the difference between FIMOair basic, FIMOair light, FIMOair microwave and FIMOair natural?
FIMOair basic is a classic air-hardening plastic; it consists of 97% natural substances, which makes it environmentally friendly and suitable for working with children. Produced in briquettes of 500g. and 1000g., natural colors.
FIMOair microwave - this polymer clay is similar in properties to FIMOair basic, but can dry not only in air, but also in microwave oven(to speed up the process). Just 10 minutes at 600W and you get the finished product!
FIMOair natural - this type of self-hardening plastic consists of 95% cellulose; after drying, the products become incredibly durable, which is why this type of plastic is sometimes compared to wood. Due to its strength, we recommend using this plastic for figurines, dolls, and toys.
FIMOair light - this type of polymer clay is very soft to work with, and after drying it also becomes surprisingly light. Children especially love this plastic, because it has such bright, cheerful colors, and its consistency is similar to marshmallows! Ideal for creating aerial and suspended objects.
2. How long does self-hardening clay take to dry?
It all depends on the specific clay, exact time indicated on the package, most often it is 24 - 30 hours. The drying speed also depends on the thickness of the product.
3. What can you do with the product after drying?
Anything! Sawing, cutting, grinding, polishing, drilling, painting, varnishing. Acrylic paints are best suited for painting.
4. Clay dries very quickly, what should I do?
While working, try to take only the required amount of material, and immediately after taking it, pack the plastic in film. This will allow you to reuse the opened pack multiple times. If you work on a product for a long time, moisten the unfinished areas with water, this will prevent premature drying.
5. How to store an open package of self-hardening plastic?
The factory packaging is sealed, and after opening the briquette it is best to use the plastic as quickly as possible, because It will still dry out over time. The best way storage - wrap the open briquette with plastic film (sold in rolls for wrapping sandwiches), wrap it tightly. Then the plastic can last for a long time. But not indefinitely :)
6. After drying, the product changed, why?
The fact is that FIMOair remains soft during molding due to its water content. After sculpting, the water evaporates and the product “dries out” a little. This effect is sometimes not noticeable at all, but if the deformation is visible, then the changed area of the product can be corrected by grinding and finishing. We also advise you not to get carried away with moistening the plastic while sculpting - the more water you add, the more it will evaporate.
Questions regarding baked polymer clay.
1. How does plastic differ from thermoplastic and from polymer clay?
Nothing, these are all names of the same material.
2. What is the difference between Fimo Soft, Classic and Effect plastics?
These are all different series of the same baked plastic Fimo. Peculiarities:
15. The plastic product turned out to be very fragile.
Most likely the plastic was not baked, try baking again.
16. After baking, the toothpicks got stuck in the holes of the beads.
This happens if you do not remove the beads from the toothpick immediately after baking. The best way is to reheat the beads again and quickly remove the toothpicks.
17. Odor and smoke appeared during baking.
If a smell appears, this is normal for the baking process; if smoke appears, it means the baking temperature is higher than recommended and the plastic begins to burn - turn off the oven, ventilate the room, when the plastic burns, chemical processes occur with the release of harmful substances.
18. During baking, the product lost its shape.
During baking, the plastic softens up to a certain point and only then begins to harden. Based on this, thin or flat products should be baked on a flat surface, and not in a suspended state.
19. After baking, I want to finish something, but the raw plastic does not stick to the baked one.
Try applying a little gel (the same brand as the plastic) to the baked plastic and carefully attach the part, then bake again.
20. What can I do to make the product shiny and smooth?
This requires varnishing or polishing. About what varnish to coat polymer clay with? read in the section about varnishes.
21. After varnishing and drying, the bead does not come off the toothpick.
If you touch a toothpick while applying varnish, the varnish will naturally dry on both objects. Try to apply varnish more carefully; if the bead still sticks, carefully remove it, and sand and polish the “sticking” area, then you can try to apply another layer of varnish.
22. How to make a neat hole in a bead?
Many girls who want to diversify their dull everyday life and find a hobby for themselves - a way to relax and escape from daily problems, choose modeling, but do not think about what the composition of polymer clay is. However, over time, everyone comes to this question.
Compound
The material mainly consists of a specially made plasticizer that makes the clay so pliable. In addition, the product contains regular PVC, which, like food gelatin, can absorb a large amount of substance during the heating process.
When these two elements - PVC and a plasticizer are heated, a thickening process occurs: the plasticizers in the clay absorb small particles of powder, then gradually move closer to each other, and, having visually vague and irregular shapes with dents and, conversely, bumps, are tightly attached each other. It is worth remembering that the greater the amount of plasticizer that was initially in the original composition of the clay, the more plastic and softer the final product will be.
The substance that is the final result of the heating process is referred to as “plasticized PVC”. At industrial enterprises, such material is used to make items intended for household use, various medical instruments, as well as PVC windows.
Polymer clay can also contain a variety of pigments that differ in quality and color. Well, the plastic may contain substances such as, for example, chalk as fillers. Clay may also contain stabilizers that prevent the plastic from gelling during normal storage at room temperature. Plastic hardens already at sixty degrees, but the stabilizers included in its composition significantly slow down this process.
This makes polymer clay easy to mold
As mentioned earlier, the plasticity of polymer clay is achieved by adding a certain amount of plasticizers to it, which are included in the composition of the finished material. That is why you can purchase soft and not very polymer clay of your choice, and everyone can purchase their own type of material for making earrings, dolls, sculptures, and so on.
Does polymer clay have an expiration date?
Manufacturers who make polymer clay claim that it has no shelf life if the material is stored properly. The only thing that can happen to your plastic is its hardening. That is why many leading polymer clay manufacturers produce special softeners that help bring the material into the desired form.
However, on some packages with Russian translation you can find a specific expiration date. What could this mean and where is the catch? The thing is that some Russian suppliers incorrectly translate the information or are illiterate in this matter, and so the expiration date for the hygienic certificate appears on the packaging.
A slightly different story with Russian polymer clay Sonnet. It has an expiration date, but this does not mean that the material from this manufacturer is of low quality.
Is polymer clay harmful to health?
Despite the fact that polymer clay is practically not harmful to health, when working with it it is still necessary to adhere to safety rules. This rule is especially important for children's creativity.
The composition of polymer clay for children's creativity is approved from the age of 3 and must undergo thorough testing.
Polymer clay manufacturers
Currently, there is a huge amount of polymer material for modeling, and here are just a few of them.
FIMO– one of the most commonly found plastics in stores until 2010. Back in the distant thirties, a master from Germany developed this amazing material, and in 1964 he sold his patent to another company. Fimo plastic was the most popular polymer clay on the world market until 2010, when it was renamed and began to be produced under the STAEDTLER brand. The manufacturer produces various types clays with different weight categories and color palettes.
CERNIT is another leading manufacturer of polymer clay. The brand also had German roots, but relatively recently it was purchased by a Belgian company called DARWI. Plastic is famous for its unusual properties - it seems very hard to the touch, but as soon as it feels the warmth of human hands, it, like an affectionate kitten, instantly becomes soft and pliable.
SONNET. It is worth highlighting separately Russian manufacturer polymer clay, since we are talking about domestic production.
This is Russian plastic, which is produced in St. Petersburg by a special factory, mainly engaged in the production of paints for artists. Currently, the color range of this manufacturer includes more than 20 classic colors, 15 colors with mother-of-pearl, as well as 5 colors that glow in the dark. The material itself is quite hard and requires some effort to soften the plastic. Clay makes good products, and besides, it does not stain your hands.
Plastic, also known as polymer clay, is an excellent creative material for adults and children. The material is affordable and opens up truly unlimited scope for self-expression. Beginning craftsmen quickly face the problem of weathering of the mass and loss of its original properties. This can be avoided, but you will need to follow certain rules for storing plastic. Since baked and self-hardening materials differ in composition and characteristics, they should be stored differently.
Temperature
There is no need to create any special conditions; you can keep any type of polymer clay at room temperature. The baked mass can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen - sometimes this is even recommended for storing finished products before heat treatment. But self-hardening plastic contains water, which crystallizes in the cold, so storage in the refrigerator or freezer can greatly affect its characteristics.
Storage location
High quality polymer clay offered at the link http://www.tairtd.ru/shop/polimerna-glina-i-massy-dlya-lepki/ can resist negative influences for a long time environment, but it is better to transfer the experiments entirely to the area of creativity. The material should be kept away from direct sunlight, heating devices and other hot objects. Otherwise, the mass may fade, become brittle, or even harden completely.
Storage containers
Unopened packages can be left as is for quite a long time - this will not harm the material. But after opening the package, it is important to comply with several conditions. Baked clay does not set in air, but this does not mean that it should be left like that: the adhesion of lint, dust, and small debris can ruin it. appearance products, as well as worsen the adhesion of parts to each other. In addition, the synthetic plasticizer still gradually evaporates. It is advisable to wrap the raw material in wax paper, film or cling foil. Do not allow the unbaked mass to come into contact with other polymers, finished products, foam plastic, polyethylene. Do not wrap plastic in plain paper.
Self-hardening masses should be protected from contact with air by tightly wrapping them in film or placing them in a sealed zip-lock bag. You can also use a plastic container with a damp cloth inside - this will help create favorable microclimate for the remaining material.
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