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#1
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Mixing Clay brands
Hello. I've been lurking on this list a while, and I"m fairly new to
claying. I am finding it rather addictive though . I have two brands of clay currently, some Sculpey III and some Primo. (O.k. they're both by sculpey,but they are different kinds). I got the Sculpey III when it was on sale ($1 package, 2oz I think) and before I had a pasta machine. It seemed to be easier to condition without a pasta machine and not as soft as some other sculpey clays. I didn't do much with claying, and then I got a pasta machine and some Premo. I read somewhere that Premo is a good kind to use with pasta machines for beginners. So far, I like both kinds, but I haven't had enough experience to be able to tell the difference. I have not actually mixed the two kinds of clay, except in layered pieces where one layer was completely baked before being added to another layer of the other kind of clay. Is is possible to mix these two clays, or will bad chemistry happen? I've also noticed some interesting Sculpey clays such as granite look alikes. Can these be mixed with Premo or Sculpey III? I've seen some books and sites that say never mix clays and others that say it's o.k. as long as you follow certain guidelines. Any advice would be appreciated. TIA Emily |
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#2
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O, yes! You can mix different types and brands together. No nasty chemical
reactions occur. Premo takes less conditioning than all the other clays. It's also a lot stronger than other clays. Try looking at http://www.glassattic.com they have a wealth of info on polymer clay! Shout if you need more help. This is a very helpful, knowledgable group and someone will always help. :-) Enjoy your claying! -- Amanda http://www/picturetrail.com/amandarose1 Replace 'nocrap' with 'hotmail' to reply "Emily" wrote in message ... Hello. I've been lurking on this list a while, and I"m fairly new to claying. I am finding it rather addictive though . I have two brands of clay currently, some Sculpey III and some Primo. (O.k. they're both by sculpey,but they are different kinds). I got the Sculpey III when it was on sale ($1 package, 2oz I think) and before I had a pasta machine. It seemed to be easier to condition without a pasta machine and not as soft as some other sculpey clays. I didn't do much with claying, and then I got a pasta machine and some Premo. I read somewhere that Premo is a good kind to use with pasta machines for beginners. So far, I like both kinds, but I haven't had enough experience to be able to tell the difference. I have not actually mixed the two kinds of clay, except in layered pieces where one layer was completely baked before being added to another layer of the other kind of clay. Is is possible to mix these two clays, or will bad chemistry happen? I've also noticed some interesting Sculpey clays such as granite look alikes. Can these be mixed with Premo or Sculpey III? I've seen some books and sites that say never mix clays and others that say it's o.k. as long as you follow certain guidelines. Any advice would be appreciated. TIA Emily |
#3
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The world wont come to an end if you mix clay brands, but if you mix sculpey
lll with the harder baking brands they will be weaker finished products because sculpey lll is the weakest of the clays. Also, when caning all the clays need to be worked to about the same softness so the cane can reduce evenly. So, there are reasons why you might choose not to mix them but it can be done. Diana -- http://photos.yahoo.com/lunamom44 "Emily" wrote in message ... Hello. I've been lurking on this list a while, and I"m fairly new to claying. I am finding it rather addictive though . I have two brands of clay currently, some Sculpey III and some Primo. (O.k. they're both by sculpey,but they are different kinds). I got the Sculpey III when it was on sale ($1 package, 2oz I think) and before I had a pasta machine. It seemed to be easier to condition without a pasta machine and not as soft as some other sculpey clays. I didn't do much with claying, and then I got a pasta machine and some Premo. I read somewhere that Premo is a good kind to use with pasta machines for beginners. So far, I like both kinds, but I haven't had enough experience to be able to tell the difference. I have not actually mixed the two kinds of clay, except in layered pieces where one layer was completely baked before being added to another layer of the other kind of clay. Is is possible to mix these two clays, or will bad chemistry happen? I've also noticed some interesting Sculpey clays such as granite look alikes. Can these be mixed with Premo or Sculpey III? I've seen some books and sites that say never mix clays and others that say it's o.k. as long as you follow certain guidelines. Any advice would be appreciated. TIA Emily |
#4
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Thanks to everyone who replied, and to the personal e-mail as well. I plan
to use only Premo in the future (I like it and it is stronger than Sculpey III). I found it odd though that the black Sculpey III was so hard to condition. It took forever to heat it enough to get it through the pasta machine and even then it had the consistency of tire rubber. My other Sculpey III became too soft to work with well before the black was even conditioned!! The only time I worked with clay that hard was back in highschool when Femo seemed to be the only brand around, and I gave up quickly because I just couldn't soften it enough to mold or sculpt. Of course, I didn't know about pasta machines then..... My how the hobby has boomed in the past ten or so years! Emily |
#5
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I have been using a mixture of Premo and Sculpey III for a few years
now. A lot of what I make, e.g. boxes, are structural in nature, and the pieces go through several stages, with a lot of handling. For me, Premo is too flexible for my work - especially the early stages her the boxes are thin - so I mix it with Sculpey III which "cures" stiffer. I have been using a ratio of 1:1 for most things, but I'm migrating to a mix with more Premo (2:1). I am very careful about making sure the clays are thoroughly mixed. I put them in a food processor first and then run through the pasta machine man many times - criss-crossing slabs of the clay to facilitate the mixing. Also, I make sure the pieces are completely baked at Premo's longer baking times. My finished pieces have the best qualities of the two clays: stiffness from Sculpey III, durability from Premo. I have often dropped (accidentally) boxes onto concrete floors and unless they hit a thin or structurally fragile area, rarely have they broken or chipped. Of course, time will tell whether, in a few years or decades, the Sculpey III will cause them to crumble, but I highly doubt it. My only real problem with Premo and Sculpey III is that they are very soft. Since I handle my pieces a lot, it requires extra care not to smudge the clay, especially when applying textures. Some folks have suggested that I use FIMO. I bought a truckload several months ago but haven't surmounted the obstacle of conditioning it yet. (With "tons" of Premo and Sculpey still around, I have no great incentive to break my knuckles yet.) --- Irwin Check out my photo albums at - http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumList?u=3008938 |
#6
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Try leaching your Premo if it is too soft. I leach it before I sculpt a face
where I need firmer clay. It's still easy to condition but easier to work with. -- Dawn Stubitsch http://www.thumbprintkids.com http://www.thumbprintkids.com/pages/caketoppers.html "Irwin" wrote in message om... I have been using a mixture of Premo and Sculpey III for a few years now. A lot of what I make, e.g. boxes, are structural in nature, and the pieces go through several stages, with a lot of handling. For me, Premo is too flexible for my work - especially the early stages her the boxes are thin - so I mix it with Sculpey III which "cures" stiffer. I have been using a ratio of 1:1 for most things, but I'm migrating to a mix with more Premo (2:1). I am very careful about making sure the clays are thoroughly mixed. I put them in a food processor first and then run through the pasta machine man many times - criss-crossing slabs of the clay to facilitate the mixing. Also, I make sure the pieces are completely baked at Premo's longer baking times. My finished pieces have the best qualities of the two clays: stiffness from Sculpey III, durability from Premo. I have often dropped (accidentally) boxes onto concrete floors and unless they hit a thin or structurally fragile area, rarely have they broken or chipped. Of course, time will tell whether, in a few years or decades, the Sculpey III will cause them to crumble, but I highly doubt it. My only real problem with Premo and Sculpey III is that they are very soft. Since I handle my pieces a lot, it requires extra care not to smudge the clay, especially when applying textures. Some folks have suggested that I use FIMO. I bought a truckload several months ago but haven't surmounted the obstacle of conditioning it yet. (With "tons" of Premo and Sculpey still around, I have no great incentive to break my knuckles yet.) --- Irwin Check out my photo albums at - http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumList?u=3008938 |
#7
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Emily, Premo is a fabulous clay...but don't give up on Fimo...it is terrific
for canes and summer claying. If I need the firmness of Fimo for a cane with the wonderful metallics of Premo I either freeze or refrigerate the canes. Laurie "Emily" wrote in message ... Hello. I've been lurking on this list a while, and I"m fairly new to claying. I am finding it rather addictive though . I have two brands of clay currently, some Sculpey III and some Primo. (O.k. they're both by sculpey,but they are different kinds). I got the Sculpey III when it was on sale ($1 package, 2oz I think) and before I had a pasta machine. It seemed to be easier to condition without a pasta machine and not as soft as some other sculpey clays. I didn't do much with claying, and then I got a pasta machine and some Premo. I read somewhere that Premo is a good kind to use with pasta machines for beginners. So far, I like both kinds, but I haven't had enough experience to be able to tell the difference. I have not actually mixed the two kinds of clay, except in layered pieces where one layer was completely baked before being added to another layer of the other kind of clay. Is is possible to mix these two clays, or will bad chemistry happen? I've also noticed some interesting Sculpey clays such as granite look alikes. Can these be mixed with Premo or Sculpey III? I've seen some books and sites that say never mix clays and others that say it's o.k. as long as you follow certain guidelines. Any advice would be appreciated. TIA Emily |
#8
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I do leach my clay when needed, often for a day or two. (I usually
leach it so a 1/8" slab has the texture and feel of leather.) I think the word for Premo's quality is not so much "soft" but something more akin to "impressionable." There is something in Premo's constitution that make it unworkable if leached to the firmness of FIMO. When firm enough to work with, Premo still is not as forgiving of handling as FIMO or Kato Polyclay. Premo takes impressions much more easily. As with most things, there are tradeoffs among the various polymer clays. For some work, one clay serves me better, for others a different clay does. --- Irwin "Dawn Stubitsch" wrote in message om... Try leaching your Premo if it is too soft. I leach it before I sculpt a face where I need firmer clay. It's still easy to condition but easier to work with. -- Dawn Stubitsch |
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