Well. A while back I decided that I would share both my successes and my failures on this blog- and today. I will share one of my failures. :C
Its not a BIG mistake, but it's a mistake big enough that can't be saved. As you can see in the next image I made some new Halloween doughnuts for the 2013 range.
I was SUPER happy with them! They seem a lot more realistic than the ones I made last year... so I decided to start working on some boxes for them! Well... When I went to grab a set to take measurements for my boxes they were all stuck together! As it turns out- the spray sealant I found isn't reacting very well to the polymer clay. It isn't drying! (I sprayed these almost a week and a half ago) Here they are all stuck together.
Honestly, if the only problem about this was that they stick together- I wouldn't mind. But I DO mind all the lint and dust that sticks to them. So... lesson learned! I will no longer use the spray for polymer clay miniatures. :/ What do you use to seal miniatures? I normally just use Sculpey glaze because it has always done what I wanted it to, but I thought a spray would leave a more even layer. Any suggestions?
Thanks for stopping by! I am still working on some fun Fall miniatures (along with dipping my toes into some Christmas minis!). This has been a SUPER busy week. I am taking driving lessons which threw off Tuesday and Wednesday for me... and I also spent a day helping a friend build furniture for her office. But I *should* be free for miniature work for the rest of the week! :)
well I use Future Floor Polish, it made my mini food glisten and was cheap all I did was put some in a small cup and dab my mini food with it..since it was floor polish dust didnt stick and dirt couldn't harm it some people say it yellows over time but I've never had the problem http://www.polymerclayweb.com/Materials/Finishes/FutureFloorPolish.aspx
ReplyDeleteOooh! Thanks for the tip! I will start gathering different products and testing them out.
DeleteI recently had that happen to some of my pieces. I used Mod Podge to seal them since I'd heard that it worked pretty well. Not so much! It's tacky and sticky and just a mess. Unfortunately I used it on around 50 pieces or so of jewelry so I'm at a loss with what to do with it all. :/
ReplyDeleteBefore I was using Triple Thick and that worked, but the jar I had of it turned bad rather quickly. I used Sculpey glaze before that but found it got tacky in the heat.
I read that some people use a wood sealant called Diamond Varathane and that it works very well. Can't vouch for it personally, though I do want to go grab a can and see how it works.
The brand spray I used was Mod Podge! I sadly just threw out everything that was effects... :/ Like I said... lesson learned!
DeleteI have some Triple Thick, but I've had it for a LONG time so I have no idea what the inside of that jar looks like.
Thanks! I will check out the Diamond Varathane and see how it goes!
If you've had it open for a while, chances are it's going to be thick and not work right. You can always thin it out a bit with water, but if you want to be really safe, just buy a new one. They sell small bottles of it at Michael's so you don't have to waste a giant tub. Wish I had known before I'd bought mine!
DeleteOhhhh.... I HAVE had it for a while. :/ I actually just picked up some Sculpey glaze for now, because I know it will give me the results I want. But I have added more Triple Thick to the list of glazes/glosses everyone have suggested. Thanks, again!
DeleteX
Hummmmm! Donuts. I love them!! Hugs
ReplyDeleteAuxi
:D Thanks, Auxi!
DeleteCreating and learning!
ReplyDeleteI love your miniatures.
I hope you find good answers to your questions. Good luck! ;)
Yeah! Thanks, Eliana! :)
DeleteAt first I thought you would just be able to separate those, but I didn't think as long as to dust... I hate dust =) I haven't found a good sealer yet, I was thinking of buying some glaze, but haven't done it yet.. I used some nail polish on a couple of doughnuts I've made (only thing I had at home) but a spray seams like a good idea, hope you can find a new one that actually dries.. =)
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Maybe you can use the ones that get dusty in a old and dusty witch house on Halloween ;)
Hannah
Haha! That's a great use for the dusty doughnuts! :D Hahaha!
DeleteAnd yeah... I think I might just stick to the Sculpey glaze I have been using. I am not sure yet.
Hi Blake, there really isn't an aerosol spray sealer in a can that is safe for polymer clay... It is not the sealer but the propellant that is the problem. I have heard that Preserve Your Memories (scrape book company) has a spray that is ok for polymer. You can Google it. Look at any can of spray sealer and if it contains acetone or toluene, it will eventually dissolve the polymer clay.
ReplyDeleteOh no! Thank you so much, Tabitha! I had no idea!
DeleteI used to seal miniatures with Polyurethane, it's pretty cheap, but it takes longer to cure and it yellows over time. It's hit or miss how bad the yellowing is (looks great on Popsicle stick floors), but white colored things are usually ruined after a couple months of storage <-My learning experience.
ReplyDeleteSo I switched to Polycrylic. It looks milky in the can, but it dries crystal clear and each coat is dry within 2 hours. It takes 12 hours to fully harden. It's pretty forgiving for a sealer. Cleans up with soap and water.
I use it for all sorts of projects. I even have a tutorial on how to make wire shelves for a miniature fridge by using it as glue; http://kyle-lefort.blogspot.com/2013/02/mini-wire-shelving-tutorial.html
Use the "Clear Satin", unless you want something really glossy looking.
Ahhh! That's such a cool technique! Thank you!
DeleteAnd yeah... I hadn't considered polyurethane because my dad does some woodworking and we sealed a lot of projects with it (that had painted white parts) and it yellowed pretty quickly.
I will will check out the Polycrylic, though!
Thanks, Kyle!