Polymer Clay (Mainly Fimo) Just retrieved from storage after a long time
by Elsie Morgan
(New York)
Polymer Clay (Mainly Fimo) Just retrieved from storage after a long time:- Dear Peter, I when I moved to California from New York, I had to put some of my belonging in storage for several years. Unfortunately that included most of my clay modeling supplies. Now I am in a dilemma because I now have these supplies in my home and I wish to use them.
However, I need to know if they are usable after being kept for so long away from home. Can they be used as is, or is there a substance of some kind I need to mix them with to save them from the trash bin. I have a lot of money tied up in the clay, and wish to salvage all of it if that is possible. I do not wish to complete a project only to fine it will fall apart due to the aging process. Most of the wrapped pieces are Fimo clay.
I hope I have explained myself well enough for you to advise me, of what I should do, if anything can, or should be done. Someone told me clay can become rancid the same as food. But I find that hard to believe because there is no unpleasant odor coming from them at this time.
Thanking you in advance for your immediate response, I remain
Sincerely yours,
Elsie Morgan
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Reply by Peter (admin)
To:- Polymer Clay (Mainly Fimo) Just retrieved from storage after a long time:-
Hi Elsie
Glad you are getting back into it again!
Yes, Fimo and polymer clays are expensive and you don't want to have to re-stock ...and this won't be necessary, I don't think.
I store Fimo for years (some of mine might be over 10 years old). To re-constitute old clays, I always use 'Sculpey clay softener' for all types of polymer clay including Fimo, although I think they sell their own softener which I have never used.
'Sculpey clay softener' is a softening agent that improves the texture of dry or crumbly clay and also helps to smooth out sculptures if diluted with lighter fluid.
For dried out polymer clay, use sparingly by adding a few drops and kneading into the clay before use (really work it).
To find it go here to the ebay search page and put in the term
"Sculpey clay softener"
Do some price comparisons. I have seen buy it now on ebay for $3.00 - $4.00 whereas elswhere it might be $4.00 to $500.
To search for the Fimo softener put in these words into the ebay search - "Eberhard Faber Diluent F". You may find it there, you may not. Play around with the spelling because although the correct word for a fluid which dilutes is a "Diluent" (no 't' before the e), many sellers will incorrectly spell this as 'Dilutent F' or 'Dilutant F'. In the UK, the common word in use would be 'dilutant' not 'diluent' or 'dilutent'.
Some people say to use mineral oil instead of diluent, but I have never tried this.
Clay does harden or dry out as it ages. The only real problem is not it going 'rancid' but an issue of the plasticiser leaching from the polymer clay. It becomes dry and crumbly.
However, adding dilutent (or mineral oil ) a small drop at a time and really working it patiently, often rejuvenates seemingly 'dead' clay.
WARNING!! Adding too much softener can leave you with soft horrible, sticky clay - impossible to use.
I you do overdo the dilutant just press the clay between sheets of paper and leave under weights for a while and this should ring it back.
Diluent can melt your glasses if you have plastic lenses, so beware.
You can also buy a fimo product called "Mix Quick"
A white clay, it extends fimo colors to go much further. I also used super-sculpy clay for this same purpose. You would have thought the pink color of sculpy would dilute the bright fimo color - but it didn't at all. I used it 5 to one, sometimes more. You need to experiment.
Hope this helps.
Happy sculpting.
Peter Holland (Sculptor)
p.s. My daughter is studying in New York at the moment and has a wonderful student apartment on West 73rd Street just off Central Park where she goes jogging everyday. Any tips for her to eat out cheap but good? Insider New York tips are always the best!
