Description
Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner can be used to restore ageing polymer clay. Just a few drops will make all the difference.
Before using Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner, you first need to know why your clay is hard. Does your clay feel hard and coarse like a rock? This could be a result of old age and over-exposure to air. Old clay that has lost some of its plasticizers may need more work to come back to life. Or is it just a bit firm because it’s cold? Cold temperatures cause clay to become firm but working it out with your hands can add enough heat to loosen it up.
So, how can you tell the difference between old and firm polymer clay? Use the squish test. Pick up a piece of clay and squeeze it. Fresh polymer clay will always be malleable — even cold clay. If the polymer clay block does not give way, then it’s either partially cured, old or has been exposed to too much heat. After trying the squish test and determining that your clay is indeed old or has not been stored correctly, it is time to soften the clay with Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner. Warm up the clay by hitting it with a mallet or other heavy object. This will get any plasticizers left in the old clay working. Then, add the Clay Softener & Thinner one drop at a time. If you tried adding Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner to your old clay, but the clay is not absorbing the diluent, your clay has most likely become partially cured. This means that the clay has been exposed to too high a temperature and may not be salvageable.
Using Liquid Clay Softener & Thinner with Liquid Sculpey®
Scupey® liquid polymer clay is an amazing tool that crafters can use to mold into jewelry, seal cracked clay or drizzle onto a project for unique effects. Most Liquid Sculpey® applications work best when the material runs smoothly, so use Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner to achieve the right consistency for your project.
Benefits
Improves the texture of dry, crumbly clay, creating the perfect consistency. Add a few drops of this polymer clay softener into firm clay and thoroughly knead into the clay to make it soft and supple.
Works great to thin out Liquid Sculpey® if it gets too thick. Simply add a few drops and gently stir.
Twist cap for precise flow control.
Product Instructions
As polymer clay ages, it can sometimes dry out or harden. Sculpey® offers high-quality Clay Softener & Thinner in 1-ounce bottles to soften your clay so that you can make all your favorite pieces stress-free. You can also use this clay softener to thin Liquid Sculpey®.
Adding polymer clay softener one drop at a time and working it in often resuscitates previously unworkable clay. It’s essential to add the softener slowly, as adding too much at once can leave you with mushy clay.
Carefully add the polymer clay softener until the clay is the desired consistency. If you accidentally use too much clay softener, try leaching some out of your creation by using heavy books to press your clay between sheets of paper.
Just like with polymer clay or Liquid Sculpey®, avoid getting Sculpey® Clay Softener & Thinner on surfaces as it can damage them. Always protect your work surface when creating with clay!
