Gen. Info. ... summary
of finishes
Finishes made specifically
for polymer clay
Varathane (by
Rustoleum... was Flecto)
...how to find it ....gen
info ....other uses
...peeling-stickiness-etc.
...application-brushes-bubbles-brushmarks;
........PearlEx+pump sprayer
....... dipping,
etc
Future
...sources
...gen
info & uses
...coloring, inclusions,
etc.
...removing .... misc.
Other
acrylic/water-based finishes
....other brands
....fingernail
polish
....white glues ...acrylic mediums + more
........dimensional
finishes (Poly-Glaze, etc.)
... UTEE, clear
& tinted embossing powders
More liquid
finishes
....2-pt. epoxy resins (Liquid Glass, etc.) & 2-pt epoxy glues
(Devcon,etc)
....Armorall...shellac...HighDesert Polyglaze
....finishes
for Du-Kit brand clay
Liquid clays
Crackle
finishes & crackling
Sprays
Testing finishes
Misc. for all finishes
Other
ways to get shine or sheen without liquid finish
....heat...buffing while
hot... Diluent, etc.
...Paste waxes ...Vaseline...
more
FINISHES-SEALERS
(see
Buffing > Misc. for putting Varathane
or Diluent on a piece after sanding and buffing it
...
to avoid scratching and dulling, and also improve transparency
and glassiness)
SUMMARY:
For
a finish on polymer clay, there are several choices
... you can leave clay
items without a finish (they don't *need* to be finished as long as they're
just clay), or give them a sheen, or give them a high glassy shine.
........there are 2 basic ways of getting a sheen or glassy shine ...one is
applying a liquid or wax, and the other is wet-sanding then
buffing.
1. the LIQUID finishes we generally use for clay are:
---Rustoleum's Diamond Interior Varathane (used to be called Flecto) (at hardware
store with wood finishes), or any other acrylic interior polyurethane
---Future
floor polish, or any other acrylic floor polish like Mop 'N Glo, Johnson's Klir,
etc.
---finishes put out specifically for polymer clay (like Fimo's or Sculpey's)
---acrylic-based clear nail polish... but not enamel-based!)
---clear
liquid clays (Fimo's or KatoPolyclay's... or apply TLS in thin layers)
---Liquid
Glass (by Aristocrat) --2 pt.
---diluted white glue
---dimensional glues/adhesives
(PolyGlaze, etc.)...easily scratched if not sealed
---UTEE (Ultra Thick
Embossing Powder)... easily scratched if not covered sealed
Finishes
can be applied with a brush, or fingers, or dipped, or
puddled (then drip), or some with a cloth (particularly Future)'
Can
be applied in single thick layers or several thin layers, depending
on their inherent clarity of the medium used
...can be applied on plain
finished surface, then excess allowed to drip off sides (place on narrow
pedastal or hang, then dab at drips)
...can be dammed in with raw clay,
wire, or anything else that will work
...if using liquid clay, baked
(or unbaked?) polymer piece can be placed face down on puddle of liquid clay in
a very smooth "mold," then baked (can later add layer of Varathane
and rebake for max. hardness and shine)
Can be applied after baking
(the usual way), or some even before baking (especially if left
to sit overnight before baking)
Some can be rebaked for around 10 min.
at 250 to further "harden" (Varathane, Future)
Can be bought, or applied, in
different ways to achieve diff. degrees of shine/gloss.
. .
.for example, Varathane comes in matte, semi-gloss & gloss; Fimo's comes in
matte & gloss.. applying Future several times will bring up higher & higher
gloss
...a higher smoothness and beauty can often be created by applying a
finish and letting dry, then sanding and buffing (and maybe heating)...
some clayers repeat this process several times
.......if
you want to sand the Varathaned surface
and give it a wonderful satin surface, it's best to use 2-3 coats
of Varathane... then use 400 and 600 grit wet sandpaper... finally go over the
piece with 0000 steel wool. DottyinCA (see more below in Varathane
> Gen Info)
PASTE WAXES can give only a sheen
to baked polymer...won't give a glassy shine
(clear wax shoe polish,
carnauba waxes like Mother's Car Wax--not containing cleaners, saddle soap,
even partly melted wax, etc.)
2. SANDING and BUFFING
To get
the best shine from buffing, the baked clay needs to be as smooth as possible,
so we generally wet-sand first with wet-dry sandpaper (at least 400 then
600 grit --doesn't take long)
......smoothing before baking
helps a lot too, and can give a high gloss shine with little actual sanding
after baking
(roll in hands with cornstarch, Bon Ami, water, etc,
or pet with fingers, etc.)... see Sanding
> Smoothing Before Sanding for much more
...To "buff"
the smoothed-sanded clay, either rub against a pair of jeans or another
fabric, or use an electric buffer (jewelry buffer with muslin wheel, bench
grinder with muslin wheel, Dremel with muslin wheel... there are other things
we've used too that are more "creative" and sometimes other materials besides
muslin work well too (like felt).
Generally, the longer you
buff, the higher the shine (though I'm not sure anything non-electric will ever
give a glassy finish)
(...there are separate pages here on Sanding
and Buffing
... buffing with a Dremel is in Tools
> Dremels)
I tilt my work towards the sun (or light source) over a white background then rotate it to find any uneven spots and imperfections in the finish. doololly
Hand or machine buffing will bring back the shine of objects which have been previously buffed or sealed.
I
have had great results toning down a too glossy finish by gently
rubbing with fine pumice stone. Much better than going over the piece with
matte glaze which can look cloudy and thick. Hardware stores have the pumice (it's
a powder). I dampen a soft cloth, old terry cloth is good, pick
up some pumice on the cloth and rub gently in a circular motion. Let it dry and
the powder brushes off easily then a quick wipe with a damp cloth and you're done.
...or
use 0000 steel wool
removing
acrylic finishes
...You can try to sand
off all the previous acrylic finish (though if you'd baked the finish,
it will be more difficult to do), then start over. You may have to play around
with the best grits to use though because you want to get through the acrylic
fairly quickly but not take off too much of the clay surface (though that may
not matter if you haven't used powder, or leaf, etc., or thin decorative clay
on top of core clay, etc.).
..... Once you've
gotten the sealer off, then using progressively finer grits, sand your way back
up to 600 before buffing or doing another finish.
.....Depending on how smooth
and flat your original acrylic finish was, you can also just sand it down thinner,
then do the rest.
(if you used Future, it can be easier to remove
than Varathane, etc.... see below under Future for using ammonia, etc.)
Diane B.
Plastisizers
(from raw clay or incompletely cured clay) live on your
hands also and they love to eat the shine off of beautiful shiny
finishes on finished pieces, so you shouldn't pick up anything with a beautiful
finish on it without washing your hands eather!! leigh (see more in Baking
> Gen.Info)
...(raw)
clay is full of
plastisizers, they keep the clay soft... when you bake, you bake them
off... but if you don't bake it long enough, you don't kill off all of the
plastisizors....then when you take it out of the oven, and the piece cools down,
the plastisizors
TERMINOLOGY
for "finishes":
...These days, people tend to use words like varnish,
finish and sealer/sealant rather broadly
to refer to a variety of things... and the lines between acrylic (water-based),
and alkyd and oil based are getting blurry too.
...It used to be that varnish
meant an oil-based, protective clear coating for wood that was tougher and more
moisture resistant when dry than the older products it was designed to replace
like shellac. It needed paint thinner to clean up or dilute it. . .
sealants,
on the other hand, are more similar to a primer coat, like you'd put on drywall
or other porous surfaces, either to stop them soaking up too much of the final
coating used, or to provide a barrier between them and the final coats of whatever
will be used, paint, etc..(wood sealants are generally used on wood that will
have a transparent type of finish).
finish can mean almost anything
from varnish to wax, polish, paint to a galaxy of
faux treatments... literally it's what is used to 'finish' the piece (it
can also refer to the process used to achieve a certain end look).
....Just
to add to the confusion, anything you use to coat something which renders
it water resistant has 'sealed ' it.... so varnish is not only varnish,
it's also a finish and a sealant ...and if you need a durable, long lasting finish
on your rocking chair, by all means, use floor varnish! See what I'm getting at?
.....Nowadays,
shelves are stocked with a welter of varying products, and it's getting downright
confusing trying to keep track.
....So for the sake of clarity where polymer
clay is concerned, we can divide things we use to 'coat' or to 'finish'
our pieces into two main categories:
water-based and petroleum
solvent-based.
...(there are also alcohol-based products,
but alcohol and water mix so usually the two are reasonably compatible)
Petroleum-based
finishes or coatings, [alkyd, oil, some lacquers], don't work on our clays
because of the kind of solvents they use.
.....Fortunately now we have water-based
"varnish," which works beautifully on clay....(re
Future, it makes sense that it's compatible since it is acrylic [plastic] based,
and can be washed up with water.)
....(alcohol-based
inks work with clay, but not some other kinds of inks). Ke
(see below in Varathane and Future for possible substitute finishes which may be available in other countries)
Finishes manufactured specifically for polymer clay
Some manufacturers make finishes (varnishes) specificallly for
polymer clay.
But since they're more expensive than
any of the other things which will work well (which aren't specifically manufactured
for polymer clay), they may be saved for certain applications, or not used at
all.
Fimo ("laquers')
Eberhard
Faber makes sealers for polymer clay in two basic categories:
...
water-based and non-water based (aka alcohol-spirit-mineral)
versions, each of which also comes in gloss and matte (for a total
of 4)
....they come in tiny
bottles (10 ml)
with brushes attached inside the caps, and are sometimes found near the top of
the Fimo display stand in retail stores (or by mail order.... where larger
bottles, without brushes, can be ordered as well).
...the non-water-based version is also referred to by some as mineral-based
or spirit (alcohol) based.... most people like it a lot (and
much more than the water-based version)... extremely durable...but very pricey
for the quantity
..... I once coated a piece with the water-based Fimo
glaze and it was accidentally dropped into a cup of hot coffee..
it became sticky and stayed pretty much that way ever after.. .the mineral
based Fimo glaze however, won't do this. Dotty in CA
...the
water-based version is available only by mail order? The size of the container
(no brush inside these caps) is larger (35 ml) so they're cheaper and they're
better for your lungs, but some people have said they don't
look as good as the non-water-based.
(Be sure and completely shake up the matte one of either version, as the white substance that settles in the bottom is what makes the finish matte instead of glossy!)
I
use the "mineral" (or "spirit") -based Fimo
Varnish exclusively since it dries to a very hard coating, and is unaffected
by weather or wear.
.... I live in a rainy climate (Oregon) and when
I tried Fimo's water-based varnish, it never
really felt cured, even though I oven-dried it.
....I only apply it
under my kitchen stove-hood fan (to keep the vapors contained)
...by
the way, you can also heat-set the solvent-based varnish- it's a good precaution.
I just put things back into the oven for about 20 minutes.
The Fimo waterbased Varnish can be baked....in fact, on the bottle it even suggests baking the varnished piece at "100 degrees C" (that's 212 degrees F....) for about 10 minutes to make the varnish more 'resistant to humidity'......
Can I put it back in the oven WITH this varnish on??? well, I did this, and some spots turned white, and on this piece the effect was unpleasing- (using their water-based or regular one?)
Fimo laquer. . . its surface isn't always absolutely smooth sometimes if it's getting a little thick. I learned at Arrowmont that you can always apply the varnish and then sand and buff it to get a shiney surface again. I've been planning on doing that to some of my gold-leafed and real silver-leafed beads
I get one of the tiny
bottles of the mineral based glaze with the brush, and also one
of the larger bottles without. I keep my brush in the tiny one, but use
the glaze from the larger bottle. I've had the same brush for about three years.
I do use a lot of the glaze... but don't have to order the one with the brush
again. . .
... keeping it in the bottle means the brush never dries
out and never needs cleaning. Dotty
....I
rigged up an artichoke heart jar w/ one of those useless small brushes
that come in blush. I used e-6000 to glue the brush to the lid of
the jar. ....Now, not only do I have a jar that will keep the brush suspended
in the future, meaning I don't have to clean the brush in between glazing sessions,
but I have a brush that is much easier on the hands to use. I can grasp the whole
lid, making for less pain in my hands. Laurel
I coloured them with
Pearl-ex or Fimo mica powders, pre-baked, then varnished with diluted Fimo
spirit gloss varnish...
....I find the (Fimo gloss) varnish easier to
use when it's thinned with nitro - less likelyhood of brushmarks
and bubbles etc. I contacted Eberhardt
re the best thinning agent to use, and they told me that Nitrocellulose paint
thinners would be most suitable - It works beautifully.....Also it tones the
glossiness down just a little and, as you say, allows the mica (powders) sparkle
to 'get through' a little better. Alan
Sculpey (Polyform)
also makes finishes for polymer clay.
Sculpey
Glaze is fairly thick and gloppy
(maybe even thicker with age?) and not too popular with most clayers
......can
be good for some thick shines though just with one coat (rather than several coats
of Varathane or others)
.....can thin it with water, if desired
...some
people have occasionally had a problem with Sculpey Glaze peeling
off the surface. ...re-baking solves the problem (doesn't matter
whether there was Krylon on the piece or not btw)... if you haven't had any problem
with peeling though, don't re-bake and don't worry about it. Patti
...Sculpey's
glaze globbed up on my baked pins... DragunnTiss
.......there's an easy fix for that problem...there can be an oily residue
left on the clay surface after baking, which can sometimes act like a resist on
your pieces, so you'll need to clean those with rubbing alcohol to remove
it (since you're making a lot of pieces, just fill a bowl with the alcohol and
swish them around in it. That should do the trick.) Jody B.
.......or somehow
you could have gotten too much oil from your hands or from somewhere
else on the clay before applying the finish.
......also, if you've used
ArmorAll (which is silicone) as a mold release for the piece, it
can often repel all kinds of later finishes, especially if not applied very lightly.
Diane B.
(also see Application below, under Varathane, for ways
to apply even Sculpey glaze without brushmarks, etc.)
(also see
Peeling below for other variables like underbaking the clay, not
letting a first coat dry thoroughly --could be moisture still underneath, residue
from grouting, sanding the surface lightly before applying finish, etc.)
Studio
by Sculpey Glossy Glaze and Studio By Sculpey Satin Glaze (clear
acrylic finishes)... no info yet on characteristics
....they also sell acrylic
finishes pre-tinted (brown or white) for antiquing with a
bit of gloss (Studio by Sculpey Antiquing Medium)
(for
High Desert Polyglaze
...by cre8it... a matte glaze pre-tinted in several colors, see
below in More Liquid Finishes)
(for
Poly-Glaze...a dimensional acrylic medium finish
by Lisa Pavelka, see below in Dimensional Finishes)
(for
more on clear & flexible substances to use as
flat or dimensional finishes...see
also PVA glues, below in "White Glues")
VARATHANE (was "FLECTO")
Diamond
Polyurethane (Interior, Water Based)
ALERT
...this product used to be produced
by the Flecto company, so some clayers
still refer to it as "Flecto"
(... HOWEVER... Rustoleum
is now making it... and Flecto is no longer involved)
...unfortunately, you will still see the term Flecto
(or Flecto's Varathane) used for this product all over GlassAttic
...so just remember that it's the same as Rustoleum's Varathane!
It
comes in Gloss, Semi-Gloss (fairly matte), and Satin
(extremely matte)
... but the Gloss is best quality for us because
of its excellent adhesion properties
(.. Gloss can be made non-glossy after
drying by sanding with 0000 steel wool, then lightly buffing)
How to find it!
June 2004:
Rustoleum now manufactures Varathane (see alert just above)
Mar
4, 2000: Flecto Varathane has changed their packaging
& name. They have changed the label of the product that WE want
to read:
Varathane Diamond Polyurethane Interior Water Based" ... not their Diamond Floor Finish, etc.
We want
for clay the one which features a blue-black SkinnerBlend
sort of label with a wood chest of drawers in the
center
(......... we DON'T want the tan to black--it's
oil
based). http://www.polyclay.com/flecto.htm
Sarajane
....There is a product number to look
for --the Gloss is #2000 (and #2000-41 in the quart size.... they
also now have it in pints 'cause I bugged them about it so often!)....
the formula is unchanged--just the packaging. Sarajane
(.....you may still run across an old can at the stores?)
(.....Varathane
is also not the Flecto product called "Liquid
Plastic" .... don' t know yet how it would do on clay)
Cans
of Diamond Flecto can be purchased at many local hardware stores.
...Be
careful though! because the salesperson is very likely to
say they don't have it. They often do have it, but it's in a different
place than the salesperson expects, i.e., with the wood finishes. Diane
B.
....I found Flecto in (a local hardware store) in the "Finishes" section,
in a whole different aisle from the wood varnishes and
thinners section. In fact, they had a whole half an aisle dedicated to Flecto
brand products. Desiree
...June 2004: the marketing folks at Rustoleum are
working on getting into lots more stores, so it should get easier to find.
Sarajane
I have found it in the smaller,
quart size at Sears Hardware Stores.. not the Sears with clothing,
just hardware. Emily N & Bonnie
...I actually got my quart of Flecto at
the local Walmart
... a "True Value" or other little-guy
hardware store more likely has it? ...Strosneiders, our local "true value"
store, carries the whole line in small sizes. Laurel
.... find an Ace Hardware.
I've found the quart sizes in gloss, semi-gloss and satin ....I'm out
in the boonies and the town has a population of about 4,000 but mine had it.
Patty B..
...I've also found it at Regal Paint Stores. Laurel
...I have tried Lowe's in the past and was told they carry the
gallon size.
...Home
Depot .... in quarts (946
ml) for $14.00, in with the stains and finishes (may
no longer have it...).
There is a retail source finder section
coming to the official Varathane website
http://www.varathane.com/brand.asp?frm_brand_id=21&SBL=1.....
and also at http://www.woodanswers.com
....you can also contact the Rust-Oleum Corporation at 1-800-635-3286 ...THEY
can tell you where to find it. Sarajane
If you
don't want the gallon size, you might have to just buy it on-line
(though sometimes it can be found smaller--see just above)
...if you buy more
than you want, it keeps well (just make sure it's well closed)... many
clayers prefer to pour out a small amount to work with anyway,
for example, in a glass baby food jar
ONLINE:...
may have to order it online though if you can't find it locally
....Polymer
Clay Express ...http://www.polymerclayexpress.com/finish.html
has Flecto Varathane Diamond Elite in gloss, semi-gloss (or satin) and
matte finishes, and I believe they're in the 4 oz.. size, which
will last a dedicated clayer for a long time. ...(I bought a pint can - 16oz.
- almost two years ago, and I'm about halfway through it.) ... Elizabeth
I
found a can with the blue and black label it doesn't have the word 'polyurathane'
on it . . .
....The word "polyurethane"
is not important.... "Varathane" is just
a brand name and means nothing really about what is actually in the can. Water
base varnishes can have acrylic in them too. The resins used are not
as important as the carrier or solvent they are dissolved
in.
.... The most important thing is what the label says about how
you wash up or clean up after using it. So long as it says you can wash the brushes
or applicators with soap and water, you have the right
product.
...The water-washup one also looks and smells very different
from the oil based product. ... it's a milky
whitish color in the can, is often thinner
in consistency, and is a bit cloudy looking when applied (until
it is fully dry when it goes crystal clear).
...Manufacturers so
often use different brand names that have 'thane' or 'poly' as
part of the name... and often employees in departments that sell this stuff don't
know a lot about them...
...there are SOOO many products
out there now too... very similar things have such a variety of names
for the same thing, like alkyd instead of oil. Oil can be vegetable now too,
instead of petroleum. ..... The chemistry has changed so much over the past decades.
Then there's lacquer, which needs lacquer thinner, and stuff like shellac
that uses alcohol aka methylated spirits as thinner and cleaner too, along
with all the various acrylic or something-'thane' products.
.... It
pays big to read labels, and read the whole label, to save oneself grief later
on. Which is why I always say to look first for the washing up instructions. Ke
OTHER BRANDS:
A paint dealer told me most of the acrylic finishes
have an "IPN" additive and are similar to Varathane. Katherine?
.....Kelly
Moore Paint ( in the western half of the US) makes a product called "Kelthane"
that comes in flat, semi-gloss, and gloss.. . . It is very like Flecto
Varathane but in tests has proven to be harder/more durable. I use
it a lot and have liked it very much. It does not seem to get as "goopy"
as Varathane. Gillian
No
one imports (Flecto) Diamond Elite in Australia or New Zealand, and its not bottled
under another name either. Petra
...You should be able to use any acrylic,
water-washup finish for wood though. . .
...for
those in Australia & Australasia (and other places?), Tania
recommended a product called Cabot Crystal Clear - which is a water
based floor varnish very similar to Varathane I suspect. Well, I bit the
bullet and bought some - and it is WONDERFUL. It is milky in appearance whilst
wet, but dries clear, hard and doesn't peel or flake like the Fimo and Sculpey
brand glazes. Sera
...but there are pitfalls ....don't let it accumulate
drippies...they will discolour,
probably from a combo of slight clay dust in the dipping accumulating, and perhaps
some oxidisation. Tania (though Varathane will do this as well)
Flecto
Varathane Diamond Elite (must be the water-washup one) is a high-quality sealant
used by many clayers as a finishing/sealing coat for their work.
......it
comes in 3 versions (Gloss, Semi-Gloss, Satin) though clayers generally
use only the Gloss
...The clear Gloss is super-shiny and beautifully
... use it whenever you want a glass-like finish on anything (bare clay,
paints, anything.)
.......it also brings out the depth in items
that use translucent clays (like many fauxs, etc.)
...... excellent
for creating enameling effects
.......also good over metallic
leaf, foils, powders, paints, to give them snap and shine (and can be a
sealer when necessary)
.......works well as a carrier(a clear medium)
for powders like PearlEx (for painting with powders, etc.)
...The Semi-Gloss
is actually fairly matte.
...The Satin is very
matte
..... Satin will
tend to dull your
contrast and your colors
......the satin
sample was too matte for my taste, actually, so I
got semi-gloss instead. Helen
..... I really like the satin for a natural-"clay"
finish though.... I put it on in very thin layers
......I sometimes
use it on top of powders, or stampings with inks, and also in making stains when
I want a more matte finish since it seals without adding shine. Actually,
I use both (gloss and satin?) in making stains--depends on if you want any shine
or not. Sarajane
Making GLOSS Varathane
NOT-SHINY:
If you want to give
the Gloss Varathane a wonderful satin surface (non-glossy),
sand it with 0000 steel wool, then lightly buff
....I like to use 2-3
coats of Varathane, letting it dry in between coats
.... then I
lightly sand with 400 and 600 grit wet-dry sandpaper
.....and finally
then go over the piece with 0000 steel wool, working in circles all over
the piece (check to see if there are any really shiny spots and go over those).
This really doesn't take much time and if you like the results, it's worth the
effort. DottyinCA
.....I have had great
results toning down a too glossy finish by gently rubbing with fine pumice
stone. Much better than going over the piece with matte
glaze which can look cloudy and thick. ...hardware stores have the
pumice (it's a powder)
...... I dampen a soft cloth, old terry
cloth is good, pick up some pumice on the cloth and rub gently in a circular motion.
Let it dry and the powder brushes off easily then a quick wipe with a damp cloth
and you're done.
...other abrasives should
work too? (like scrubbing pads and cloths, etc).
..
I found out a little trick the other day from my hardware store that if you wanted
a non-shiny polyurethane, you can add one tablespoon of mineral
spirits to a quart of polyurethane and
it will take away the shine....I tried it and it really works. Ilysa
........the
polyurethane + mineral spirits sounds great, but wont this make the clay sticky
eventually though? kellie
............probably
!? ... would alcohol work instead?
'INTERPENETRATING
NETWORK"... (IPN):
When I first starting claying 14 years
ago, there was NO info available about glazes, coverings, etc., so I learned to
TEST the reactions over months and years before committing.
.... For the last
8 years or so, I have been very very happy with a product called Indoor
"Flecto Varathane Diamond Elite" with IPN (this stand for Inter
Penetrating Network). . . IPN means to us that it goes INTO
the clay (not just on top of it like many other finishes)
.......To
really know how important this is, I demonstrate the difference in class....a
flat bandaid size piece of clay, about a 2 on the pasta machine, is painted with
FIMO laquer, another with Liquitex Acrylic Medim, and another with Varathane (all
are dry). Try bending the pieces-- the bent FIMO laquer will
flake away, the Liquitex peels off
in a "skin" but the Varathane is fine. Sarajane
.....this property is much
stronger in the Gloss version than in the Semi-Gloss
or Satin
....When I first got into
PC, all I had on hand was the Outdoor
Diamond Elite Varathane and I didn't even know there was
an indoor . . .all of my first glazed pieces were done with it. . .. It worked
just fine and the pieces also look fine after one year . . . no
yellowing or clouding.
. . .none of the pieces have been exposed
to outdoor's weather or any water though,
so don't know what diff that would make.
....... being a bit picky though,
I did go buy the indoor variety ...I liked what Sarajane said about it
BONDING with the clay and I don't know if the outdoor variety does that
(it does). I do know that none of the finish on the cracked eggs separated
or peeled though. Patti S.
... I was recently able to confirm that the
outdoor Flecto Diamond Varathane also has IPN . Patti S.
..."Varathane®
premium polyurethanes are available in application-specific formulas for interior,
outdoor, and floor. Recognized by professionals for its exceptional durability,
clarity, and hardness, Varathane polyurethanes outperform national brands."
Flecto website
other good things about
Varathane:
.... doesn't smell bad
... is water-wash up for brushes, etc
....
has a UV protectant and does not yellow, even after 8 years (like
Future can)
....much cheaper than using finishes "made for polymer
clay" and usually is as good or better (Fimo's "mineral"
(alcohol based) laquer is
very good, but it costs at least $2.00
for a tiny 2ml bottle)
I
usually pour some in a babyfood jar, and work from there,
so as to minimize contamination and
also evaporation.
... A quart lasts me about a year, and I'm
a heavy user.
............I like the small 4 oz. jars which contained
pimientos too
. . . they're shorter and wider --good for dipping
smaller things too (see below for more on dipping)
Use
a good quality, soft hair brush, (mine's about
1/4 wide) and always wait for an item to cool completely--coating a warm
item makes the Varathane dry immediately and it streaks.
(see below for more on Application, Brushmarks,
Brushes, Bubbles, etc.)
...use a GOOD brush and cooled clay, and
you won't get streaks.
...don't stir Varathane
vigorously since it will stir up bubbles
which will dry in the (fast-drying) coat applied
......however,
if it is not stirred really well from the bottom, that
it dries at a different rate and seems to be a bit
stickier.(??) Jeanne R.
Varathane can
be used on clay before baking as well as after baking (....or doing
both can give a really glossy look)
....Z Kripke uses Varathane on her
composition metal leaf before baking......she says it keeps the
leaf from changing colorin the heat (and also tarnishing?) .... after baking
she puts on another coat.... It looked really great, and she says it worked well
..... I tried it and was pleased with how it kept the leaf looking like bright
gold. Dotty
(....can use Future in the same way). Dotty
I've
also applied it by pouring a tiny amount into the palm
of my hand then coating the entire object with the varnish in my hands.
... then I let it dry on a painting board
(see below in Misc. for all Finishes, for details on painting
boards). Patty B.
As it ages
in the can, Varathane gets thicker
and gluier.
.....This is great for adhesion, but can
be a problem when applying for the shine. . . then
the coating does not self-level right, as it does with a fresher batch
...for shine, the consistency you ideally want is a bit thicker
than milk, but not as thick as condensed milk. Sarajane
... can thin
with water (or just make sure to keep the lid on tightly)
....Having
just gotten my yearly new quart of Varathane, I notice that my old stuff showed
WAY more brushmarks, likely having to do with the fact that it had
thickened up quite a bit. By comparison, the old was like the consistancy
of sweetened condensed milk, the new is more like milk, but a tich thicker.
I think I should have gotten a new quart sooner, and used the last half a cup
for other things. The new sure goes on easier!! Sarajane
It dries fast (compared to other
types of finish).
....The varnish dries
in 30 minute. . . but depending on humidity,
can take a week or so to fully
cure...Katherine Dewey
I rub a bit of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) around the rim of my jar of Varathane to keep it from sticking and getting crusty ( I also do this for paint and glue containers). Jeanette
You
can bake or rebake Varathane...and it doesn't hurt
the shine (and it can be applied to raw or baked clay... see below)
...in fact
it seems to sometimes "set" the coating (200
degrees, for 5-10 min.), espeically thicker coatings
from dipping, etc.
...I put the beads back in the
oven at 200 degrees for 5-10 minutes after putting the Varathane
on them. I just like the hardened look (& feel) better... also
takes away any slight tackiness. Dianne C.
....this also makes really
tiny brushmarks disappear!
....sometimes
reheating is the only way to get my beads off the skewers too....
....Varathane
is "safe" for rebaking)...the Material Safety Data
sheet for Flecto Varathane says it's non-flammable. When evaporated in an oven
--the whole can-- it may release some ammonia fumes, but it will not catch fire.
...the lowest flame point for any of its ingredients is 410 degrees F.... of course
have reasonable ventilation. Sarajane
(for even more info, see
Safety > Sealers)
Awhile back I covered a silverware (handle) and coated with Varathane.... I've been using the sample piece of silverware ever since and sending it through the dishwasher on the bottom rack and it is still in great shape.. and that was back when I was still using a allot of SculpeyIII...Dave
WARNINGS
...look for the Diamond Elite IPN part, as they have other kinds that don't
work (like the oil-based ones).. must say
"water-washup". Sarajane
......the IPN also doesn't work as
well in the Semi-Gloss and
Satin versions
(see
Buffing > Misc. for putting Varathane
or Diluent on a piece after sanding and buffing it
...
to avoid scratching and dulling, and also improve transparency
and glassiness even more )
(Varathane?) helps keep clay waterproof too--I'm testing some pieces in my bathroom and its been two years with no "bloom" on the clay, in spite of high humidity and actual water contact (covered my perfume bottles, the lids to baby oil and shampoo containers etc.) Sarajane
(see Mixing Media > Dried Flowers for more info on using dried flowers and plant material with Varathane)
I've
made lots of 'bead stands' (to hold beads while drying or baking)
by putting t-pins upside down (so points are up) into scrap clay and bake
them for 1 - 2 hours at 260 degrees... then I place my beads on top of them. Dianne
C
for
a shiny enamel look, there are some
cool recipes for stuff that looks like cold enamel
in "Frames with Flair," by Suzanne McNeill
.... the author
mixes 1/2 water-based polyurethane (like Varathane) with 1/2
acrylic paint
.... for a dimensional look that can
be applied with squeeze bottles for raised designs, mix 6 tsp. baking soda
to 3-1/2 to 4 tsp paint. MJ
Kato
Polyclay does
not take Varathane finish well because of it's extremely smooth, dense,
and slightly shiny finish
...... it may bead up
during application, and/or
peel off after drying.
...for
a workaround. to use so Varathane can be used with Kato,
see below in "Peeling"
(...or just use Future,
or sand and buff instead if a high-gloss finish is desired on Kato
clay)
large expanses of some other clays or colors
may be a bit too smooth for Varathane to adhere well
too
...large expanses of glow-in-the-dark clay
(Premo only?),
Cernit,
and some
Sculpey colors. Sarajane
The particles in the
semi-gloss and
satin versions of Varathane
can also interfere with excellent adhesion of the gloss Varathane to some
extent. Sarajane
(the spray version of Varathane is now shown not to react with polymer clay, so it's fine to use)
You
can mix it with acrylic paints or Pearlex powders to make
stains and antiquing finishes (for faux stones, ivory,
etc... and also for faux cloisonne).
It works as glue
in mosaics (and other ways)....Bryan tiled a radio flyer wagon and a guitar
this way, using cane slices. Sarajane
...and for decoupage
Varathane
as a transfer medium:
....my most favorite method of transferring
an image to clay uses plain ol' Varathane as the medium
.....this method
does NOT make a decal like liquid clay can though... it is a "direct"
transfer onto clay (or other surfaces)
.... it is permanent on the clay (unless
you scratch it off)
......this technique was described in Polymer Cafe last
year where it was described as a Raku Effect, but you can just skip the
chalks and transfer the image
....It's an easy method, you just need
to be careful in two steps of the way:
......don't move
the image as you apply it to the varathaned raw clay (so there won't be
any smearing
..... you have to rub the paper off the baked clay after
wetting (or soaking?)...and while you need to take it off to the point that the
image no longer looks milky, you want to be careful not to
rub the image completely off
....I do
a lot of pendants this way and will be doing some boxes embellished with these
(I transfer the image of a particular dog on to a piece of raw clay, bake it and
then glue that to the top of the wooden box). Barbe
Peeling-cracking... Stickiness... beading up. . .also Flecto vs.Future?
PEELING
....most people haven't had trouble with Varathane peeling (although a
few people had reported it had)
There are some variables
that might lead to those infrequent cases of peeling though:
...the
Semi-gloss and Satin
versions may not stick quite as well as the regular Gloss version (so be sure
to re-bake)
...be sure that the Varathane is left to cure completely
(not to just dry)
before subjecting it to scratching or stress ...(Varathane
dries in 30 min., but depending on humidity,
it can take a week or so to fully cure...Katherine Dewey)
(..just like latex wall paint which isn't really durable for a week after you
paint. Patti K.)
......I also qucikly sand
my baked clay first (400 grit) . . this removes the surface tension and helps
the glazes bond with the clay better.
....... I also keep brushes that
are only used with the Varathane (so no water
or other contaminants are present in the bristles).
.......this
is a long shot, but are you sure it is thoroughly mixed? some particles
may sink to the bottom of the can . Alcina (...stir, don't shake)
...rebaking
at 200 for 5-10 min. is a good idea anyway to give a really hard surface
...let your Varathane-coated
piece sit for a few hours at least... then bake it for about ten minutes and let
cool.
........if the layer
of finish is very thick (as with dipping),
it's best to rebake the finish to attach it super well
...........rebaking
really bonds the Varathane to the clay.. (even for older items which
peel later)
....I've been using the semi gloss Varathane with no problem with
later peeling at all, and I don't always rebake it.
...best results for not peeling are gotten with
brushed-on applications, not dipping. The thicker
coat that forms from dipping can result in the finish peeling away, particularly
in humid climates. But baking again at 200 degrees
10 min. can help "set" a finish and prevent that.
......I've never had a problem
with peeling my dipped items
There
is an oily residue left on the clay surface
after baking, and it can act like a resist sometimes
...
in that case, you need to clean it with rubbing alcohol to remove it. (since
you're making a lot of pieces, just fill a bowl with the alcohol and swish them
around in it. That should do the trick.) Jody B.
...or somehow you could have
gotten too much oil from your
hands or somewhere else on the pins before applying the finish
..The
first question to answer is, was the clay
totally cured? ...if not, the oily
plasticizer will leach up to the surface over time.
...
If the clay was baked fully, there
still could have
been some oiliness on the surface
that settled there in the oven.
(this is why it's always a good idea to clean the clay with rubbing alcohol
before putting a finish on it).
It also occurs to me, after reading everyone's advice, that there may have been a slight residue left on the clay from the grouting process on my mosaic, which prevented the varnish from adhering completely. ....I will clean the next sample carefully with alcohol first AND bake it again. Candace
The only other thing that might cause this kind of trouble is if you had used a lot of Armorall as a mold release. Jody B.
I
discovered that Diluent does cause peeling
if applied over Varathane
when I was trying to determine if you could
add more clay to pieces after they'd been varnished ...
since Diluent is essentially a solvent, it did break down the Varathane/clay
bond.
....perhaps, underbaking has had the same
effect as free plasticisers (resins that aren't inert because they haven't been
fused) caused the Varathane to break down and peel.
In
your case, it sounds as if there may have been too much
loose Pearlex left when you finished them
.... I usually give
things a little wash with running water to be sure the loose Pearlex is
gone before doing the Flecto. Jody B
Kato
Polyclay may not take Varathane finish well (without other steps)
because it has a very smooth and slightly shiny natural finish
... the Varathane may bead up during application,
and/or peel off after drying after some days.
WORKAROUNDS
for Varathane problem:
....if you are using Kato clays you may need
to apply the thinnest little layer of the liquid clay first, to give the
piece some "tooth" for the Varathane to hold onto
........I apply it with a
makeup sponge, or a drop or two then smear with a finger, bake for 10 min...
then Varathane. Sarajane
...Kato Polyclay has water-repellent properties
(even more than other polymer clays) ...since some waterbase finishes could
contain in excess of 50% water in the formulation, those finishes could bead up,
puddle, or peel off later when used with it. The key to making those finishes
work with Kato Polyclay is surface preparation, though it involves an extra
step. There are two ways to do this:
---1. rub a very small
amount of Kato liquid clay into the surface of the cured clay (as if you
were waxing it), then remove all excess with a paper towel or soft cloth
(do not cure)...then just brush on or dip into the Varathane
..........if you want, for extra toughness in the finish, bake again after
the Varathane has dried
---2. or paint a thin coat of Kato liquid
clay onto the cured clay surface, then cure. ...after it has cooled,
brush on or dip into the Varathane (and cure again for extra toughness
if desired).
......What causes the liquid polyclay to bond or join these two
products? Does it not also have the same water-repellent properties as solid Kato
Polyclay? The Kato Liquid Polyclay does repel water but it is not pigmented
in the same manner therefore increasing its acceptability." (We know it has
excellent adhesion to the polyclay because it is a liquid version)...I believe
that the compatibility lies in the polymer and plasticizer. The Varathane,
besides its water content, also contains a polymer and plasticizer in its formulation.
It is unknown to me which ones they are but they bond and are compatible to the
liquid polyclay.
......at this time I do not know about the other Rustoleum/Varathane
finishes.
......I do know that many artists use Future floor wax on Kato Polycay
with good results (Lisa Pavelka, a rep for Kato clay, uses Future).
......By
the way, there is a plan to upgrade the Kato Polyclay website and hopefully it
will contain the answers to frequently asked questions. Tony
...Ah ha! That's
why it worked for me on the last batch of beads. I used my VERY old indoor
(water-washup) Varathane on them, and it's water content
is probably very much lower than the new outdoor stuff I
have, which caused me problems awhile back. Patti
... A new finish
may also be developed for Kato Polyclay by Van Aken.
Translucent
clay or Glow-In-The-Dark clays may also require
the workaround just mentioned for Kato Polyclay.
On
flexible clay items, it may be best to use Varathane as a finish
(rather than Future) since it bends and flexes with
the item (Varathane penetrates into the clay) ... Future will crack as
the clay is bent! (try it on a scrap sheet of clay to prove it to yourself.)
HOWEVER, others say NOT TRUE –maybe was due to other factors?
....test: ...OK, I did a test.... I applied one coat of Future
on a piece of Fimo fresh from the oven (which may have caused
it to behave differently and penetrate more than
if applied to a cool item though)... . Let it cool for a few hours
- so far after much bending and twisting, I see no evidence of flaking or shattering.
It appears fairly well bonded to the polymer clay. Desiree
Instead of using Varathane, I would suggest you try using Fimo's mineral-based glaze. It isn't a water based glaze but it IS compatible with the clay. It is my favorite glaze when you want a good shine and I've never had it peel. Dotty
stickiness:
Several times I have received items in swaps that were finished with some substance
(Flecto or something else?) I never asked what) that was sticky
and didn't dry with several weeks' waiting..... I rebaked them,
and they dried out fine and have never been sticky since (more than 6 months later).
LynnDel
...I had one disastrous experience with sticky beads that rebaking
wouldn't cure- so I soaked them in nail polish remover (acetone),
wiping them down with old socks-- the crap all came off and I
was then able to buff them. I've avoided glazes most oof the time since then.
Jeannine
....I scrubbed the sticky pieces w/ mineral spirits
and a toothbrush to get the old flecto finish off. Today they
all look fine...not sure how they'll fare down the road. I hope there is no residue
left on them (none that I could see). Sharon
....Some clay stuff had gotten
almost sticky after they'd been varnished with
Delta Ceramcoat acrylic, plus the shine dulled, so I put a couple
of coats of Flecto Gloss over the sticky stuff, and so far,
everything seems terrific... beautiful shine, hard coat, no stickiness. (some
of the items, I had attempted to rebake, some not. Elizabeth
... some
of my finished Flecto pieces have gotten tacky
after awhile . . . anyone know why? Dave
.....humidity:
I've had the same experience--but it was in an outdoor show and it rained off
and on all day. Only had three pieces left when I got home and after one day indoors,
they were okay again. I am still concerned about this. Have never had a problem
with anything which was kept indoors in air conditioning. I think the items that
I had sold were not reheated after applying the flecto-varathane and now I
routinely put items back in the oven just for a few minutes at 180 degrees
and I "think" this helps. Jeanne R.
...I do know that if the Flecto is not
stirred really well from the bottom, that it dries
at a different rate and seems to be a bit stickier.(??) Jeanne R.
Application, Brushes ...Brushmarks... Bubbles
Varathane can be applied to raw clay or baked clay... then baked or re-baked.
Z Kripke, a
great poly-clay artist, often coats her cane slices before
baking and pieces with the Flecto Varathane, and lets them sit until
she needs them (she turns out tons of beautiful ethnic style necklaces for
museums)
....Then, she just pops them into the oven and bakes. No problem
at all. The sitting doesn't seem to hurt or affect the piece.
....She tried the Varathane because she didn't like the
way that the (composite) gold foil changed color if it was on the surface
of the clay when it was baked. She put the varathane on before baking and viola,
no color change. Dotty
...I also do this
when I'm doing something with bas relief in white and will be handling
the item a lot before baking. kelly KLK
if
you are getting bubbles when brushing on Varathane,
try using a smaller brush--and as Jami said, a soft one. I've been
using a fairly small watercolor brush (ie
good quality, cost around $6.00) with good results . . .
....By using a smaller
brush, you also won't get too much
on the brush at once when dipping it.
...
Use a light touch, rather than "scrubbing.
...Also DO NOT wipe
the brush on the edge
of the container when loading the varathane
to the brush---this makes for lots of bubbles
...just dip, pull up, and apply..
Sarajane
....If
you see bubbles, especially with the dip method, just give them a quick
blow and they disappear! Jean S.
......... or use the torn edge
of a paper towel to wick off any drips before they dry
...I wipe the Varathane I've already applied with a soft brush with a DRY
sponge brush ... that cleans up the few stray bubbles nicely. . Helen
...after
baking, Varathane can be sanded in case you get fuzzies or air
bubbles, etc., on your work --I use 2000 or 2500 grit ... then buff.
more
on brushstrokes:
....soft hair brushes are best, but you don't
necessarily have to use an expensive brush (I had some really cheap
brushes that worked great for small things)
....I also try for long
strokes .
....and I hold the brush at an angle to
the surface. Sarajane
....also, it is important
not to overbrush an item because this
causes small bubbles in the finish that can also feel gritty
....use a light touch, rather
than "scrubbing." Heather
...There is also a "just right" amount
of varathane on the brush that works best (hard to describe but it's
wet enough to flow well, but not so wet that it runs.
... also don't use too
little Varathane...get it on there and spread around in quantity
so it won't dry too soon ....I was surprised to find
that I got worse brushstrokes when I used too little.
Sarajane
...the baked clay item can also be dipped into Varathane, etc., to avoid brushstrokes, and often bubbles (see below in Dipping)
baking
the Varathane (rebaking finish with clay) can make minute brushmarks disappear!
(as well as setting and hardening it)
also use the
right consistency of Varathane (not thickened)
....
fresh Varathane is the consistency of milk and it self levels,
so you should never have runnels or grooves if it hasn't thickened.
Sarajane
..I keep a small jar of Flecto that I get from the
gallon can... having the jar open while applying
finish will let it thicken a bit too much.
.....you can use clean water to thin the Varathane, if needed.
James
.... I notice that my old
Varathane had thickened up quite a bit, and also
showed more brushmarks
........ the old Varathane was like the consistency
of sweetened condensed milk,
the new Varathane is more like milk, but a tich thicker. I think
I should have gotten a new quart sooner, and used the last half a cup for other
things. The new sure goes on easier!! Sarajane
Varathane
was originally made for wood and is
designed to be sanded in between coats
...so you also could try light
sanding between coats to make it smoother. Heather
James,
how do you get that very smooth finish on your bowls?
....Varathane!.......use
the softest synthetic brush you can find.
....get a few widths,
1/2", 1", 2", etc.... then use the biggest brush that will still
follow the contours of your piece
....and move as fast as
you can
....I wet sand with 2000 grit between several
coats.
..to clean the brush, use really cold water and ordinary
bar soap. (warm water will cook the polymers
into the brush and ruin it.)...point the wet brush and let it dry...
riffle the dried brush, and shake all of the dust out of it..... use
a bright desk lamp to see the dust. James
If
the brush strokes are not too bad, rebaking can help. Sarajane
.....Both
Flecto and Future can be put back into the oven for a few minutes after
they dry.... this "melts" the finish some and often gets rid of brush marks.
Heather
....I re-bake my dried items for about 10 minutes at
250°.. Sarajane says 200
(.......Material Safety Data
sheet: Flecto Varathane is non-flammable. When evaporated in
an oven --the whole can-- it may release some ammonia fumes, but it will not catch
fire. ...the lowest flame point for any of its ingredients is 410 degrees F. That's
VERY very different from --some other finishes and paints which are not safe in
the oven). Sarajane
....Hey, I know people have
sworn that baking polymer clay that has been finished with Flecto makes
the finish really tough, but have you noticed also that the brush
marks melt away? I thought I had a bit of sanding to do, though the brush strokes
weren't terrible, but when it came out of the oven it was much smoother..... this
was over Transparent Liquid Sculpey ...does that work on the regular clay?
Jody Bishel
..Yeah, they do dissipate somewhat . . . (I have
a piece) with Flecto protecting the Pearlex finish. I tinted part of the
varnish with Alizarin Crimson and had a hellavu time with brush strokes
because of the pigment load. I had settled on
"attractive" brush strokes, but after baking the strokes were gone and I had
the finish I initially sought. .Katherine Dewey
Pearl Ex & Pump sprayers (& Flecto)
You can mix Varathane with Pearlex powders or acrylic paints to make stains and antiquing finishes for baked items .... (for faux stones, ivory, etc, also for faux cloisonne, etc. ).
I also use a little more Pearl-X than I think I need since the (Flecto) Varathane can soak some of it up.
Silver pearlex is kinda on the dull side... but re-applying Pearl Ex over Flecto followed by a light, light buffing (I was desperate) and reapplying Flecto made it shine. Naturally, I baked it again. Katherine(?)
It's
sometimes hard to brush on Flecto without disturbing the applied PearlEx,
so for my leaves I diluted some Flecto with about 20-30%
water in a little pump sprayer... I misted the leaves.
....waited half and hour ... then misted them,
again.
....This won't give you the really shiny
look that brushing it on will, so if you want the high shine,
brush it on, the third time (it will be
set enough that the powder won't come off).
.... test the
sprayer first, to make sure that it mists, and doesn't spray
in big gobs
... after you're done, pump clear water
through the sprayer part before you put it back in the bottle. PyroPatty gave
me the courage to give this method a shot, and it works really well, so far. Bet
it would work with Future, too. Elizabeth
....Patty
said: "I found some cheap 4 oz. pump spray bottles at Michaels…. work
really well for me."
Dip and drip, and you'll get no bubbles. Its the wiping on the side that does the bubbles. May sound silly... Sarajane
I
would love to know how you dip with the varathane. I have always had a
problem with it pooling at the point where it drips off the piece.
It shouldn't be too big a problem with the Flecto Varathane, because it's
thinner than the "Varathane" that we used to dip bread dough ornaments into. The
Flecto dries much faster than the other kind of Varathane, too. When I make something
where drips can be a problem, I just keep a flat sable artist's brush and
a jar of water handy and I watch the drying rack... wherever I see a pool
or a drip forming, I just dab it off with the damp brush, rinse
the brush, squeeze out the bristles and look for the next one. You don't even
have to touch the bristles to the piece, usually, just to the drip... the brush
sucks it right up. Elizabeth
~I found an easy way
to Future (or Varathane) (beads and pendants with
holes all the way through). I strand the finished pendant on wire, bent
it into a V-shape and dip the pendant into a waxed dixie cup filled enough
to submerse the item. I dipped each pendant twice, then hung them on (wires
strung across) my baking pan that was lined with a paper towel and a piece of
aluminum foil underneath. After each item sat for a few minutes, before
I bake them, I took a small natural bristle paint brush, and wiped
off the drips on the bottom of each item to be baked. I repeated this procedure
twice (baking on two layers) and found the results were pretty nice. Also,
the remainder of the Future from the cup was poured back into the container. This
is a great way to cover the entire item, and to really save on the amount of Future
you use. Darlene
Darlene's lesson on dipping on wire
http://modernclay.homestead.com/dipping.html
Darlene says with this method if there is excess sealer left in the holes
after drying, wait 24 hrs. then clean out with bead reamer, etc.
(I dip in Future). Using a toothpick (flat or round), dip the bead once and suspend from one of those wire dish racks I use those mini clothes pins, one on each side of the toothpick so the bead is suspended. Lightly dab the drop that accumulates at the bottom of the bead with a paper towel. Don't touch the bead, just let the drop fall onto the paper. Let dry. Dip a second time, dab, dry. Once dry, bake for about 10 or 12 minutes to set (still on the toothpick. FranL
Especially if dipping, it may be best to bake again (200 degrees F, 5-10 min) to set and harden the Varathane... otherwise, in a few cases, the Varathane could peel off later
Elissa's lesson on
dipping large beads/pieces with embedded loops, etc., dab with folded paper
every 10 minutes for a half-hour;
...also how to dip pins by using
a Blue Tack-ed (very long) screw to use for holding while
dipping, and drying at an angle pushed into foam sheet (...thus also retaining
an unfinished area under the Blue Tack for gluing on a pin back
later)
http://pcpolyzine.com/april2001/varathane2.html
Jack's
sculpted ornaments are dipped multiple times in gloss Varathane
to create his ultra-shiny (ceramic-looking) finishes.
....each
of my figures is 5" inches tall, so they can be dipped right into
the gallon can of Varathane I keep on a table in my work room... then they're
hung over the can to catch the excess (drying in about 30 minutes).
....each ornament gets 5- 6 coats because I like a glassy
smooth finish ...the idea is to make them look toy-like.
....oh, a hint for
keeping the points where the drips are . . . . I use heavy construction
paper,cut into strips bent slightly for strength, dipped in water.
As the dripping slows down to a stop, tap the wet paper stips on the excess
Flecto lightly. The moisture keeps the area moist and smooth, helps from
leaving a bare, dry spot. Jack
http://jacksworkshoppe.homestead.com/page2.html
Oborochann
dips her small baked clay figures (after adding details with pigment ink and stamped
acrylic paint) into clear gloss finish (Sculpey Glaze, which
is a thicker gloss finish than Varathane or Future, etc.), then removes
the drip with a soft brush
http://oborochann.deviantart.com/art/Octopus-Charm-Tutorial-45828570
(last photos)
My lesson on dipping
( also in Polyzine, Dec.01--Tools,
but photos are smaller)
Here is the dip & drip
system I've set up for sealing and glossing my little Bottles of Hope (but
could be used for any bottles or vases if they're not too heavy) using Flecto
Varathane (or could use Future?). It's comprised of two parts and I used simple
materials for each.
(smaller photos of my set-up are with the original Polyzine
article, near the bottom of the page:
http://pcpolyzine.com/december2001/tools.html
)
(website gone)
--First I made the "spring
hooks" which fit down into the baked bottles; these allow me to dip and hang
them without any disturbance to the outside surface.
.... I used a
5 1/2" length of 19 gauge, dark annealed steel wire, which is fairly sturdy,
for these hooks which I wrapped twice around a needletool barrel (or crochet hook,
pen,etc.).
.... After the second wrap I continued rotating it until it crossed
over the first "leg" of wire yet again (pressing the legs together afterwards
allows them to be inserted into the bottle but the legs are still stiff enough
to keep the bottle from falling.)
....I cut the legs an even length, making
some of the hooks short and some long (longer ones allow taller bottles to be
dunked with more control).
(If your bottle or vase has no neck,
try pressing a wad of raw clay or Blue Tac on the ends of the legs before inserting
the springhooks to help grip on the inside walls of the bottle, then dip carefully!)
The smaller s-hooks for dipping and drying the bottle tops (stoppers,
etc.) were made from large Christmas ornament hooks, unbent, then cut in
half and re-bent. The smaller end
should be a shallow hook; the larger end should be formed into a loop so it can
be connected to the loop of a springhook.
I pressed a wad
of raw clay around the larger loop end for each. The bottom part of the bottle
top can then be pressed into the raw clay and the unit acts as a holder/hook.
(website gone)
For the drying setup, I
bent two pieces of cardboard so they would support a rack laid on top; using two
allows space to reach in and catch drips from either side. (I generally put aluminum
foil in the bottom) (or use dowels, pencils, etc. across the top).
... I dipped
each bottle slowly into the spice bottle I use for holding a small amount of Varathane;
pressing down with the springhook and kind of rotating it around helps cover the
complete rim of the bottle (I don't let any fall into my bottles).
... I held
the wet bottle over the Varathane (tipped a bit) for maybe 30 seconds while it
dripped, then hung it from the rack.
... They continue to drip slowly for
awhile, so I use a wet sponge brush, which is parked in a presciption bottle with
water until needed, and set a timer for 5 minutes; then I press the damp brush
to the bottom of each bottle to soak up drips, set the timer again and repeat;
sometimes twice.
(Make sure there is no excess finish
on the bottle bottoms, or they will stick slightly to the baking surface**.)
Bubbles are minimized with this method, but someone from my guild
said which appear can be popped by giving them a quick blow (works!).
Also,
any excess sealer which collects in nooks or crannies can be soaked
up with the torn edge of a paper towel.
I usually (re)bake
the bottles to "harden" the finish even more (10 min. at 200º). Diane Black
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
**(if there is too much finish on the bottom of the item,or a bit of finish still sliding slowly down the sides, the item can stick to the baking surface)
I have found the best paper to use when rebaking (Future) is Quilon Coated Baking Sheets/pan liners. I find them at Gordon Food Service. The pieces peel right off of this paper. Kimba
...you can incorporate a piece of thread into the item, leaving a piece of string hanging out. do all your painting, decorating, embellishing and futuring leaving this string on. hang your futured top to drip. when it's all cured and ready to go, snip off the string and then fire it with a match! *poof* gone. that's what i do with eggs. Sunni
adding color (paints & powders)
I use regular acrylic paints to tint Flecto for glazes and antiquing.. . . I'm sure you could use Pinata inks, too. Kathy W.
A great medium to do the same thing would be acrylic gel medium tinted with acrylic paint. This is what I use in my mixed media paintings sometimes, works great. MagicMoira
I wanted
to see if there was a way to tint the Flecto varathane ...I wanted something
...more like an overall color wash (which I could use over (baked
or raw?) basic two-color clay patterns like these translucent and opaque
spirals. .so I thought I'd try using watercolor paints. (This made their
colors look very different!)
...Using the varathane directly on the color to pick up the pigment, I cut it
back into a small amount of varathane to get the desired color strength, then
just sort of swirled it on (or could dip?). I had to hang my pendants upright
(using wooden skewers and wire) so I could do both the back and the front at the
same time....
...I used Crayola watercolor paints (in a "palette")
that had some nice jewel tone colors. Since this was an experiment, I wasn't too
worried about drips, but I did have to put it on a little bit heavier than normal.
I had to work fast, because the varathane became slightly tacky. This could
be because was using a small amount. The effect came out looking like an Easter
egg or a tie dyed shirt. I was happy with the results, but it's
still not quite what I had hoped for.. TRACY
...on one of these she used
different color tints on different parts of the surface...
(see more in Paints > Antiquing & Patinas for glazes, etc.)
I coated the baked items with Pearlex
by rubbing Diluent where I wanted the powder to adhere, till tacky.
Popped it back into the oven for 20-30 minutes, then when cool,
varnished them with Diamond Finish Varathane Satin with IPN varnish.
. . . After a year of heavy wear, the piece looks as if it were
made yesterday. The varnish dries in thirty minutes, but, depending on humidity,
can take a week or so to cure...Katherine Dewey
Then after (the item with Fimo pulver is) baked, I'd seal it with something, probably Flecto, as Future sometimes makes the pulver powder come off as you're brushing it on. Dawndove
Miscellaneous (Varathane)
Z Kripke uses the Flecto on raw clay, over her pieces which have metal leaf on them.... says it keeps the leaf from changing color. Seems to work just fine for her.
When the shine is from varnish only, without sanding beforehand, every fingerprint and flaw seems to pop out.... I have not (to my knowledge) seen in person any pieces that have been sanded and buffed and then varnished, so I can't really comment on that. I know we polymer clayers like bright juicy colors and high shines, so subtle is not always easy for us to do. :) But sometimes the shine takes away from the beauty of a piece. Just my opinion; your mileage may vary, Irene in western NC
Remember to stir your matte, satin, or semi-gloss Flecto (or other brands of matte finishes). The opacifiers in them can settle out, leaving you with a plain gloss finish at the top. Helen
Flecto doesn't like to
stick to items that were molded with Armor All as release when they're
fresh from the oven, or even freshly cooled. If I'm very stingy with the Armor
All, there's a chance I'll get glaze to stick and not bead up. . . Future won't
stick to it, either.
This is the ordinary floor polish called
Future ... it is a cyanoacrylate
....Future is made by the S.C. Johnson
Co in the U.S ...many similar versions are sold outside the U.S.
Actually,
any acrylic-acrylate floor polish can be
used, not just Future (check the small print on the container)
.
. . Mop 'N Glo brand works... Brite may work also?
Sources
RETAIL,
USA:
....some grocery stores (like Giant, Kroger, Winn-Dixie,
Food Lion)
...Walmart .... Target .... K-Mart (grocery
area?) ....some drug stores?
...ACE Hardware usually has it
...Home
Depot ....very large containers, near the mops and janitorial supplies.
Halla
...military: US Army/Air Forces Exchanges Services stores (AAFES),
some larger commissaries
RETAIL, NON-USA
...(Future & similar products)
http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html (Matt Swan's page
with info & photos of products)
...Canada
...Future or other name? (Loblaws, No-Frills, Sobeys, Canadian
Tire, Wal-Mart, Valu-Mart)
...UK & Ireland.... Klear
or Krystal Klear or Johnson's One and All ...(all
by SC Johnson)
…..clear bottle with blue cap, red label, blue writing.
...most supermarkets where they keep the furniture polish and floor
wax and dusters (Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Safeway)
.........comparing
Future and Klear, Future has a sweet smell and is quite pleasant, whereas
the Klear stinks of ammonia & needs some
ventilation (see Pascoe's Long Life just below for small
warnings).... otherwise
they seem to be the same:. same consistency/colour,
bakes fine the same, wears the same, just stinks differently!! Shelley
....Australia
& New Zealand ....Klear.....Australia
(Coles, Woolworth's, Supa Valu, Newmart, Bunnings)
.........(used to be called “Stride
Right” or “Super Stride” ...“Shine Magic” or "Super Shine”....discontinued
in 2002)
.....another product very similar to Future is called
“Pledge One Go”
.... Australia ....“Pascoe’s Long Life”
***(may
also be called "Rekkit's")
........an
ammonia-based product that behaves in a similar fashion to Future ...can
cause acrylic paints
to run if applied too heavily
........New
Zealand ...(New Zealand – Woolworth’s, Pricecutter, 4Square, Pak-n-Save, The
Warehouse, Countdown)
....Norway ...Clear
....Sweden
... Sidolux?
....Netherlands
... Pronto Wax for wooden floors” with a brown cap or "Parket
Plus" (Edah, C-1000, Super de Boer)
....France and Belgium
... "Klir" --white plastic canister, sq.red cap (Auchan, Leclerc,
Intermarche, Atac, Castorama, Carrefour, Monoprix)
.......Belgium
now Johnson’s “Sols Plus”-- just new labeling (Delhaize Supermarkets, Colruyt)
....Germany ...substitute for Future "Erdal Glänzer" or "Aldi
Stodil" (DroMarkt or Müller stores, Marktkauf)
........ Xtracolour is
distributing a product marked as 'Acrylic Gloss Clear' that smells suspiciously
like Future Floor Wax.
....Spain (not
available)
...Japan and the Philippines it is known as "Johnson's
Wipe and Shine".
....Argentina ... GloCot
...South
Africa look for "Mr. Muscle" in a pink plastic bottle with the "Future"
logo on the bottom of the label
.......or Johnsons "One Step" which
is chemically identical to "Future".
...Singapore ... “Krystal Kleer”
(Handifix DIY in Shaw Center)
......Malaysia (Ace Hardware)
...Costa
Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama (but NOT
Mexico)...Klaro
...Taiwan .... "Bi-Fu-le"
(must-rich-happy)" ("Geant" stores, Taichung and Taipei)
....China ...
"Future"(Wal Mart)
ONLINE
SOURCES:
...a model distribution company
has repackaged Future Floor Polish and sells it world wide
..... Great Models
Web Store... .75 oz ... 3 oz and 4 oz bottles (the larger
quantities come in airbrush ready bottles)
http://www.greatmodels.com/cgi/search.cgi?terms=gmwfuture
or search for “Acrylic Wax” at site
Future will give a slight sheen
up to a high gloss depending on how it's applied, and how many coats are
used.
In general, it dries to the touch fairly quickly after
application (10-15 min or so, faster if applied while clay is hot), but will remain
slightly tacky until fully
dry which can take 12-24 hrs.
Drying can be hastened, and/or the
Future "hardened," by rebaking for 10 min at 200-250°.
I want to repeat my warning that Future is actually not.truly
permanent (compared to Varathane, e.g.)
...even
after drying and rebaking,
Future is
soluble
in water (if
left in it long enough)
......water
or even atmospheric
humidity can penetrate the Future
if in long contact with it,
turning the Future cloudy &
sticky.
....and immediate solvents for dried Future
are ammonia or alcohol.
Elizabeth
...Future comes off with alcohol or with some
kinds of soap (plain soap?) and
water
..... and with any
product containing ammonia (like
some hair mousse, some other hair products, and some perfumes too). Sarajane
Future
can be applied at different points:
....to raw clay (before baking),
after baking while the clay is still hot, or well after baking when the clay is
cooled.
I apply it with my fingers
right out of the bottle in fact... no brushes to clean up. Joanie
......I watched
someone the other day ...just slathering it all over the piece with their hands,
then resting it on toothpick to dry. ....I tried it, feeling rather foolish, but
it the piece looked just great. Dotty in CA (was this Kris Richards? -- Kim Korringa
does this on raw beads too)
... I apply it with a small piece of Viva paper
towel, because it's very smooth and lintless. Randi
....I think everyone
has their favorite way to use Future. I often like to "mop" it on using
a soft piece of T-shirt cotton cloth.... You don't want the cloth soaked
and runny. You need just enough to be able to wipe over the piece, adding more
liquid when you see you need it. . . . sometimes I use a brush for those
hard to reach places. Dotty
....Hattie moistens her application cloth
with water a bit before adding the Future and wiping it on an item –less
sticky result?
....Mammadonna puts her
Future in a spray bottle and sprays it on the item to avoid drips.
....Elizabeth thinks a method she used with Flecto would work with Future
too?: ... she diluted her Flecto (20-30% water) and misted
it (several times, drying in-between) with a 4 oz pump sprayer over some applied
Pearl Ex powder to avoid having to brush it on and disturb the surface of the
powder (see details above in Flecto > Pearl Ex & Pump Sprayers)
Lots
of people apply Future to their clay items still "hot
from the oven."
... it seems to soak right into the clay
(giving a thinner coat though, so may need more than one coat for a high shine)
....You
may like the look it gives! Apparently the polymers from the liquid merge with
the polymers of the clay, and make the surface very strong, and also give
what I can only describe as a "semi-matte" finish. Not as shiny as a cold
application (unless, of course, you put another one over that), but not matte,
either. More of a soft glow than anything else.
... I did this just
yesterday -- wow, did that Future steam when applied to just-out-of-the-oven clay!
.......2 coats on hot clay, but I didn't wipe it off afterwards.(
....wiping it would probably make the difference between "sheen" and more
of a "gloss"). LynnDel
...Once you start applying it to hot clay, you
will be hooked. It's "internalized" and you'll have a finish that *won't*
wear off.
I
always put my Future on unbaked clay items ...then
let them sit overnight before baking
....I put another light coating
on after baking when the item is still warm (because the item comes
out gleaming as it is, it seldom needs more than a "sealer" coat to fill in any
micropores, but a heavier coat will crank the "gleam" up just a tiny notch higher)....
you can really get a porcelain look this way. kelly
....Z
Kripke uses Varathane on her composition metal leaf before baking ......she
says it keeps the leaf from changing colorin the heat (and also
tarnishing?)
...... after baking she puts on another coat....
It looked really great, and she says it worked well ..... I tried it and was pleased
with how it kept the leaf looking like bright gold. Dotty (....can use
Future in the same way). Dotty
You
have to put on several coats for a REALLY high gloss
Some
feel it's best to dry thoroughly between coats.
....If
I'm applying many coats of Future for a higher shine, I put it in the oven
to dry quickly between coats. Randi
I put on a couple
of thin coats and then let it dry overnight.... I'm convinced that this
makes the item stronger (or at least less prone to chipping) because
there seems to be a blend of polymers that just curing then "Futuring" doesn't
give it
....the sheen is a more gentle one, but buffs nicely
to a higher one.
....I discovered this technique due to very hot hands
and the need to hold a bead in one place for a long time to do inlays & bas
reliefs
......so if I apply the bas reliefs & inlays the next morning,
after the coating has set on the bead and before curing, I don't
leave fingerprints either. Kelly
I
sometimes use as many as 10 coats. . . . I apply it with a small piece
of Viva paper towel, because it's very smooth and lintless
. . . . I
know that the 10 coats that I mentioned is generally excessive. I do this mainly
if the surface is sort of uneven (I generally have already sanded). Each
coat of Future helps even out the surface, while adding
shine. . . . .I've also seen many cases where something looks sort of blah, but
as I add layers of Future to it, the shine that's added makes the piece look downright
beautiful. Randi
The glossiness you
get depends on how polished the
surface was before applying the Future... so be sure and sand
it well
...and/or smooth the surface well before sanding --for
techniques, see Sanding >
Smoothing Before Sanding
Future
is a very thin glaze, so its shininess depends on how
thick the coat applied is
....a thin coat on unsanded clay
ends up matte or semi-matte
in appearance
... on the other hand, Future on sanded and buffed clay is shinier
than most "gloss" glazes get
Future
WILL thicken up
a bit
if you leave it sitting out.
....I usually apply several
coats over a couple of days so I leave it in an open bowl between coats,
but cover loosely with paper or foil to keep our any airborne gunk. Joanie
(for putting Varathane or Future or Diluent on a piece after sanding and buffing it to avoid scratching and dulling, and also improve transparency and glassiness, see Buffing > Misc. )
Re-baking
...
after Future is applied, the clay is often re-baked to "harden"
it... this really sets the Future and also takes away any slightly stickiness
there ever might be
......I have baked pieces with Future applied and
if anything it came out smoother and shinier than it was when it
went in the oven.... I noticed no odd smells or anything out of the ordinary about
the clay or the oven or the atmosphere in my house
.....it didn't seem to
run into other areas... so the parts I wanted plain stayed plain and the
shiny parts stayed shiny...
... if you just want to set the finish,
leave it in for 5-10 min. at 200 degrees
... after putting
the Future on, place piece(s) in the oven at
250 (???)
degrees for 15-20 minutes to harden
the finish. Hmm, beautiful!!! Dianne C.
...when
I apply Future on the hot clay right out of the oven, I then put it back
in the oven again to harden it more. Randi
...I
have found the best paper to use when rebaking (Future) is Quilon Coated
Baking Sheets/pan liners. I find them at Gordon Food Service.... (there
is no sticking and) the pieces peel right off of this paper. Kimba
....to
make Future durable as a rock. ....I *always* put it on unbaked finished
items, and let them sit overnight before baking
.......I put another
light coating on after baking when the item is still warm (because
the item comes out gleaming as it is, it seldom needs more than a "sealer" coat
to fill in any micropores, but a heavier coat will crank the "gleam" up just a
tiny notch higher)
..... you can really get a porcelain look
this way, and the Future has made the clay incredibly stronger because you've
given it a chance to work with the polymers of the clay. kelly
...make
sure the Future isn't too
thick though when doing this because it may bubble
…...when re-baking Future onto clay, you should have the
temp set at only 200F to 250F or it can bubble
.... it doesn't need more heat than that & generally 10 min. is long enough
- 20 minutes tops! Kimba
......I baked a
switchplate after putting on a rather thick coat of
Future...it had thickened up & I also globbed
it on. It usually works fine if I can keep from touching until the
tackiness dries. Well, I put it in the oven at 250
and it bubbled
up (& the bubbles actually
hardened, which actually it would be great IF it were an underwater scene!)
Dawn
....I did have a tin where at
an edge the Future was too
thick, and so it bubbled and also turned
yellow (from too much heat)
.......
I re-sanded the whole darn thing, and then it was okay. kellieAK
…...that
has happened to me too. I scrubbed the messed up area with straight ammonia
and then rinsed it well with water, dried it and then reapplied the Future. ...that
worked for me. Miki
I
put my Future in a film canister and dip the bead in it...
I tap off any extra future that may be on the bead, then quickly place
the other end of the toothpick in the hole on my board. Mia
...I
always dip when I use Future and it works fine. I dip a whole skewer
of beads at a time (Ibake on floral wire.)
.....to avoid having a bump on the
bottom of your beads where the Future has dripped, just touch the drip
on each bead with your finger a few minutes after dipping (the drop will come
off on your finger and the remaining wet Future will self-level, leaving no fingerprints.
I promise)
.... If you then want to heat-cure the Future, remove
drips first and then put skewer of beads across a pan in the oven for about
5 min. at 200 degrees.
...... if you do about 3-4 coats
like this you'll have an unbelievable shine. Suzanne
....I make beads,
stroke them smooth, then dip them in Future...let dry a bit,
then dip again.
..I leave mine to dry completely overnight
(this seems to set the acrylic somehow), then bake as usual....
try it with mica shift.!!
.......It's best
not to bake this way with white
clay ; it tends to yellow a bit if you don't watch it like
a hawk for any change
in color in heat.
......I would use this pre-bake
procedure ONLY with finishes that are acrylic-based, though. I think the
"glow" that items get are because of the time the polymers in each ( the
clay and the Future) have to meld overnight. kelly
To
get off the drips before I hang them to dry, I spin my beads
after dip-coating them with acrylic floor polish I hold an end of the string
in each hand and spin the string like a jump rope. This has to be done outside
over over a lot of newspaper because floor polish spits out all over the place.
ktellefsen
...Back in the house I held the beads by the unlooped end and used
my much abused hair dryer to blow them dry. The advantage of this is that
it is faster and you can continue to jiggle the strand of beads so that
there is less chance of the polish causing them to stick together. . . . I found
that I occasionally had a couple of
beads stick together, but I put them aside and before I dunked
the last string I washed them in ammonia (Phew!) to take the wax off and
then re-waxed them. nokomis1
(...for more dipping technique, .see also above in Varathane > "Dipping" )
?? Future can also be polished with a non-volatile polishing compound,
like Turtle Wax Polishing Compound (white container, green label).
Matt Swan
....If you let it dry for a week, you can make it even shinier
with polishing compound. finescale.com
to color
Future, add a bit of acrylic paint
.....or use water-based
inks, food coloring, etc, for very transparent effect
.....or use other
inclusions like chalk powders and other powders, spices,
dried herbs, etc.
can add talcum powder to make quick drying
seam filler that is hard, but sands easily. Matt S.
Future can be thickened if I left out overnight or in an open container for a couple of days
see Faux-Many
> Water, etc. for various ways to use Future as a substitute for
resin
....to simulate ponds, waterfalls, etc....
or to make foods look wet and shiny ,etc.
you may like to try
what Zig described for her pens. I do the technique for my small beads
too.
.....After tumbling my beads (sanding) and washing/drying
them off, I heat them up in my oven at 250, then pour some Future in a small bowl,
put the warmed beads in. One by one I take them out and string them on
some brass wire. I sop any extra Future off the strung beads with a bit
of paper towel, then lay my wire across a foil pan that has been notched to hold
the wires. Then just pop them back into the oven to dry the Future and harden
it. Meanwhile the rest of beads are in the Future, ready for me to take them out
and repeat the process. This tip may sound like a lot of work, but it is not.
I do this like a production line after tumbling a load of beads. It works fast.
If i want the beads extra glassy, I put them through this routine a day or so
later. Just be sure that they are totally dry between layers of Future. Dianne
C.
. .. & I touched them & yuckked up the Future (finish) . . . Do I let them dry then wet-sand the future off, or is there another way to clean them up??? Barbara
(for other ways to varnish and dry, see Flecto Application above).
Several
times I have received items in swaps that were finished with some substance (Flecto
or something else?)I never asked what) that was sticky
and didn't dry with several weeks' waiting. I rebaked them, they dried
out fine, and have never been sticky since (more than 6 months later). LynnDel
I had one disastrous experience with sticky beads that rebaking wouldn't cure-
so I soaked them in nail polish remover, wiping them down with old socks--
the crap all came off and I was able to buff them. I've avoided glazes most oof
the time since then. Jeannine
(I was) Attempting
to eliminate brush strokes, I then "flooded" the piece with an additional coat
of Future. Well, now I have "waves". Diane V.
With any coating, varnish,
glaze; less is usually better. And remember, Future is designed to be a floor
polish, which also means thin coats. Eight coats is definitely overkill,
IMHO. Three is about the maximum you should consider with Future. If you
do plan to apply many coats of most varnishes including Future, allow 24-48
hours between each coat. This may be overly cautious but it seems to result
in the best outcome. You can shorten the curing time by baking the glazed
item at a low temp. Desiree
. . .one
thing we discovered with Future when we were at heathers house in nashvagas was
you can't use it on bendable items...like bookmarks...it shatters and flakes
right off! Molly
test, however . . . . OK. I applied one coat of Future
on a piece of fimo fresh from the oven. Let it cool for a few hours - so
far after much bending and twisting, I see no evidence of flaking or shattering.
It appears fairly well bonded to the polymer clay. Desiree
Future water spots...I positively know that it did in the late seventies---please see my other posts in regards to humidity. I used it religiously and nearly went nuts until I figured out what the problem was. It only showed up really well on dark colors though....scratches in the Future showed on dark colors well, also. Savannah, GA had lots of sandy soil and small amounts of sand on the shoes would scratch the Future. ...We just don't notice it on light colored floors. Only on dark floors will you see noticeable white water spots. My experience...Jeanne.
I also know that Future does yellow. I have seen bottles in stores on the shelves which are no longer clear. I have had Future which yellowed with age. Since I have not waxed a vinyl floor in over five years, this too may not be case as the formula may have been changed. ...I will buy a new bottle and test it on the clay again and not reheat and then tests where the Future has been reheated. Jeanne
I've got some wood beads that
are stained and I used them as bases for beads. All was fine til I dipped
them in future. The stain ran
and dyed the Future and I can see it
around the holes of the beads.
I have to strip them of future and try again.
I soaked them in water with bleach and most of the stain
came out. Then I baked them at 200 overnight to dry them. Dystini
powders & metallic leaf... antiquing (& Future)
Have
not tried it myself yet, but the thought of tinted Future washes
for antiquing or adding a patina seems like an attractive one. Steve
K.
...I do antiquing, upon
occasion, with Pearl ex powders ( bronze, usually) mixed in Future.
Flow it on, wipe with dampened paper towel, dry. Messy, but with cool results.
pat
Then after (the item with Fimo
metallic powder is) baked, I'd seal it with something, probably Varathane,
as Future sometimes makes the pulver powder come off as you're brushing it on
(only if powder not brushed in well??). Dawndove
....I
like a high gloss on some of my pieces, and use a lot of Pearl Ex
... want to make sure the finish is permanent. Randi
When I use gold leaf and don't want to sand too much because of the risk
of sanding off the leaf, I use multiple coats of Future. Usually
a few coats are enough for my purposes, but sometimes I use up to 20 coats (generally
those are the times when I don't want to sand too much, and enough coats of Future
will eventually make the piece very smooth). Randi
If the piece is very
well sanded and smooth, one coat should do it. If it looks a bit rumply,
then try two, or even three. Dotty
Can color and/or thicken Future... add inclusions like chalk powders and other powders, spices, dried herbs, etc.
i
have mixed Fimo metallic powders into Future (and into TLS) ...then store
them in little 1/2 oz serum bottles
...Future
makes a smoother line of "paint," where
TLS liquid clay "paint" gives a grainy line (and must be rebaked to cure).
..
(i didn't use Varathane to make this "paint" only
because it's a bit milky, and i like to see what i'm applying). sunni
...can add talcum powder (to also make quick drying seam filler that is hard, but sands easily). Matt S.
(for using Future and metallic powders to create a crackle effect, see below in Crackling)
If you haven't baked
the Future on the beads yet, you can soak 'em in plain old water
for a while, I'd guess a half hour to start, depending on how thick a coat is
on there, then take 'em out and rub 'em with a cloth to see if it's all
off. It will get white and gummy when soaking. Connie
...after baking?
. . .I had good luck removing future just by soaking
the piece in water for a day while I went to work. Peeled the future
off like rubber cement when I got home.
To gently
remove Future, use rubbing alcohol. . . .
...to
dramatically remove Future, use fingernail polish remover (acetone). Desiree
Ammonia
should take it off as it will strip wax on the floor....dilute it and watch
your eyes as it is hard on the eyes!! Laura
...I've
kept an old plastic bottle lid (like from prescriptions) filled with a bit of
ammonia while I'm painting tinted Future to a piece. If I do make a mistake, I
take care of it before it even dries. . .
. . .ammonia is also a great
way to clean the brush or applicator you're using to apply
the Future.
... if you find you don't like the high gloss of future for some
reason, now you know that you can remove the high gloss with ease.
Marcella
...other liquids contain
ammonia as well, like (blue) Windex. Matt S.
If ammonia
won't work for removing the Future remnants, try Armstrong Floor Cleaner....
It's really heavy-duty stuff. I buy it at the hardware store or Home Depot.
I was reading the label once ...and I noticed it said to use it to remove Future.
Makes sense--they're made by the same company
....ever since then, it's been
my "secret" for cleaning up brushes, removing Future bubbles,
dissolving drips, stripping future from a piece, etc. (Armstrong puts
out more than one floor cleaner though, so be sure to read the back to make
sure you're getting the right one.) Laurel
When I screw up, I use a Q-tip wet w/ hair spray to wipe both Future floor wax and acrylic paint off.
Soaking overnight in Future may remove hardened Future too (Matt S.)... might be especially good for getting it out of tiny crevices etc., if can't scrub
If
you have put Future on buttons, or jewerlry, be careful of strong
detergents!!! . . .
I tried washing them in dish detergent to get
the soot off and it turned all the future covered beads to a milky cover!!! I
eventually threw them all into a bowl of dishwasher detergent and it took
all the future and the soot off and left me with my beautiful beads again!!! Leigh
Miscellaneous (Future)
For info on water resistance, see the Outdoor,Snowglobe,Fountains
Things that get a lot of skin contact (like beads) are a lot more likely to need a sealer than things that don't have skin contact, like pins, boxes, etc. Sarajane
OTHER
Acrylic/Water-based finishes
other
brands of acrylic finish.... acrylic fingernail polish ... and
white glues
other brands (besides Varathane & Future, Fimo, etc.)
Various other acrylic-based finishes can be found and art or craft stores ...or at hardware stores (usually for wood finishing)
any
acrylic-based finish, (or varnish, or sealer,
or protector, etc.) should work fine too
... but some may not be UV
resistant (so may yellow over time with exposure to sunlight, etc.), or be as
water-resistant, or be as scratch-resistant, or have IPN, etc. (comparied to Varathane)
..
they will also be adhesive, dry clear, and be at least somewhat water resistant
...may
be glossy, satin, or matte
...these are generally "interior,"
but exterior okay as long as acrylic
...some brands might be Delta Ceramcoat,
Plaid FolkArt Waterbased Varnish, Winsor-Newton acrylic varnishes, etc.
I have found a product called Beacon Liquid Laminate which is very clear, thin, water based ..... has not yellowed or peeled on my test pieces which are about a year old. Donna Kato
DuraClear made by "Deco" is not especially made for our clays, but also will "bond" everything together and will also waterproof your project. I've been working with th