How do I use Das air drying clay with a mould?

[Billie]

HI All

SLightly off topic in that the clay I want to ask you about is Das but it seemed the closest topic on the forum I just bought some Das air drying clay to try out, I also got a pack of Siligum Silicone Moulding Paste.

Here's what I'd like to do.

I have a small rose shaped button that I want to make a mould from and then use the Daz clay to make clay versions of the button.

I also saved some nice leaf shaped plasic from some chocolates at Christmas.

It would be nice to try making some beads with this clay too.

Please can anyone help me with the following questions

Have you any tips for using the moulding paste for making moulds, that you
could give me.

Do I need to protect the item being moulded onto with anything. My button is a vintage plastic one, and precious to me.

Do I need to put anything onto the chocolate tray before I put the clay in, or will it 'pop' out ok. Does the clay need to stay in there till its dry or can I take it back out and leave it on the side to dry?

As for the beads, will they dry ok if left on the 'pokey' tool, to stop the hole from sealing as the clay dries? I wanted to leave the beads on the tool to stop round beads getting any flat areas on them. DO I need to slick the pokey tool with anything or will the beads slide off ok when dry?

Many thanks

Billie x

[Efemera]

Don't know about air dry Das but I use a lot of paper clay with moulds... I just push it in and then pop it straight back out. I don't use any kind of release agent.

[Billie]

I wonder if the Das is similar stuff. It feels much like over saturated newspaper. so me thinks there is a high paper pulp content to the clay.

Thanks

[LucyEdmo123]

Hi Billie, i have an on-line course on using Siligum to make moulds. I mainly use oven bake clay, which I prefer. With the Daz I would suggest leaving it in a mould for a while, then pop it out to finish drying,

Lucy x

[rusticus]

Hi Billie
For the chocolate tray just rub round the tray well with dry cotton wool, press the clay in well and then pop out to dry. I use air dry clay to make buttons from fossils that are still in the stones and that is what I do! They come out of the stones okay and I don't use anything other than the clay.
I don't see why you can't leave the 'beads' on your pokey tool or similar. I think I would just twist the beads occasionally to make sure they hadn't stuck but wipe the pokey tool well with cotton wool. This buffs up the metal and removes any oils.

I haven't used the Siligum so either visit Lucy's blog or get in touch with Annepat on here who has used a similar product before. HTH

[lottie]

I agree with the others regarding using air dry clay. Check the instructions on the packet - some take four days or more to dry thoroughly.

If you make a hole with your pokey tool, i wouldn't think that it would totally disappear after drying. The air dry clay tends to be a bit chalky so you could just use a small drill bit to gently enlarge the hole by twisting it.

I have been making moulds with siligum and polymer clay too. Siligum is very gentle to use and the mould just pulls off when it's set. The items made with air dry clay usually shrink when they are dried out fully - so bear that in mind if it's an important issue for something you are going to use the items on.

Have fun - you'll be hooked in no time.

[Billie]

Thanks everyone, thats wonderful.

Would the Das work with a bead roller too? I only ask as since it dries in air I was a bit worried it would just gum up and make a mess of the roller? I seem to remember the clay being quite stiff compaired to polymer clay.

Hugs

Billie

[lottie]

I don't have a bead roller - but my gut feeling is that the air dry clay would stick as you are pushing the two parts back and forth to make the beads - I say that because I find the air drying clay remains wet, and sticky. I tend to dust any moulds etc I want to use with that medium with cornflour - using a paint brush. It might work on you bead roller.

Why not experiment and see how you get on. The joy of using airdry or polymer clay is that if you mess it up - you can just re-mould it straight away - so nothing lost.

Have fun playing - would love to see your results

[Billie]

Thanks Lottie

That was my thinking that the clay would just gum it up. Thing is I haven't got a bead roller yet and was thinking about investing in one, but because I have birds in the house I won't bake polymer clay because of the fumes. I have tired in the past but it stinks for days even when I've left the back door open.

I haven't used the clay since I was in primary school and seemed to remember it was quite sticky. I also seem to remember that the whole cly block dries up fast too. So I was getting a 'plan of action' together before I opened it, so I could have a good play.

I'll go with rolling clay into balls in my hand and flatten it with a ruler like they showd on C&C a few weeks ago. I want to paint the beads and found my acrylic paint never dried on polymer clay so this was another reason for trying the Das.

Creaky hands in the wet weather, so will save this experiment for the warmer weather

Thanks to everyone for your tips, I'll make some moulds up ready for the better weather

Billie

[Annepat]

Hi Billie,
I've used Das air dry clay (though never siligum) and here are a couple of things I've found.
I've tried to make small decorative tiles with Das but they always curve when fully dry. I've even tried putting weights on them when drying and still they curve very gradually as they completely dry out. For that reason I sort of gave up on the das.
The das is quite damp and manouverable when it first comes out of the packet but I've found it rapidly becomes drier, stiffer and less malleable (ie within 5-10 mins of me working on it) and then if I try to mix it with a damper piece it doesn't mix that well with it so the piece gets a kind of 'tide mark'. However that might be a good quality for the bead roller as the Das definitely isn't as 'squishy' as other air dry clays I've tried.
It also has no 'give' when it dries so thin sections can snap very easily.
Having said all that, I didn't try the Das in molds so it may work perfectly for that purpose. It definitely shrinks a bit on drying. Another tip (courtesy of Lisa Pavelka) - I've recently started using a silicone spray Son of a Gun (sold as a polish for your car dashboard) in my molds (spray it in and wipe most away) which really helps clay release.
Hope you have fun.
Anne