AAARG! oil clay!

[Khunez]

This oil clay will not stay stuck to an ultra cal cast of my hand. It looks like its going to stick then uh oh! it slides right off after working it. This is frustrating me so bad.... Im about to throw all this oil clay out.

Am i supposed to use something to get it to stick better cause this is unworkable.

Just peals right off....... what am i doing wrong... should i switch clays again...

 

[ptgreek]

Strange ..you shouldnt have a problem ...walk us through what you are doing ..start with clay in package..and bare armature ...Im sure we can come to a solution. Include steps such as heating clay, etc

 

[ptgreek]

ok ..first..you will need a little more clay on there to start with ..dont worry ..you can take it down later with your tools ..Also ..the armature may be a little cold ..try heating it up with a heat gun for a minute....then warm up your clay and try again ..remember ..sculpting is more about the removing of the clay ..you can put on more ..then slowly take it down

 

[Yarko]

When that happens to me, I apply a coat of wood glue over the armature. That works with the clay I use

 

[Khunez]

so I grab my cement hands....lol

I add the clay to it. I was using thin amount because i wasn't going to sculpt much in that area and i didn't want it to get all fat.
just nudging the clay out was fine, it spread across the surface great. I would be adding more clay later and for example the knuckle would just slip right off. It wouldn't even stay on areas that had holes and rough surface to it.

If i add more clay the fingers would just run into each other..id have no room. that and it wouldn't be the right size. My first go at the hands yielded "hulk fist" type results. It would have fit maybe if i filled it with a crazy amount filling, but i want it to fit right.

I just don't know how this is supposed to stick to an armature. if the armature was made of clay i don't see this being a problem.

its like air is getting in there and then it peels off like bad acrylic paint. some spots under the clay had moisture...seemed like it didn't peel off as easy there.

maybe the glue thing works..ill have to cover the entire piece with wood glue.

 

[Khunez]

so I grab my cement hands....lol

I add the clay to it. I was using thin amount because i wasn't going to sculpt much in that area and i didn't want it to get all fat.
just nudging the clay out was fine, it spread across the surface great. I would be adding more clay later and for example the knuckle would just slip right off. It wouldn't even stay on areas that had holes and rough surface to it.

If i add more clay the fingers would just run into each other..id have no room. that and it wouldn't be the right size. My first go at the hands yielded "hulk fist" type results. It would have fit maybe if i filled it with a crazy amount filling, but i want it to fit right.

I just don't know how this is supposed to stick to an armature. if the armature was made of clay i don't see this being a problem.

its like air is getting in there and then it peels off like bad acrylic paint. some spots under the clay had moisture...seemed like it didn't peel off as easy there.

maybe the glue thing works..ill have to cover the entire piece with wood glue.

also the parts that are coming off the easiest are the thickest clay areas. like the knuckles and places i built up on the back of the hand.

 

[Uratz]

Melt the oil clay into liquid form and dip the entire hand over it. It would help if u score up the surface of the plaster armature to have tiny scrape marks or grooves so that its not smooth.

 

[xdmray]

what kind of cement and what kind of clay are you using?

 

[Khunez]

what kind of cement and what kind of clay are you using?

ultra cal 30. and shavant oil non sulfur hard clay.

I would score the whole thing but the clay isnt sticking to the rough parts.

might try the dip thing. just nervous its going to keep doing it and waste more time...this is my second attempt at the hands....bringing it to 4 hands with no results.

 

[xdmray]

that's really weird that it's doing that. you are putting on a pretty thin layer, but still, it shouldn't peel off like that. I'm at a loss. ??????
try coating the ultracal in something. how about the wood glue method or how about a coat of fiberglass. i have sculpted NSP Chavant on top of fiberglass with no problems.

 

[Darth Pinhead]

Just throwing this out there: weren't you using a different clay, prior to the Chavant? Could it possibly be a chemical reaction and perhaps you need to clean the ultracal?

 

[Eaglewood]

some spots under the clay had moisture...

sounds like your ultracal may not be completely dry and cured-- thus the moisture---

 

[Skullsplitter]

Sounds like the plaster is flaky or too porous, creating an avalanche effect which continuously sheds the outer layer.
Coating it or impregnating it would do the trick IMO.

 

[Robillicus]

I think that the plaster "might" be powdering; hence, the clay has nothing solid to cling to. This could be due to an improper mixture of water: more stone than water. I had a problem years ago with powder coming off on my fingers - even after I'd let it cure for a few days.

You could seal it with some Krylon crystal clear. That **** will stick to, and seal just about anything. But, then again that might start to flake off.

I would use George's advice, and just glob a ton of clay on there. You can always slim it down later on. When you put a lot of clay on an armature, it's like it compresses itself under it's own weight. I've done this a few times with armature (even ones that clay wouldn't stick to), and I've had a ******* of a time trying to get it off later on.

Let us know what happens for sure.

 

[biohunter76]

Lots of good ideas so far, here is another that I've used before. Spay Shalack, or how ever you spell it, over the plaster, nice and thick. The clay will stick well to that.

 

[Khunez]

Lots of good ideas so far, here is another that I've used before. Spay Shalack, or how ever you spell it, over the plaster, nice and thick. The clay will stick well to that.

ooo like the shalak idea. but for the others.

hands have been cured for like 2 weeks.
mix was spot on
its not pulling the cement off with the clay....its just falling off.
yes i was using water clay but that was on a different armature.
Im probably going to switch back to water clay...or a softer oil clay...or wed clay....my hands hurt from this stuff.

 

[Skullsplitter]

Plaster has the tendency to be rather loose when it comes to structure, so you'd need something that makes it a solid surface, shellac or just some coats of clear coating out of a can would seal the surface and let you have more fun

 

[Khunez]

Plaster has the tendency to be rather loose when it comes to structure, so you'd need something that makes it a solid surface, shellac or just some coats of clear coating out of a can would seal the surface and let you have more fun

im going to seal it. seems like air is getting under the clay and helping it come off. thanks for all the help guys

 

[hez1]

You could always ditch the armature entirely. It seems like the super thin layer you're trying to apply is causing problems, and chavant is certainly firm enough to hold up under its own weight, at least in the amounts you're using.

 

[Skullsplitter]

Cheap fix: wrap the armature with clingfilm and work from there?