Casting blanks with polymer clay

[SKEETERPROV]

Just a brainfart guys I just thought of an idea of filling the voids of casting blanks with polymer clay instead of resin.... wood has a flashpoint of 572 degrees and we bake poly at 275 degrees ......what do ya think????

 

[CSue]

Might be interesting but you'd have to consider the openness of the wood grain. Would it fill in all the voids the resin can flow into?

 

[seawolf]

How much does the clay shrink when fired?
Mark

 

[creativewriting]

Well....the clay doesn't really shrink so I think you are safe there, but a good point none the less. I would be more worried about the adhesion. Polymer and wood don't always play well together. Since wood expands and contracts some the clay tends to loosen itself over time. On the other hand there are some polymer artist out there that cover wood furniture with veneers of polymer. The difference with this being the clay is cured before the lamination.

The second issue I would worry about would be getting all the voids (CSue). Polymer is much different then PR or aluminite with the later two being able to pour and fill every nook and cranny. Polymer clay would leave voids and air pockets that might cause weakening down the road.

With all of that said, try it. Maybe it will work?

 

[SKEETERPROV]

polymer and wood

Well it works!!!! Here is a small voided casting blank of buckeye I had recieved from Rocky B and tried it today....I wired brushed the area to be filled, applied c/a on area and put in the poly and baked for 20 minutes..

 

[snyiper]

It would be a little easier to see with a less busy backdrop, but good job anyway

 

[BigguyZ]

It would be a little easier to see with a less busy backdrop, but good job anyway

Yeah, my heads hurts now....

Can we get a closeup of the specific area the PCs filling?

 

[PaulD]

Looks fine, but I agree with the caution about wood expansion and contraction with polymer insets. I've done polymer clay wrapped turned wood, kaleidascope easter eggs (with sculpted ducks and egg baskets and bunnies no less!!) in the past and pretty well vowed not to go down that path again.

 

[Jgrden]

Skeeter, now why did you put that pen onto that whatever-it-is for a back ground???? I wanted to see what you did and I am not sure.