Polymer clays are nontoxic, man-made modeling materials that work and feel like ceramic clay, it does not dry out when exposed to the air. The clays can be baked in a regular oven or a toaster oven at a temperature of 275º F or 130º C. Once you bake polymer clay, it can be sanded, carved, drilled and buffed.
Polymer clays are available in more than 50 colors including glow-in- the-dark clays, elastic clays and textured clays. Polymer clay can be combined with other materials and accessories to create an infinite variety of items limited only by your imagination!
Polymer clays work well with surfaces like paper, aluminum foils, glass, ceramic, marble and granite but do not work well with plastic and finished wood surfaces. You can paint your models or creations with acrylic water based paints. Varnishing your clay creations with water based glaze (matt or shine) will improve the clay model and also remove some of your finger prints. You can use a variety of glues with polymer clay including super glue gel (such as E-6000) or liquid super glue. Beside super glue you can also use plastic cement, silicon glue and hot melt glue guns.
FIMO is an easy-to-use, extremely versatile plastic-based modeling clay, it is divided into Fimo Classic and Fimo soft. Fimo comes in a about 72 colors.
Fimo Classic - This clay is specially stable but is slightly harder than Fimo Soft, it must be kneaded properly to achieve a good result. The Classic clay is ideal for detailed and filigree modeling. There are 24 brilliant colors which can be blended into hundreds of new shades and colors. The clay block is segmented into 8 portions on the reverse, which makes it easy to blend and produce consistency when creating your custom colors. A consumer brochure available at most stores which sell polymer clay, contains a blending table to help you achieve more than 100 color variations.
Fimo Soft - This clay is can be easily kneaded, making it instantly workable, it is available in 48 colors, consisted of 24 basic and 24 effect colors.
Fimo MillefioriArt - These are handmade "canes" with a colorful design throughout the whole piece. They come in round and square canes which can be cut or sliced to create a mosaic-like surface. These are wonderful for creating fun and decorative jewelry and are suitable for decorating pearls and other items.
SCULPEY Products consist of many exciting and different ranges, starting with Sculpey, Super Sculpey, Sculpey III, Granitex, Premo Sculpey, Sculpey SuperFlex and Super Elasticlay. They are all nontoxic, man-made modeling clay materials, they won't dry out when exposed to air. The clay comes in over 90 colors and becomes permanently hard after baking.
Sculpey Original polymer clay - This is the most economical of the Sculpey clays. It is easy to condition and ideal for basic sculpture and moderate detail. This clay comes in white and terra cotta colors.
Super Sculpey - This clay is the ultimate sculpting compound. It is used by movie animation studios and professionals worldwide for prototypes, marionettes and all kinds of dolls. Its excellent tooling qualities make it the preferred choice for casting and all types of sculpture. The translucent effect of the Super Sculpey makes it ideal for creating realistic figurines. When baked and cooled it can be sanded, drilled, carved and painted with water based acrylic paints.
Sculpey III - This is a very popular clay and is soft to use without too much kneading. It is a fun and easy modeling medium and bakes hard with a smooth matte finish in an ordinary home oven. Its can be rolled, cut and extruded through the Sculpey Clay Gun.
Granitex - This is the clay has tiny fibers mixed into the clay which creates an unusual stone-like effect. With this clay, you can imitate nature. It is excellent for creating miniature landscaping and flooring for dollhouses and adds a great touch to jewelry and home decor. Available in 8 colors.
Premo Sculpey - This is the premium polymer clay. The consistency of this clay's texture makes it perfect for all applications. It is firm, smooth textured and durable after baking. It is great for creating millefiore. When kneaded it does crumble easily. Its densely saturated colors create perfect shades and colors. Premo Sculpey is available in 32 colors.
Sculpey SuperFlex is bendable and flexible! It comes in 8 colors. Your creations remain rubbery and bendable after baking. When combined with the other Sculpey, it makes excellent puppets with bendable joints.
Super Elasticlay - This clay is ideal for making flexible, one-sided molds. It is extra soft and pliable to shape around even the most intricate detail. After baking it is permanently flexible, you can pour plaster of paris to create relief or used it as a push mold for polymer clay. It can be used for repairing picture frames and creating molds of your favorite creations.
Fimo, Sculpey clay, Super Sculpey, Sculpey III and Granitex Sculpey clay baking temperature is 275º F/130º C for 15 to 20 minutes to harden, depending on the size of your creation. If the thickness exceeds more than 20mm or 1 inch you might need more than 30 minutes.
Premo Sculpey clay baking temperature is 275º F/130º C for 30 minutes to harden, depending on the size of your creation. If the thickness exceeds more than 20mm or 1 inch you might need more than 60 minutes.
Sculpey SuperFlex and Sculpey Super Elasticlay clay baking temperature is 275º F/130º C for 20 minutes to harden, depending on the size of your creation. If the thickness exceeds more than 20mm or 1 inch you might need more than 40 minutes.
Sculpey Superflex may need to be prewarmed (under a low-wattage Light bulb, or by holding for 5 - 10 minutes in your warm hands) before conditioning. SuperFlex is very heat reative, if your hands are too warm it will get a little bit sticky, set the clay aside and work on another piece of clay.
Avoid over baking and check oven temperature with a oven thermometer. Over baking the clay will create fumes, avoid inhaling the fumes, always use well ventilated spaces.
Do not use the microwave oven to bake the polymer clay.