Selkish's Ratchet Workshop

**PearlieMae** · 01-12-2016, 09:46 AM

Grasshopper, you are going to have to learn patience.

Have you considered Plastilina clay? It's oil based, so no moisture and no need for mold release. And it's softer and easier to sculpt...just make sure it's sulphur-free. It's what I use. Unlike Theobromine, I prefer hard resin molds, but she's having great success with urethane rubber molds.

**Ashton** · 01-12-2016, 12:03 PM

I will see you Friday and we can figure this out, as I said, I will bring some of the stuff I used and some of my molds to show you <3
We can do it together <3 <3

**Mermaid Clarity** · 01-12-2016, 12:10 PM

Well, in the spirit of getting things done, I did test the three semi successful molds with silicone. They produce rather dull scales but I know this is solved with a small coat of silicone. I don't know if another mold will make shinier scales than that. I'm not satisfied but we're getting closer.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Ashton** · 01-12-2016, 12:12 PM

Lookin' goood!

**Mermaid Clarity** · 01-12-2016, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by PearlieMae

Grasshopper, you are going to have to learn patience.

Have you considered Plastilina clay? It's oil based, so no moisture and no need for mold release. And it's softer and easier to sculpt...just make sure it's sulphur-free. It's what I use. Unlike Theobromine, I prefer hard resin molds, but she's having great success with urethane rubber molds.

My hesitation with plastilina is that I think the oil in the monster clay is the problem. It's being drawn out by the heat from the curing and pooling to make those little pores.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Mermaid Coralia** · 01-12-2016, 02:16 PM

I think you're my spirit animal because I totally hate waiting for that stuff to dry too. I usually put it down and try to do something else. Or usually by the time it's done it's bedtime anyway so I get to sleep on it.

**Mermaid Clarity** · 01-12-2016, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Mermaid Coralia

I think you're my spirit animal because I totally hate waiting for that stuff to dry too. I usually put it down and try to do something else. Or usually by the time it's done it's bedtime anyway so I get to sleep on it.

"I think you're my spirit animal?"

"I think you're my spirit animal"

I'm so sorry.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Mermaid Mystery** · 01-12-2016, 03:12 PM

LMAO

**Mermaid Wesley** · 01-12-2016, 03:20 PM

Ah Clara

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Theobromine** · 01-12-2016, 03:43 PM

I second Pearlie's suggestion. I love Prima Plastilina clay. I've been using both that and Monster clay and I prefer the Plastilina. It is much softer and easier to smooth. And while it's an oil based clay as well, all oil-based clays are not the same. Monster clay is actually a lot waxier. Perhaps it's the wax that's causing the issue? I know that while you can heat and melt it, if it gets TOO hot (aka don't blast it with a heat gun, roffle mayo) the wax can separate out and pool on the surface.
Plastilina ftw.

**Mermaid Clarity** · 01-12-2016, 03:46 PM

That'd do it. I'm still hoping for solutions that don't mean buying more stuff.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Ashton** · 01-12-2016, 06:18 PM

HAHAH!

**Mermaid Clarity** · 01-14-2016, 12:51 AM

So I'm not sure what to do you know, I kind of have a method of moldmaking that works with my old clay scales. Unfortunately, I still don't think it's quite perfect enough and if I'm going to do this I am kind of demanding perfection of myself. I have layered a little bit of silicone mixed with a small amount of pearl pigment (soft iridescent blue shimmer) and I'm hoping it shinines up the scales and gets rid of all the unwanted texture.

In other news the blacklight I ordered in order to see the glowing pigments that I'm using has come in and I've been playing with that. Since the Fimo I have glows, I have been messing around with that all night.

Here is a bird skull I made which is the original reason I even have the glowing Fimo in the first place.

Also, my peek a boo high lights glow too.

I love this little blacklight though... I haven't looked at anything that might ruin that sentiment yet.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Mermaid Coralia** · 01-14-2016, 05:30 AM

Lol blacklights are so much fun to play with! But also kinda scary,always hoping you don't find something gross

**Mermaid Clarity** · 01-14-2016, 10:29 PM

Still at a loss for what to do, I tossed some leftover pearl silicone. I used varying sizes thicknesses of coating I don't think the pearl is the best coating choice but I feel better about my texture problems. It may be time to start the big mold...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**PearlieMae** · 01-14-2016, 11:03 PM

While Theobromine might beg to differ, I think you are getting bogged down in minutiae. You're going to have thousands of these, all melded together to make a cohesive whole. Just make the scales as good as they need to be. If you want them to come out of the mold shinier, you're going to have to coat the inside of your mold with something like a Krylon gloss spray paint. I painted the inside of a test mold with nail polish and the scales came out very glossy.

Monster clay holds moisture more than plastilina, and it's a bitch to work with. I've seen more molds ruined by Monster clay, all full of bubbles from the water content...as you are discovering.