Clay that is too soft

[StarfallsAtDusk]

I have some clay softener for clay that is too hard to work with, but what can you do with clay that is too soft out of the package? I have noticed that a few colors, usually pastels, are almost goopy. I can't shape anything with them, they stick to my fingers. Is there anything I can mix in with it to harden the clay?

[Former_Member]

Roll it into flat sheets, put it between clean white paper for a while. Not too long or it will leech too much. Then you have to rework it since the outside will be stiffer than the inside, but at the end of it all you have workable clay. Another thing I do is when my clay order arrives I squeeze all the blocks and put slices in the packaging of the ones that are too soft so by the time I use it, it will have aired out a bit. It seems to help.

[ejrbeads]

Great tips Rhoda

[Former_Member]

Yep, what Rhoda said. And if you do dry it out too much a little bit of vegetable oil will revive it.

[StarfallsAtDusk]

Thanks everyone, I will try to air them out. :)

[Former_Member]

Also... I have this lavender sculpey that is way too soft, won't even air dry a little. So! All I do is mix it with some translucent polymer clay and it works out. Since the translucent is fairly tough to work with on its own.

[neiceysclaythings]

Great info!!!

[Former_Member]

I put mine in the freezer for a few minutes when it get's too gooey or I air it, like Boma suggested. The freezer thing also works great for canes, when you need them to really firm.

[Former_Member]

Often when clay is sticky/squishier than normal, that means it's fresh and hasn't "aged". Normally it takes long enough to get from the factory to the store shelf that it's already aged and firmed up.

When I buy clay I use a Sharpie to note the date on each package. Then I make sure to use the oldest ones first, which gives the newer stuff a little time to age and firm up. If I need to use it before that happens, I do the paper routine to remove a bit of the plasticizer.

[KaelMijoy]

Be careful of leaching (using paper to get the excess oils out) too much, though. I've found that clay that's been leached is a little more brittle than normal after baking. Of course, that doesn't matter for shapes that are thick and/or inherently strong anyway. Just something to keep in mind.

[Former_Member]

Great advice!