How can I make clay use to make things?

What kinds of glue and paint can you use with silk clay?

• I recently bought some silk clay to be able to make some jewellery but there seems to be next to no information about it online. I want to use acrylic paint to colour the clays and use strong glue like araldite to stick it into things like rings backs, but as it's a rubber like clay, I don't want it to rot the clay. If you have any info or sites where these questions could be answered that would be really useful, thanks!

• Answer:

  From what I can find online, it's an air-dry clay manufactured in Holland I think, described as: "Self-hardening, pliable, soft, and lightweight modelling compound, which retains its soft and rubber-like texture when dry. Can be painted with almost all kinds of paint - packed in practical tub - store unused clay in an air tight plastic container.." . . . or acrylic paint can be mixed into air-dry clays before shaping. Not sure if the "rubber-like" characteristic you m ention means that's the clay is flexible after drying (especially in thinner areas) or whether feels rubbery to the touch. Sounds like it might be similar to Crayola's Model Magic and Delight (made by Creative Paperclay) if it's just flexible, but pre-colored. http://miniatures.about.com/od/modelingmaterials/gr/delightclay.htm None of the purchased clays would generally ever "rot," but the air-dry clays could distort or dissolve if exposed to much water/moisture without sealing first, and the air-dry clays could break down over time if in direct contact with paints or finshes that are petroleum-solvent based. Re glues to use with air-dry clays, most any should work but some will be stronger adhesives than others and that could matter in how you use them, how much contact there is between parts, amount of stress, etc. When I looked up the "araldite" you mentioned, it seems to be a brand name, Araldite, which makes at least several versions of 2-part epoxy glue and putties: http://www.huntsman.com/advanced_materials/eng/Markets/Adhesives/For_Consumers/Araldite%C2%AE_Consumer_Adhesives/index.cfm?pageID=5902 2-part epoxy glues are strong adhesives, but a silicone based one like E6000 would have some flexibility after hardening if that matters. Polyurethane glues like Gorilla Glue will hold most anything but they swell during curing so must be clamped and any that oozes out wiped away. There are also some strong permanent white glues, and "mechanical holds," etc. Here are some of my previous answers about strong glues as well, if you're interested: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110502184157AAWdgI4 http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111119161254AAf1koP http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100106094816AAy6p08