Making blue tac masking strips

[Beardie]

Hi all I don't know if this is of any use to you all but I was toying around with ideas for flexible masking and came up with what might prove to be a nifty technique to use when making use of blue tac for masking.

I have a device call a Clay Gun with assorted nozzles by Craft Essentials which I think I bought from The Works years ago to help when I was called to make a Wedding cake topper out of Fimo clay. Tonight I Had the bright idea of trying it with blue tac and was surprised to discover (although it took the use of trigger ratchet clamps to force it through) that it produces nice even strips(or strings etc if you desire) which would make using blue tac for masking a neater and more user friendly experience.

[Av8fan]

That is a great idea. Thanks for posting.

[Beardie]

Hope it is of use, there is a screw version I see on ebay, look for "clay extruder" or "FIMO extruder" as the syringe type I have needs some sort of ratchet or vice in order to provide sufficient pressure to force the tac through. I am going to order one of the screw type myself as I reckon this could be very useful and economical when using the old blu tac for masking.

[Eludia]

Thanks for the tip

Have you tried using polymer clay instead of blu-tac for sausages? I'm thinking about it, basically because I have more Sculpey than blu-tac.

Cheers,

Billy

[Beardie]

It did occur to me as I have a lot of FIMO somewhere but I use enamels and thinners and I am not sure whether this wouldn't react badly with polymer clay which I believe is vinyl based. I think polymer clay would work if you use acrylics though there is a possibility of the clay leaving some sort of residue on the surface. I have found that the blue tac is pretty much reuseable though so a little will go a long way.

[colin]

Tend to use the white tac not the blue, all the same that's a good idea, as it takes me what seems forever to roll the stuff out.

[Black Knight]

Thanks for the tip

Have you tried using polymer clay instead of blu-tac for sausages? I'm thinking about it, basically because I have more Sculpey than blu-tac.

Cheers,

Billy

Don't, the uncured polymers adversely affect polystyrene plastic. Even if its on for just a few minutes the polymers transfer across and begin their work. It softens the polystyrene, as if glue was on it, but the area never hardens again.

[Beardie]

That is very useful information Black Knight, it sounds like something out of science fiction that it can have this effect, must be some really strong voodoo in that there polymer clay.

[Black Knight]

I have, unfortunately, found that the uncured polymers will leach through enamel and acrylic paint to reach the polystyrene plastic. They are like a cancer. I had a bit of plastic touching some Sculpey or Fimo for only about a max of 30 mins, Seemed to be no harm, but days later that plastic was showing signs of softening, and it got worse over time.

The polymers do not affect polythene plastics. I keep my unwrapped stuff in food grade sealable polythene boxes.

Take a piece of Fimo, work it soft, then put it on a clean sheet of paper. After a short while lift it off. The stain which is there on the paper is the polymers leaching out.

[Beardie]

Ah I have just had a read at the Wiki entry on polymer clays, interesting stuff. It actually has two components in the "clay" namely a powdered PVC and a plasticizer which only melt together when heated . It is this plasticizer that I am guessing travels out of the clay and will soften any susceptible plastic it comes into contact with (polystyrene or ABS such as we modellers use apparently is a vinyl based product). It does say that even cured polymer clay will still generally have some degree of free plasticizer in it which will obviously not only affect plastics that it comes into contact with but may also constitute a health hazard.

[Eludia]

Thanks guys, sculpey's going back to the sculpting shelf now.

Cheers,

Billy

Edited February 2, 2015 by Eludia

[Black Knight]

I think that last statement is wrong. I've been in some polymer clay groups and a few experts have checked that sort of thing out. Cooked poly clay has no free plasticizer in it and neither cured/cooked or raw is any sort of health risk. One needs to eat about 10 kilos of it at one sitting before the contents cause a mild risk.

I've been working with it for years and I'm very susceptible to any minor health problem but its caused me no problems.

But uncured poly clay shouldn't come into direct contact with your models.

[S5 modeller]

That tool sounds really handy.

Has anyone thought of play doh?

You can get a press tool for it that produces strings and other shapes, don't know if it would work with blue tac.

Matt

Edited February 2, 2015 by S5 modeller

[Beardie]

Don't know if playdoh would work itself but I wouldn't try to use a play-doh machine to extrude bluetac as from my own use I think it requires more force than a plastic play-doh machine would be designed to deliver and so would probably break very quickly besides which the clay extruders on ebay are probably cheaper than buying a play-doh machine and the kids won't be too chuffed if daddy mangles their play-doh toys.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Beardie

[Beardie]

Well I have not long finished applying my first camo pattern using extruded strips of blue tac and it worked like a charm. Kind of like working with very flexible masking tape, some of my edges were a little soft from not ensuring that I got cleanly in against the blue tac edge but apart from this and some paint blown in through gaps I accidentally left in the masking tape between the blue tac'ed lines all went very smoothly and the blue tac was easy to recover for re-use.

[Black Knight]

That is excellent. It lifts the spirits when an idea works out right.

[old thumper]

Perhaps there is a smaller version of the cartridge guns used for applying mastic on the market that could be used for this?

[Cheshiretaurus]

Rolling bluetac between 2 flat surfaces (worktop & a tile maybe) produces longish even lengths.

Have 2 A5 perspex sheets for this.

[Beardie]

The advantage of using the clay extruder is that there are a number of cross sections you can select ( I chose a thin reasonably wide rectangular cross section) which makes the blue tac go a long way and (when the airbrush is handled properly) a nice sharp edge. If a soft "fuzzy" edge is desired a round cross section could be used ..........hmmmm now I think about it a triangular cross section would give an even sharper edge than a strip.