Hi there, If you clicked on this video, you
probably want to learn more about epoxy clay. Well, as a dollmaker, I often get asked about
what clay I use, how epoxy clay works and why I prefer it. I will explain all that in this video and
compare it to polymer clay, which I have also made dolls with in the past. Here’s how this video is built up. I’ll start off with an introduction talking
about my search for an alternative to polymer clay. I also mention several brands of epoxy clay
and explain how I chose one. Then I’ll explain in detail step by step
how to work with epoxy clay. And lastly, we’ll get into the comparison
of epoxy clay versus polymer clay. First a little introduction. For my first 12 completely handmade dolls
I used polymer clay by the brand FIMO. I was a pretty inexperienced sculptor when
I started doll making, so it was nice that I could work on my doll’s heads, hands and
feet for as long as I needed. Since polymer clay only hardens once you bake
it. But after growing in skill level, I also had
a growing dissatisfaction with the clay and I was looking around for alternatives. Before polymer clay, I had only ever tried
different airdrying clays and I found them all to be so fragile. I want my dolls to last and be able to survive
a little fall. In my search, I remember seeing Jim McKenzie’s
The Scarecrow video and being instantly intrigued, because he was sanding his sculpture. I already had some experience with this, because
when I used to customize porcelain dolls with plaster back in 2014 and 15, I also sanded
the dried plaster to make a smooth surface. I learned he used Magic-Sculpt, an epoxy clay. I had only ever heard of heavy-duty epoxy,
the liquid and often very toxic stuff that is used on floors and boats. So, of course I wanted to learn more and I
was so happy to find a blog post by artist Molly Stanton on her website elvenelysium.com. She expressed all my frustrations about polymer
clay and with her brilliant to the point comparison she had totally convinced me that epoxy clay
was the way to go. She even pointed me straight to the right
brand. She writes, and I quote: “This is my favorite
kind of epoxy clay. Aves’ Apoxie Clay. I have tried a few others, Crystal Clay and
Magic-Sculpt among them. I like the Aves’ better because the clay
is firmer and holds detail well.” As I was trying to buy some of this clay online,
I quickly found out that this company makes other products that seemed very similar: Apoxie
Clay, Apoxie Sculpt, Fixit, Fixit Sculpt... So, what’s the difference? And how do I choose? Well, back then I made my decision with the
help of a forum. But the question is also answered in the FAQ
on the Aves website. I quote: “In many cases, any of them can
be used with the same great results. Yet, they all have their place and best uses. It generally comes down to a working preference,
the Apoxie Sculpt and Fixit have a nice putty like feel to them, Apoxie Clay has a little
more of a clay like feel to it. Super White Apoxie Sculpt has a shorter working
time but is more firm, and the Fixit Sculpt has the longest working time of the 2-part
products and has a nice, firm clay like feel to it." Aves also has a helpful comparison chart. It sums up all the features of the different
products. Noticeable differences are the high heat tolerance
of Fixit sculpt. And that the Apoxie Clay is most noted for
great details and fine texture, while Apoxie Sculpt is described more as an all-round product. This chart also states the common features
and benefits of all the Aves epoxy clays. The most important ones being these: The clay
is very strong. It's self-hardening (so no ovens, kilns or
fumes). No shrinkage and cracking. It's waterproof and freeze-thaw stable. From what I’ve gathered, other brands of
epoxy clays generally also have these features, but every product is still different. It largely come down to feel and texture of
the clay, but also the smell and some can have harmful vapours and you need to adequate
ventilate. Apoxie Sculpt has very little vapor and kindof
smells like corn chips. So it’s pleasant to work with, in my opinion. Remember that not all epoxy products are created
equally and that the toxicity varies. So be sure to always do your own research
on a specific product. Read the packaging carefully and follow the
advised safety precautions. To really find out which clay works best for
you, you could buy a small amount of all of them and simply try them out. I personally felt comfortable using other
people’s opinions to make my choice. I went with Apoxie Sculpt for the reason that
someone said they preferred the feel of it and that you only need Apoxie Clay if you
are making tiny details, which is not the case for me. Plus, [Apoxie] Sculpt is the cheapest one
out of the Aves’ 2-part epoxy clays. Now, let's go through the sculpting process
step by step. First, make a base out of any material. Epoxy clay adheres to nearly any surface,
so you can sculpt onto any object. Many people use it to repair or alter existing
sculptures too, so the options are endless. For a new sculpture, a base or armature of
metal wire and aluminum foil is pretty standard, or carved out hard foam. Epoxy clay is very strong, which is the main
reason why we love it so much. So, no need to waste your clay, no need to
make your piece solid, unless it’s very small. Combine equal amounts of part A and B. You
can roll a ball of each in your hand of the same size to determine equal parts. Mix thoroughly for 2 minutes until a uniform
colour is achieved. You can let it rest for 5 minutes for better
handling and you’re ready to go. You should use protective gloves while mixing,
preferably nitrile, not latex. With most epoxy clay products, you have 2
to 3 hours to work with it after mixing. It does vary per product and temperature can
affect this too. My clay hardened faster in the summer for
example. I usually finish working with my mixed clay
after about an hour. After that it becomes more difficult to make
any new shapes very smooth. But you can use the hardening process in your
favour. The clay is very sticky and soft in the beginning,
which makes it perfect to add it to larger surfaces like the cheeks of a face. Easily blend the edges with your fingers and
make the clay smooth with water. You can also use a wet paintbrush to smooth
areas that are hard to reach. Just make sure you clean your brushes properly
after use. Freshly mixed clay does not hold details like
carved lines well, but that becomes much easier if you wait an hour or so. Some epoxy clay products don’t smooth so
well with water, but the packaging will usually say what works best. Apoxie Sculpt works very well with water,
while for Apoxie Clay the Aves’ Safety Solvent is recommended. At first, I found the time pressure a bit
stressful. But I got used to it. Luckily, you don't have to make your whole
project out of one piece of mixed clay. You can do it bit by bit if you are not certain
you will manage to finish in time. I make my doll heads in at least 3 sessions. What I mean by that is that I let it harden
in between these sessions and then add fresh clay onto hardened clay. You don’t even have to let it harden the
full 24 hours before sculpting onto it again, but you should let if fully harden before
sanding. Here’s a tip for you. Always keep something on the side that you
can put your leftover clay on. Maybe you are taking longer to finish something
than you thought and the clay you mixed will soon become unusable. In doll making the solution is simple: have
an aluminum doll head base on the side to put these bits of clay on, even if it’s
just on the back of the head. We don’t want that precious clay going to
waste. If you are attached to your tools, be sure
to clean them with water and soap after use. The same goes for your hands. Just water and soap do the trick. It comes off very easily as long as you are
still in those first few hours after mixing. Piled up clay is less of an issue with metal
tools. Then you can also use some sandpaper to get
hard clay off. But if you’re using rubber shaping tools,
it’s important to clean them in time to not ruin them. Some people hate epoxy clay for this reason. I personally love it: the fact that I can
sand it and drill into it once it has hardened for 24 hours. If you take your time with sanding, you can
make it as smooth as porcelain. It does not chip, crack or flake. But yes, it does get dusty and wearing a mask
for a longer period of time can be uncomfortable. But you need to wear a proper mask or respirator
with the right filters. I recommend a respirator, because it offers
a lot more protection than single use masks. Plus, it looks cool. For sanding I simply use small pieces of sanding
paper. I have a small selection of different grains. Besides that, I also own a Dremel, a rotary
tool, also called a multi tool. It’s simply a machine that will spin whatever
bit you put into it, with different speed settings. If you want a tool like this, don’t be a
cheapskate and just get a Dremel. Really, it’s the best one out there and you want
something reliable. I mainly use these bigger sanding bits for
the bigger lumps and bumps. Besides that, I own various smaller ones that
I can use for small indentations and drilling smaller holes. Then finally, you can paint your work. With anything you like, yes anything. You don’t need a primer, but you can wash
your sculpture to get any oils from your hands and such off of it. I use acrylic paint myself and I love that
it even accepts watered down paint, unlike polymer clay. Now, let’s get into the comparison. Just a quick note is that my attitude towards
polymer clay is only based on my doll making experiences. I know that there are certain cool techniques
you do with polymer clay, like putting different colours on top on each other and then cutting
through it to reveal a satisfying pattern. You can’t really do that with epoxy clay. But in my comparison, I will only be focussing
on aspects important for sculpting and doll making in general. Let’s start on the positive notes for polymer
clay. Firstly, it comes in a wide range of colours. This means you can make many colourful pieces without paint. It's also readily available at most craft
stores. You will probably have to order your epoxy
clay online and there are not many colours available, so you will want to paint it most
of the time. Although, in my case, I also always painted
my polymer clay dolls. Another big advantage is that you can take
as long as you need with your piece of polymer clay. You bake it once you are ready. But this is where epoxy starts to triumph. As you do have to bake your polymer clay properly. If you don’t, your hard work can be ruined
or at least fragile or burnt. And I hated this process. I found it such a waste of time. Yeah, you have to wait for your epoxy clay
to harden, but I just work on something else. Or even on multiple pieces at once. And there is zero chance of shrinkage and
cracking. Besides that, your polymer piece also needs
to fit in your oven, which can be restricting. Your epoxy piece can be any size. You can paint epoxy clay with anything and
use any varnish. Paint adheres to it well and it is so strong
that it is chemically resistant. Polymer clay is not. It has trouble with watery paint, since it’s
like plastic once baked. And you cannot use certain chemicals on polymer
clay like most spray varnishes, nail polishes and permanent markers or a chemical reaction
will happen that can leave your piece sticky. Besides chemical resistance, epoxy clay is
also waterproof and freeze-thaw stable. Which means it can be outdoors in any climate. If you need to protect your paint as well,
you can use a UV protecting varnish on it. Fully hardened epoxy clay can even be put
in an aquarium, as it’s safe for fish. Polymer clay would never survive outdoors
and even in a sunny window it will lose its colour. Epoxy has strong adhesive powers, so you can
sculpt onto objects and onto itself without needing extra glue. And finally, but really the best feature of
it, epoxy clay is very strong. Epoxy resins are typically about three times
stronger than the next strongest resin type. When a doll of mine fell sideways on one of
her ears, part of the ear shell broke off, as it was only about 3 mm thick there. Whether a smaller piece will break, depends
on the amount of force and how that force is put on it. The weight of the head and the angle of the
ear hitting my desk, was the reason it broke off. I’ve occasionally dropped heads, shoes and hands, and so far, they have all survived. One head even falling right on the nose. And those hands I dropped are only 6 mm thick
at the ends. So I’m not saying epoxy clay is unbreakable,
but it’s so much stronger than other clays out there. If you want an even harder clay than Apoxie
Sculpt, go for Fixit or Fixit Sculpt, made by the same company. The price is a little higher, but you get
more strength and heat resistance for it. A last important note to make for the comparison
is about price. I’ve heard a lot of people say they think
epoxy clay is expensive. But for me personally, buying these big tubs
of Apoxie Sculpt came down to around the same price as buying the same weight in many, many
small FIMO clay packets. And that was with the cheapest FIMO clay I
could find. Now, although this might be different in your
country, due to import tax and such, just do the math and see for yourself. It might not be that bad. But even if it was more expensive, I would
still buy it. Or did you just skip through my video? I recommend buying epoxy clay from a reputable
brand like Aves. Aves is based in the USA, but sells worldwide. You can buy directly from the Aves website
or use the 'find a store' tab. A little tip for my fellow Europeans out there:
FormX has three locations in Europe and ships internationally. Links in the description. This video was not sponsored and at the moment
I do not make any money from my Youtube videos. So, if you would like to support me, consider
buying a doll from my Etsy shop or donating a few bucks to me through my website. Links are in the description. Thanks for watching and I hope you’ll check
out some of my other videos. They’re mostly about dolls and dollmaking. I hope to see you around. Bye.
