Query? - Sealing Clay

Hello all,

Came across your group today.

Can anybody help?

I'm casting in epoxy resins that take on the textures and characteristics of the material used in creating the model and am seeking a 'simple' viable solution.

Is there a easy to use, inexpensive substance that could be used to 'coat & seal' modeling clay, to give it a glassy smooth surface - in preparation for creating a silicone mold?

Wax is wonderful to work with but doesn't quite do it, glaze has its problems as well.

Hmmm, just had a thought... ...Liquid soap. Anybody tried this?

Any suggestions?

TIA

[You don't say what sort of clay you're using. For water-based clay, shellac is traditionally used for this purpose. Oil-based clay can affect the cure of the rubber, so sealants are sometimes used. Spray-fix, hairspray, and lacquer in a can (all basically the same thing) are most usual. ]

[Liquid soap is my personal favorite release. It comes off things the easiest. You can use it on top of the sealants mentioned above, or all by itself. I prefer the pharmaceutical green soap, or 'potter's soap' as a solution or tincture, but most liquid dish-washing soaps (not the kind for automatic machines, though) work fairly well if applied thinly and left to dry first before applying rubber.]

Andrew Werby

Thanks Andrew,