Is this Celluclay Dry?

daveinthehat wrote:

I had some stay wet for about a month. I cut it apart and it was dry on the outside and still the same as when I put it down on the inside. Maybe poke some vent holes in it to let the water eveporated more. I decided not to use it anymore, because it takes forever to dry.

Listen guys, here's a trick for helping Celluclay dry faster:

     First, NEVER mix it up to  "oatmeal" consistency--I mix mine so it's just shy of spackle consistency; I add water a teeny bit at a time, and knead it thoroughly to make sure it all absorbs as much as possible. Secondly, remember that acrylic paint, white glue, etc, is ALL water-based! Therefore, when adding it, take into account that it ALL "counts" as "water".

     When I mix mine up, I always spoon the whole mess of it out onto a big piece of wedding veil lace (available at any craft store) or any suitably small-mesh material, and then bundle it up and SQUUUUUUEEEEEZZZE the excess water/glue/paint out of it. Otherwise it does take a lot longer. The water is what extends the drying time, and also what causes the shrinkage.

     Also, do whatever you can to eliminate the depth of Celluclay that you put down--like, use hard green potting foam--which is easy to sculpt--if you're making a lot of ground variation, and then spread the C-clay over it like icing.

     I also will "bake" mine in the oven at as low a heat as possible--or better yet, put it in the sun.

     I've had very few issues with Celluclay using these methods. The only issue I've had is forgetting to adequately water-seal my bases occasionally, which can cause warpage.

     Good luck, and hope this helped!   

I ended up painting it just shortly after I posted the question.  Other than the color, it seemed dry.  I don't know if the celluclay had anything to do with it, but the base warped badly.  I used MDF for the base, with a thick coat of spray on primer to seal it.  It didn't work, because it bowed severly.  I'm going to press on with the build. It will be nice just to have the figures, tank and layout all worked out.  I'll redo the base later.  This is going to continue to be a learning experience. 

Semper Fi,

Chris 

I've never has a problem with it not drying in under 48 hrs.  Yet, I never lay more than 1/4'.

Steve 

I had some stay wet for about a month. I cut it apart and it was dry on the outside and still the same as when I put it down on the inside. Maybe poke some vent holes in it to let the water eveporated more.

I decided not to use it anymore, because it takes forever to dry. 

I personally LIKE Shep's bad oatmeal, so I dont know WHAT he is talking about!!! \

Actually after mixing in my white glue ( I use a LOT of it to get it to stick) out in the desert with no humidity I have had it go for days with those dark grey spots remaining. They alway seemed to collect at the lowest/ thinnest spots, maybe the white glue has something to do with how it dries.

Give it a few more days and seal it with a good coat of white glue.

David

The general "rule of thumb" is, if you put your hand on it and it feels substantially cooler than "room temperature", it's still evaporating and not completely dry. If it doesn't feel cool, it's dry.

Hope this helps... 

Thanks Steve,

I'll go ahead and move on.  If it starts pulling up in a couple of months, then I'll just make a new one.

Semper Fi,

Chris

After a week, I'll bet that it's ready. I could be wrong, but I don't think that it would make too much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. I'd move on.

I like what you've got started.

Steve