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Activa's
LI-QUA-CHÉ "A Doll Makers' Dream Come True" |
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| COLLEEN'S
ARTICLE Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 COLLEEN'S PDF DOWNLOADS
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Pour the LI-QUA-CHÉ into
the mold right to the top of the pour hole. Set a timer for six or eight minutes and drain
when timer goes off. Leave the mold upside down to empty. You can pour LI-QUA-CHÉ from
1/8th to 1/4th of an inch thick or greater and it seems to works well at most all
thicknesses. My preference is 1/4th inch thick because this is thin enough for lightness
which is important if you’re making angels or something you want to pose easily, yet
still heavy enough to be sturdy. The head I repeatedly dropped was 1/4 inch thick and it
held up extraordinarily well In general open the mold approximately 8 minutes after draining. Leave it open, exposed 3 to 6 minutes before taking the piece out. Begin to clean immediately if you are going to do it while it’s wet. This is what I strongly recommend, as it’s much easier to clean when wet. These times are an average. You will need to experiment a bit to see what works best in your area. Weather and humidity could make it take less or longer. Allowing the piece to rest in the mold while it dries a few minutes makes for less "squishing" out of shape. I wiggle the piece slightly as soon as I open it, just enough to tell if it s loose and not sticking anyplace. It is ready to take out when you can pick up the piece and it will rest on itself without squishing or sagging. (i.e. back of head, top of head, neck ) Be careful, this requires some "patience" to get the timing right. The head is not dry at this point, just dry enough to retain it’s shape. |
Complete drying takes
about 24 hours if you let the piece sit out in a warm room. But for those of you, (like
me!) impatient to get started, there are a few things you can do to speed up the process.
Set the piece on an open oven door with the oven turned to 275o F or place the
piece out in the backyard where the hot sun and a breeze can dry it. I haven’t
actually tried the microwave yet but I will. Let me know if you do and what kind of
results you get. You can tell when the piece is dry enough to work on by wrapping it in a
paper towel and cupping it in your hands for about ten seconds. If the piece is dry, when
you open your hands the paper towel will still be dry and crisp. If
it’s not quite dry, the paper towel will be slightly limp and damp.
Here again, it takes a little practice to get the feel for this but you’ll get it,
just be patient with yourself while you learn. I prefer to do my cleaning right when I take the piece out of the mold. This takes less work because the clay is still wet and pliable. I use a scalpel because it’s faster and much easier. But keep in mind if you choose to use one, though easier, there is less room for error. They are very, very sharp and any regular ceramic cleaning tool will work. Keep a small container of water nearby to frequently rinse the build-up from your tool. Also wipe the blade on a towel each time you rinse so you won’t transfer water back to the piece and smear. Go to Next Page |
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