![\"celluclaypackage1\"](\"http:\/\/fichtenfoo.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/celluclaypackage1.png\" "\\"celluclaypackage1\\"")
So a few weeks ago, a friend and I were chatting via AIM and he asked me about Celluclay as he’d never used it before. The conversation ended up being worth my saving to write a tutorial on but I figured the conversation itself is as much of a tutorial as any! The following is a conversation we had with the names changed and spelling fixed.<\/p>\n
Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span> (3:26:53 PM): where do you get your celluclay from?<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:27:27 PM): Michaels<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:27:35 PM): oh yea?<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:27:42 PM): cool, I need to go there today<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:27:53 PM): don’t think I’ve ever gotten it elsewhere<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:27:53 PM): lol<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:28:39 PM): oh cool<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:28:48 PM): how does it work? I’ve never used it<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:28:51 PM): does it get hard?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:29:03 PM): oh jeez… welcome to the learning curve<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:29:07 PM): haha<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:29:18 PM): well, I’ve worked with some pretty nasty clay<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:29:25 PM): it’s really not an easy thing to work with<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:29:28 PM): hahah<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:29:30 PM): woo!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:29:50 PM): ok… first off it’s a fibery powder. Gray.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:30:07 PM): you need to add water according to the directions, but you can throw them out<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:30:45 PM): Basically pour as much clay as you’ll need to a 1\/4″ layer into some sort of mixing container. Let’s say 1 cup of celluclay.<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:31:19 PM): then add about 1\/4 cup of water (with a drop of dish soap) a good splooge of white glue<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:31:33 PM): themix it as dry as you can so you might need more or less water<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:32:15 PM): smooth it over your surface Thin layers is best as it stays wet for a while and while wet can transfer its moisture to your wood thus warping it<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:32:35 PM): put it in the sun or in front of a heater vent<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:32:41 PM): whatever you have in CA<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:32:45 PM): LOL<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:32:49 PM): we don’t have the sun here<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:32:55 PM):<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:33:21 PM): hmmm<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:33:30 PM): sounds interesting<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:33:38 PM): is it workable after its dry?<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:33:40 PM): now one thing people end up with is weird peaks and valleys from their fingers. Wet your hands and smooth the celluclay out as flat as possible, then take a stiuff wet brush and stipple it… stipple it around rocks and such to blend them in<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:33:59 PM): keep a dish of water to keep your figers wet as the celluclay is sticky…<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:34:05 PM): cool<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:34:15 PM): oh and while first mixing it, it’ll seem very dry then smooq<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:34:18 PM): wet<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:34:25 PM): so add water a little at a time<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:34:33 PM): crazy stuff<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:34:36 PM): yeah<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:34:38 PM): I figured it was just clay<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:34:42 PM): like I said… learning curve<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:34:43 PM): not some magic powder<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:34:45 PM): nooooo<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:34:53 PM): its a powdered paper mache<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:35:01 PM): ahhh<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:35:01 PM): and when dry it’s like freaking concrete<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:35:10 PM): hahah<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:35:22 PM): OH… watch for it shrinking when drying, especially around edges<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:35:27 PM): k<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:35:49 PM): seriously… it’s been 7-8 years working with the stuff and I just recently consider myself to be “skilled” i its use<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:35:57 PM): hehe<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:36:02 PM): do some tests first<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:36:07 PM): yea, it sounds very tedious<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:36:16 PM): I wonder if I am better off just using hydrocal<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:36:29 PM): it’s great once you get the hang of it… not really THAT scary… I just want you to know the bad things so you can avoid them<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:36:38 PM): it’s definitely worth trying<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:36:43 PM): cool<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:36:46 PM): what’s hydrocal?<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:36:52 PM): um, fancy plaster<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:36:56 PM): and it is clay like<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:37:04 PM): oh, no… celluclay is better<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:37:08 PM): k<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:37:20 PM): I have a spare little box I got from Michaels<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:37:24 PM): I can practice on that<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:37:27 PM): you can mold it, texture it, etc… it’s like working with a wad of sticky wet TP<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:37:32 PM): hah!<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:37:39 PM): that sounds perfect then<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:37:44 PM): probably the best way to describe it<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:37:47 PM): yeah<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:37:51 PM): I need to make a little cliff and stuff<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:37:57 PM): so this sounds good<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:37:58 PM): now I need to save this conversation for a tutoorial<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:37:59 PM): lol<\/p>\n Other Modeler<\/strong><\/span>(3:38:03 PM): yes1<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:38:16 PM): mixing some sand in it or small rocks is also nice depending on the look you want<\/p>\n FichtenFoo<\/strong><\/span> (3:38:56 PM): the “wet water” aka water + soap helps it mix better and the glue helps it stick to the surface and hold whatever you apply or mix in<\/p>\n So that’s it in a nutshell. I think it’s a decent primer on how to start using the stuff and the modeler had success with it after the assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n