iam making salt dough.?

Question

i am going to try to make salt dough. i was wondering if i can use that to make things to put on wind chimes. if people are going to use them outside than do i have to put anything special on them to be outside. like will the stuff mold or will it fall apart??

Answer 1

Most air-dry clays will eventually react with water and moisture so you'd have to seal them really well as mentioned (critters love salt dough clay too... so another reason to seal well, especially in storage).

"Polymer" clays, and some other clays, are extremely water-resistant though and can definitely be used outside or for wind chimes (no sealer necessary).
As for sound, they won't really "chink" like ceramic clays or metal would though ...they'd have more of a dull-ish thump, sort of like wood.

If you want to use a polymer clay though, I wouldn't advise Sculpey** because it's more breakable in any thin or projecting areas after baking than other stronger brands of polymer clay (like Premo, FimoClassic, Kato, Cernit, and to some extent FimoSoft... look for them at craft stores, art supply stores, and/or online).
It would be possible to use an armature of some kind under Sculpey though to strengthen it some --anything which could stand the heat of about 275 degrees F for about 20 minutes... metals, wire mesh, wood and many other natural materials, glass or ceramic, even some plastics).

(**original white or terracotta Sculpey in boxes, flesh-colored SuperSculpey in boxes, and colored Sculpey III in small bars)


If you're interested in making wind chimes from polymer clay, and also using them outside, you can find some info on both those things on this page at my website:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/outdoor_snowglobes_fountains.htm
(click on "More Outdoor Items," then scroll down a bit to the info on windchimes)

You might also want to read the section on another page that deals with making "mobiles" with polymer clay since many of the principles would be the same:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/sculpture.htm
(click on "Other Items to Sculpt," then scroll down a few screenfuls to the info on making mobiles)

HTH,

Diane B.

Answer 2

I agree mostly with the above poster. Salt dough CAN be used for outside-type things, but you have to seal it really, really well with polyurethane. Even then, it may not hold up to the elements (depending on where you live-- a house in the desert would be different than a house in Seattle). You'd be better off using something like Sculpey, which is a clay you can easily bake in your oven. You can buy it at most craft stores, Wal-Marts and the like for about two dollars. You can get it pre-colored or in a large block of paintable white. It's lightweight, cheap and much more resiliant than salt dough. Good luck!

Answer 3

Things made with salt dough should not be exposed to water. Consider using plaster of paris or baked clay instead.