How to make your own version of MONSTER CLAY at home - homemade oil based clay
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ค. 2020
- Oil based clays and plastilina like Chavant, Monster Clay and Roma are popular alternatives to natural clays for sculptors, artists and industrial designers. It’s ability to hold fine detail, its resistance to shrinking and the fact it can be worked and reworked for many years without cracking make it a medium of choice for many creators. Unlike natural clays, oil based clays cannot be fired, their wax and oil content would cause them to melt. Instead a mould of a finished oil based clay creation is formed out of plaster or silicone which is then used to cast a bronze or resin art work.
Oil based clays are commonly made from a mix of oils, waxes and natural clays. Depending on the ratio and type of wax and oils, a firmer or more pliable clay can be created. Because of the addition of expensive waxes, oil based clays are commonly more expensive than their natural clay counterparts. Australia doesn’t have a big market for oil based clays, which means they’re expensive and hard to find. After spending hundreds of dollars on importing expensive oil based clays I decided to try making clays myself. This particular recipe resulted from mixing and testing over 60 combinations of clays, oils and waxes, and is my favourite quick and easy recipe when I need inexpensive bulk clay in a hurry.
Note: All prices in Australian Dollars
Make your own homemade version of MONSTER CLAY
Ingredients:
550g of Hard Moulding Wax (I like the red, hard moulding wax from www.barnes.com.au)
1100g of Bees Wax (bulk beeswax can be purchased for around $23 kg, but with so many people taking up home bee keeping I’m finding I can source bees wax quiet easily for less)
550g Vaseline (supermarket Vaseline is easy to find but if you’re serious buying bulk will save you even more money)
275g Baby oil
Powdered Ball Clay 2060g (the cheapest ingredient and easy to find in pottery supply stores)
Method:
Melt the oils and waxes together in a heavy saucepan being careful to not go over 80 degrees centigrade. A digital induction stove works easiest because you can set your stove to 80 degrees. Once melted add in clay and stir until all lumps are removed (approximately 10-15 minutes). Pour melted clay into silicone moulds and leave to set before use. In cool climates the clay can be reheated in a microwave or under lights to improve its malleability or liquified and poured into sculptural moulds.
A 4.5kg batch of oil based clay costs me approximately $50
Note: If you want a firmer clay like MONSTER CLAY HARD increase the ratio of wax in the recipe.
SAFETY POINTS!!
- When melting waxes and oils together, do not heat them above 80 degrees Centigrade or the waxes may burn releasing fumes.
- Wear a dust mask when handling powdered ball clay as the dust can cause damage to your lungs.
Michael Armstrong is an award winning Australian based artist who works in a variety of mediums including oil based clay. For more details about Michael and plenty of pictures of his work please check out the following sites:
www.michaelarmstrong.com.au
/ m1kearmstrong
/ m1kearmstrong
traderspace.io/en/spaces/mike...
Music Credits:
Flight to Tunisia by Causmic: / @causmic
Joker by Causmic: / @causmic - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
![BOWKYLION - ส่วนต่าง (do it without me) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7x-pwcMopzE/mqdefault.jpg)
You deserve an award for this. I made a huge batch last year and it's been working perfectly fine for me since. Never buying a block of OBC from the art store again.
I’m so glad to hear that you’re having great success with it
You could also throw in some crayons to colour the clay if needed, did that using just the black and white crayons and some gray, to get a nice gray colour which helps show the forms easier
That’s a great idea thank you
Looks beautifully smooth.
I still have a 32kg batch of homemade oil-clay from 8 years ago.The stuff keeps excellently for ages.
If it started to age at all I expect melting it down and throwing it back in a mould would help bring it back to life
Amazing I have been searching for this for years
I’m so glad I was able to help. I was looking myself and gave up to start experimenting to see if I could figure it out
Awesome recipe definitely gona save this 🥰
Thank you!
Hi Michael,Thanks a lot for recipe!
What can be used instead of hard moulding wax?
i can’t find the red wax here, can you tell me the replacement for it?
A microcrystaline wax would be a good place to start. I suggest you make a small batch and experiment with the ratios of bees wax and microcrystiline wax to make the clay either softer (beeswax heavy) or better for carving (microcrystiline wax heavy). Adding a small amount of Rosin can also increase the stickyness if you need to get the wax sticking to itself better. Good luck
Thank you for generously sharing this information!! Inspiration plus mate
No worries at, I really appreciate you reaching out to thank me though
Thank you so much
You’re very welcome
You are my hero 😮i can finally use this to make bigger sculptures
You're very welcome. You will need a good armature to support larger sculptures as the clay is great to work with but like all clay isn't structural. Good luck sculpting
Many thanks for sharing your recipe. I just made a small test batch. Over the last few months its been harder to get materials due to the lockdowns in the UK. I have had to use fullers earth instead of ball clay and the results are still amazing. Many thanks again, stay safe!
I’m so glad you like the recipe and are having some success with it. Yeah lockdown is hurting my art supplies and morale too. Thanks for letting me know about your success and I hope I get the chance to see what you produce. If you can send a picture to my Instagram DM
Will do. Thanks again.
Tried a version with limestone powder this week and managed to get some powdered ball clay. The limestone powder and fullers earth have a gritty feel compared to the ball clay. Ball clay seems the way to go. Can you give me idea if I want to smooth out what direction is best. Have tried turpentine not much luck. Many thanks.
Update. Turpentine seems to work. I did not allow enough time for it to eat into the surface.
Hi Michael, great recipe!
Thanks a lot for posting it. I’ve made this and it works very well.
But my clay turned out to be too sticky. How to control the stickiness? Should i try reducing the beeswax or petroleum jelly?
Reduce the petroleum jelly and let me know how that works. It should reduce the stickiness
The beat alone was worth staying for the video...👍👍
That’s cool man, you just gave a solution. But how can we proportionate the clay for medium and hard and also smooth?
Hi mate, you can adjust the ratio of wax and oils and that will change how hard it is. Increase the wax, the more hard it will be.
@@michaelarmstrong1910 how would you make it softer? add more baby oil or just put in less wax to start with and slowly add till you have a desired consistency..
Hi, Would you be able to suggest a method/recipe of this that would provide as matte a surface as possible?
Very cool ! And I love the music too . I usually am not a fan of the music on TH-cam videos. Lol . But this sounds cool. Thanks for the video . I was wondering if this would work . You confirmed it would 😊
Jennifer Liebo Hi Jennifer, I’m so glad you like the video and the music. I always spend a long time picking the music for my videos, I think the wrong music can ruin it. I’ve used this recipe to make many sculptures, it is a little softer once heated in the hand then monster clay but I did that deliberately because I like a more mailable clay. If you do give it a go please let me know how it goes
Michael Armstrong , You definitely have good taste in music. I’d be the same way if I made videos too. The wrong music can definitely ruin it . I’ve never even tried monster clay yet . Seems so expensive. Looks so fun to work with tho ! And I was thinking one could mix waxes into regular clay and possibly make it . Your video is so helpful! I’ll definitely let ya know how it goes when I try it . I’m wanting to make clay plants . My succulent collection got hit by spider mites . They survived, but it got me thinking that maybe I could make super realistic ones out of clay that won’t get bugs 🤣. I prefer pliable clay too. But I’m an amateur for sure . Maybe I’ll get good at it like you someday. Thanks for the reply. Have an awesome day 😊
Jennifer Liebo yeah very expensive and I was so disappointed with how it sculpted. Too hard for my hands on style of working
Michael Armstrong , I definitely don’t want anything too hard . I have carpal tunnel syndrome. And I also just hate it when clay is so hard you have to almost pull a muscle to work with it 🤣. I like a soft to medium clay . I was great with clay as a kid . I just used the cheap modeling clay for kids . But I once made a miniature potbelly stove out of clay that was so adorable. I made little stove eyes for it , knobs , and made mini baked potatoes wrapped in foil to put inside it. I left it on my dresser for years til it finally grew so nasty with dust that I tossed it . Or my mom may have tossed it . Haha. Even if it never hardens , you can keep clay sculptures for a long time . Especially with the spray shellack you showed in another video. I’m gonna try that too . Thank you 😊
Jennifer Liebo definitely don’t get monster clay. I absolutely love Chavant Le Beau Touché, I warm it beside my studio heater and find it wonderful to work with. I mirrored my recipe after it’s feel. Not as luscious as a natural clay but unfortunately I don’t have a routine that allows me to use natural clay.
Your work is truly amazing I just wonder how hard is it I mean if you compare to monster clay soft/medium/hard? And is there a solution to make it harder cause right now I have monster clay medium but I want to make it hard
Hi Andrei, thank you for the question. The version in the video is pretty close to the hardness of monster clay medium but if you adjust the ratio of waxes in the mix you can increase the hardness as high as you desire.
Hey! I can't thank you enough for this video. I managed to make the clay exactly the texture I wanted, but either due to a mistake or different location brands or something, the clay came out very sticky. It sticks to hard surfaces, even my fingernails. What would you add more of to make it less sticky? Petroleum jelly or baby oil? Ideally I want to make it less sticky but not softer.
well done for giving it a go. I would use a small amount of the clay and do some tests. I usually get rid of stickiness through the use of the clay filler. Add a small amount of powdered clay (measuring everything so you can be accurate when you do the big batch) and stir it in. You will need to re-melt the clay before you mix in the powder. The oil or jelly will soften the clay and probably won't improve the stickiness. If the addition of clay doesn't work, try adding some more bees wax. Let me know how you go
wow...even the resulting color looks pretty similar to monster clay.
Thanks Adrian, glad you enjoyed the video. The colour comes from the brand of casting wax I'm using combined with the clay which softens it slightly. I've not bothered to tint the clay any further but it's possible to potentially get any colour you like.
thank you for this cool idea ..
i want to ask how to harden the clay after finishing the sculpture ?
if you use wax that mean it will be soft in warm temperature ..
Hi, I’m glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for asking the question.
The clay will never harden because of both the wax and the oil content. Hardening is not the purpose of this type of clay, it’s actually designed to stay mailable so it can be worked over long periods of time without fear of shrinking or cracking. When I’ve finished a sculpture I will take a silicone mould of the form and then I can cast multiple castings in resin, or if I’m making bronzes I’ll cast wax forms for sending to the foundry.
If you want a clay that will harden you should look at earthen clay (for firing in a kiln), polymer clays that harden quickly over time once mixed or heat activated clays that harden in response to low levels of heat (oven or hair dryer).
I hope that helps, and thanks for the question.
Mike
@@michaelarmstrong1910 thank you so much for this informations .
Hello, thank you for your wonderful video, i really appreciate the great information you shared with us, i have a question here, can i use marble dust instead of ball clay?
i couldn't find ball clay here ,there are raw plastic material i can purchase but im not sure if they do what ball clay would do. thanks again :)
Hi, I've never tried using marble dust but I don't see why it wouldn't work. It might have additional texture in the resulting clay is all. I've used other powders like Kaolin Clay, Talcum Powder and Terracotta Clay (in a powder form) and they all worked. There were some variations in the final clay's texture. Please let me know how you go with the marble dust.
Hi! Which was the result of using kaolin clay?
Hi Michael, great tuto, great recipe, thanks so much, let me ask this, at end of your explain down '' Note: If you want a firmer clay like MONSTER CLAY HARD increase the ratio of wax in the recipe. '' Which one of these to be increased the ratio? Hard moulding wax or Bees Wax or both ? Thanks...
I would add extra of both but if you added only the moulding wax your final clay will will be better for carving, and if you added more beeswax it would be slightly softer. It really is a matter of finding the perfect balance for your needs
@@michaelarmstrong1910 Awesome, Thanks so much....
how does this stand up to heat, i sometimes use blowtorches to soft clay or when i was using chevant o had a crock pot filled with molten clay for some applications. does this stuff dissolve with iisopropyl alcohol like chavant does?
I use a microwave and a double boiler to soften or melt this clay for pouring. I’ve not used isopropyl alcohol on it so I can’t comment but from an ingredient perspective it should work
thats amazing!!!! u can make a robot out of that!!!!
Are there any good ways to stylize monster clay after a long use to remove bacterias?
Hi Anton, you can remelt the clay. If you take it to 80 degrees centigrade it remelts nicely and you can hold it at that temperature for 10 minutes or so to sterilise the clay if you're worried about contamination
Could i use hair waxing pellets in place of the hard moulding wax?
Oooh, interesting idea. I’ve never tested it but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Adjust the volume of oil if it’s too soft or hard
Hi, would corn starch work as a replacement for the ball clay?
i would assume no, but i dont see why youd want to replace it as at a good pottery shop you can get 5kgs for £10~
@@someth1ngs_f1shy35 unfortunately I don't live near any pottery stores that sell just the powdered form of clay. And I'm in the u.s. and shipping rates are high
@@smiley.exe.5928 i see, i have heard that you can use talcum powder in the comments here, so maybe try that, but i havent tried it myself! michael has said he has done it and made it work.
Nice music Mike!
Thanks Anna, it came from the TH-cam open source selection. And your comment kindly reminded me to add in the music credits which I forgot :)
super video thank you Michael Armstrong i subcribe
I'm really glad you enjoyed it and thank you for subscribing. Let me known if there's anything you're particularly interested in seeing in a video
Would I be able to replace the powder ball clay with something like talc? I’m trying to do different colors for stop motion. Thank you!
I’ve made the clay with talc and it works fine, smells like babies though 🤣
im in the USA and i can not find ball clay anywhere or clay powder for that matter. There are no local shops in my area. What else can i use? Hydrated lime? gypsum powder? Thanks
Thanks for the question. In the US I believe you can get bags of Slip Clay in its powdered form, that will be perfect. Failing that Bentonite Clay (which you can get from WALMART), Kaolin Clay and if you can't get any of those I've even tried Talcum Powder and found that I can get it to work with that. The filler ingredient isn't as important as the waxes and oils I've found. I've not tried gypsum or lime but I would worry about some of their alkaline qualities (from my understanding they have them and I'm not sure what effect they would have). I hope this helps and best of luck in your experiments. Mike
Would pure paraffin be an OK replacement for moulding wax?
Paraffin is quite brittle in the mix and doesn’t sculpt very well. You would probably have to increase the level of beeswax to compensate
Greetings Form Germany and thank you for the Tutorial! I already tried it Out but my end product was not as good as yours... Perhaps you know why it went wrong?
I used everything you did execpt for the Clay Powder. I Had a Lot of leftover Clay that was dry so i i grinded it as fine as i was able to.
After melting all the waxes and oil together i added my Clay and as Long as i stirred it was one mass.
When i tried to Put it in a Form the Clay sunk to the bottom of the Form and the wax became a layer on the top of the Clay, Like oil With water.
It was very finely grinded but i assume it was still to heavy? The Powder you use is probably lighter?
I still managed to get it to Work because i waited for the wax to became a little Bit Harder again while still Fluid and then i stirred it together again. That worked even though my Version appears to be softer than yours.
One Last question. You say If i want a Harder Clay i have to use a greater wax Ratio.
Only the hard moulding wax or the bee wax as Well?
Thank you for giving it a go and posting your experience, I’ll have a think and respond shortly to let you know what I think went wrong
I wonder if there was moisture in the clay still even though it felt dry? And perhaps the size of the particles matter like you suggest, you could pass them through a sieve. I’ve experimented with using other powders like talcum powder which is pretty easy to get and worked fine for the clay. Also don’t let the clay mix get too hot, that could cause the particles to separate, but also importantly the wax can burn and release smoke
@@michaelarmstrong1910 i did use a digital induction stove and never went over 80 degress but maybe i should check the displayed temperature separately to be sure. At least there was no smoke. I used a noodle sieve but it was'nt as fine as a powder, perhaps next time i should get a finer one.
As for dryness that could be a reason. Next time maybe i put it in the oven at a low temperature for a while to get possible leftover moisture out or put it in a metal container and use several candle lights for several hours, like the ones you use to keep chinese food warm at the Restaurant.
Last question. For harder clay you say i need a greater wax ratio. Hard moulding wax and bee wax or only hard moulding wax?
@@lazydownable I've found that the temperature you have the induction stove set to and the actual temperature at the base of the stove is two different things. I stir a lot to try and minimise this discrepancy but I have still burnt some wax when I initially started making clay and I now always work outside to be sure.
I think drying your clay out in the oven sounds like a good plan before putting it through a sieve.
I usually keep the ratio of moulding wax and bees wax the same when I add more wax. They both provide different characteristics that I like in my clay. If you like you can tweak these ratios to get a different feel from your final clay. Some people like to carve their clay, I tend to build with my clay which is why I like it a little softer.
I did not do the receipe but here a bit of a answer, when you do a soil test measuring the amount of clay, sand and organic maters ect the clay can stand up in the water of a bottle for a barely full day when every thing else is deposit to the bottom fairly quickly and the organic maters is mostly floating that lead me to this.
Some clay are not exactly clay, some contain more limestone or silicon etc but not exactly clay.
real clay have specific property that lime stone or silicon do not have, clay is kinda "complicated inter-connected micro sheets" of stone who can hide in is "micro pocket a lot by proportion of water by volume. And that give clay the property of stand way longer in water before deposit. So it maybe the same in wax.
may this is something to think about.
Seems like when you push it between your fingers it kinda crumbles like wax. Not sure tho if it’s because it’s still cold or because this is how it is always. Monster clay doesn’t do that. And I’d like to ask you how is the texture? Is it sleek oily and kinda sticky like the chavant nsp or doesn’t leave any residue to your hands like the monster clay?
Great observation Stelios, yes when it as first come out of the mould and worked for the first time it lacks a little elasticity. Once I condition it by kneading, it develops elasticity and the crumbling disappears. It was also quite cool in the studio when I filmed that clip, the colder the clay the more brittle it behaves. It is a softer clay than Monster clay which has a higher wax content and is more suited to carving. I like a clay that feels more like Chavant which this does. I've written more details in my blog if you're interested, www.michaelarmstrong.com.au/blog/make-your-own-homemade-monster-clay-and-start-sculpting . Remember this is a cheaper alternative for people who find it hard to get their hands on oil based clay or are charged ridiculous sums for it. In Australia it was costing me $67 per tub of Monster clay plus $20 postage. I still use Chavant clay for some projects, but I have successfully sculpted and moulded 1/3 scale figures with this clay and exhibited them. I hope this helps, Mike
Michael Armstrong actually I started some days ago making my
First head sculpture on chavant and I hate it already. It’s so sticky and gets in all of the crevices of your fingers and your nails and you just can’t take it off. Also I think maybe the elasticity seems to be better on chavant but the monster clay because it is harder than chavant as well as less sticky it’s so much better for carving in details and for sketching while you go on the surface of the clay with a pin point tool. I’m thinking of getting some wax to add inside it maybe some microcrystalline wax to make it slightly harder and also make it less sticky. Do you think it will work? Actually I bought the chavant because it’s cheaper as well as because it was the only one readily available one in the shop I bought it from . Mostly I want to try making some classical Hellenistic type of sculptures for making mound and maybe making a bronze casting out of them some day in the future. Thanks a lot for the reply Michael I really appreciate that you took the time to reply me and tell me your opinion and your reasons on your choice of materials and you contribute a ton with your blog and your videos in the new generation of artists as well as the old ones I guess that want to make something better. Keep up the good work.
Stelios Kapet hi Stelios, what type of Chavant are you using? I like the chavant Le Beau Touché HM clay. It still gets under my nails every time I use it but it feels a lot more like traditional earth clay which I sculpt in too. They’re both more mailable and soft. I use a can of spray air (from jaycar) to freeze the clay when it gets too sloppy, especially when working details. It firms up the clay instantly and allows you to work again. Does sound like you prefer a carving style approach though which likes a firmer clay. I’ve never mixed Chavant with more wax, but I see no reason why that wouldn’t work. Microcrystalline would be suitable and it’s reasonably priced. Please let me know how it goes, sounds like an interesting experiment
Michael I didn’t get the le beau touché because you can’t melt it. I got the nsp.. I did also many things on natural clay and I think my favorite ones should be the natural red earth and the red earth from Italy the one that’s green at first. But I like that it’s getting harder as time passes to the point that I can use a shinny object to like they call it burnish it and make it nearly like marble . But I hated it when after I made a nice model portrait the other day it got a crack because I had the smart idea to put a wooden stick for armature in it and well as it got dry it just cracked on the neck and I put some water on it hoping I can soften it again. Stupidly I let it with the water in a bag. Next thing I know is it looks as if it was vandalized by someone ! Completely melted . And well if it gets dry you just can’t stick a fresh piece of clay on some place that you noticed you made something slightly small or shallow for some strange reason. This is why I chose to start using oil based clay. (I’ve seen the spray air trick before it looks fun. )
I’ll give it a try maybe making a mixture of 25% microcrystalline wax and 75% clay for a start and hopefully it will turn out ok maybe if this is not good enough I’ll add some 5% bees wax and 5% paraffin. If it’s needed I’ll add some baby oil in it to make it more sleek if it breaks too easily . Let’s see how it goes.
Stelios Kapet your experience with earthen clay is heart breaking, and the same reason why I switched to oil based clay too. I will only use natural clay when I’m working through to completion and then immediately taking a mould. I don’t like the NSP as much, the smell bugs me too 🤣. Good luck with the experiment
Very good video,but may i know the names of materials you used sir?
Hi Totoy, thanks for commenting and the question. I’ve got a blog post that goes into a bit more detail and should give you the information you need. Let me know if you have any further questions. www.michaelarmstrong.com.au/blog/make-your-own-homemade-monster-clay-and-start-sculpting
Hello, I watched your monster clay homemade video on youtube, what kind of wax is the hard molding wax mentioned there, exactly? I couldn't find the exact equivalent in Turkey and would a normal candle work for me? Can you explain the properties of the candle a little more?
You need to find a microcrystalline wax to get the pliability you need. Candle wax won’t work as well
@Michael Armstrong I get it, is another name for the candle you mentioned as paraffin candle?
I don't have complete knowledge about this subject, I think paraffin wax is also called microcrystalline wax! Monster clay is very expensive due to exchange rates. Thank you.
have u tried making it with paraffin ?
Looks like you got that formula down well
Thank you, it took many, many attempts 😁
Can you tell me how to make slip for monster clay
Can you confirm what you mean please? If you mean how do I make a liquid like slip from this clay all you need to do is gently microwave it in a pyrex container, stir, and it will pour into a mould like heated monster clay.
How hard? I'm looking for a chavant nsp hard replacement. Any ingredient to achieve that consistency?
Hi, this should be pretty close to the same hardness of chavant. If you increase the ratio of wax content, that will increase the hardness of the final clay
I'd call this a pretty good start. If I were to do this, I think I'd leave out the hard molding wax
Kurt Simmons hi Kurt, if you were to leave out the hard moulding wax what would you replace it with? Increase the bees wax?
@@michaelarmstrong1910 - Mind you, I've never done this before, but yes, that was the idea
If you didn't mention it though, I might have forgotten to replace it with the beeswax
Kurt Simmons the beeswax adds a lovely soft texture to the clay which is great for moulding with your hands. The moulding wax as a touch of stickiness which is useful and a firmness that allows details to be carved into it. This recipe suits my preferences but definitely make a batch that suits your way of working. Please let me know how you go
@@michaelarmstrong1910 Will Do!
could it be done with a plaster instead of clay?
Hi Anton, you wouldn't be able to use plaster. Any moisture, and the heating process would interact with the plaster and cause stability problems with the clay at the very least. I would avoid plaster, lime, cement or anything else that's not chemically stable.
They sell 3 different types. What would you add to make it the "hard" version?
adjust the ratio of wax and oils to increase the hardness. This version is pretty close to the Chavant Le Beau Touche HM version
New subscriber... What is that white powder?
The white powder is ball clay, it’s essentially dry clay I buy from the ceramic store. I’ve experimented with other powders like talcum powder, kaolin and course clay. I like the ball clay, good texture and cheap when you buy bulk
Can we bake this clay?
No. It would just melt. It's designed for taking a mould from and not firing
How can i make it a harder texture?
Hi Suzite, great question. If you increase the ratio of wax it will become harder and require carving as opposed to the softer mailable recipe I’ve used.
does it also work with Candle Wax?
Candles can be made by many types of wax. Soy and paraffin are quite common as they’re cheap. They behave very differently though. Soy is soft with a low melt point and paraffin is a hard wax with higher melting point. What this means is yes, candle wax can work, but depending on what type of wax it is will change how hard it can become
@@michaelarmstrong1910 Thank you very much! :3
Is it still worth it to do it this way from a pricing persepctive? You wrote 50 bucks for 4.5 kg, but that was 2 years ago, with all increasing in pricing, think the ressources cost now more aswell?
I come from Germany and the cheapest Monster Clay I get is 42 Euros for 2.5kg. Quite expensive stuff, but it only increased 3 euros over the past years. Would be really interesed if you could answer this. Also, is there a shop where I can get all those ressources for this receipt?
Greetings!
Hi Matthias, the most expensive ingredient for me to buy in Australia is bees wax. When I made this video I was spending about $28 per kg on bees wax, it's gone up to between $32-$35 per kg at the moment. Everything else is pretty cheep when brought in bulk. I look at the price of the bees wax and if it's still cheaper than the cost of Chavant or Monster Clay by weight then I know I'm saving money to make it myself. I can't recommend a supplier for Europe unfortunately as I've never brought these supplies from there. The cost of shipping would be excessive for me.
I also plan to update the video soon and provide an updated price too
what can i use to replace the beeswax its so expensive
I’ve swapped out beeswax for other cheaper waxes but I find that the resulting clay loses its flexibility and elasticity. I’m still experimenting and if I find a cheaper alternative I will post
@@michaelarmstrong1910 I’m just looking for something short term so anything will do it’s just oil based clay is too expensive
@@weareyourtest6029 any microcrystalline wax added instead of beeswax will work. Some like paraffin are very cheap are quite brittle. Soy wax will give you some good savings and reasonable flexibility. Let me know how you go.
Yeah it’s very expensive to buy oil based clay. It’s why I started exploring recipes myself
@@michaelarmstrong1910 it can be used powdered Kaolinite or Bentonite clay instead of powdered ceramic clay.
@@se2881 Yes, I've used Kaolinite and Bentonite clay and even just talcum powder
Any other oil can I use .??
Instead of baby oil .
any oil will work - I've experimented with a wide range of types. The reason why I use baby oil is it won't go rancid like vegetable oil will.
@@michaelarmstrong1910 searching oil clay from many years .
I m from India and here no oil clay found at any store . Love from India 🇮🇳.
Few month ago I mix hard wax , bike engine oil and French chalk powder but it remains hard .
@@microangelo97 Interesting combination of ingredients you have combined there. I wonder if the ratio is off. More oil, less wax. Then gradually add the clay into the melted wax/oil until you have a slurry. Let it set to test how pliable it is once you work it. Clay will be quite hard when it's freshly set out of the mould. I have to heat it in my hand and work it between my fingers to get it elastic and ready to sculpt with it.
Can i use Limestone powder (White Marble Powder) instead of Ball clay??
Hi Shahroz, I’m not sure having never tried it. I have used a variety of other powders and they all worked so I don’t see why limestone wouldn’t. You could try it with a small amount of the wax and oil mixture and see how it feels once set then kneaded smooth. Good luck and let me know how you go
@@michaelarmstrong1910 Yeah actually i bought the ball clay powder, but i am trying to increase the wax and oil.With coconut oil .
Because Linseed oil or Coconut oil Contain 8% STEARIC ACID which helps to stay smooth and little bit more firm which mineral oils and petroleum oils do not..Once i will begin to mix ..i will tell you the results.
@@Fortle that’s an excellent idea. I have tried coconut oil in my early batches but because it has a limited shelf life I switched to mineral based oils. I do have steric acid that I’ve tracked down and brought separately as an additive but I haven’t experimented with it yet
@@Fortle thank you Shahroz, I’m so glad it worked out. I would love to see your ratios
@@michaelarmstrong1910 how can i send you the picture and details about the ratio
Hi have tried making it only one problem it is flacking how to repair
what do you mean by 'flacking'
Do oil and petroleum jelly not fulfill the same task? One of them is not enough?
good question but I find that when I produced a clay with either one or the other it wasn't as good as the combination of the two. I'm not a chemist so I don't understand why that would be the case
Ok i knew you have to heat it to make it soft ,How to turn it harder again any solutions?
It will harden as it cools, I use a can of spray air I get from an electronics store that will rapidly chill the clay if I need it really hard for details
is that powdered ball clay natural earth clay
Yes it is. I’ve experimented with talcum powder, kaolin clay powder but neither had any advantage over the ball clay powder. Just get whatever natural clay powder you can find as the body. As long as it is evenly ground it’ll be fine
How can I make monster clay using the wax from Babybel cheese as a base?
I’d say it was good on its own but if there’s a way I can make it not leave my hands sticky then that would be awesome.
@@brare45996 That's such a cool idea Marilyn. I would have to experiment with the wax to work out why it's sticky, it could be that it has too much oil in it's wax oil ratio. If I get a chance I'll give it a go and post something
@@michaelarmstrong1910 Thanks for replying, this is gonna be awesome! 😁 I also have crayons I can add in, I wonder if that would be beneficial
@@brare45996 crayons would definitely add colour to your clay. They should also firm up the clay
@@michaelarmstrong1910 The wax is already red, so I doubt it will be reliable in coloring it
Many thanks for sharing this!
I have made a small batch and it is working very well.
I just have some questions.
What does vaseline and baby oil contribute to the performance of the clay?
Natural clay powder can damage the lungs ??
How much material do you need to buy to be cheaper than Monster Clay, Degas, J-Mac etc?
Clay contains silica that causes lung damage when inhaled. Once water is added and there is no risk of airborne dust it is safe again
The answer to that depends on how much those clays cost you in your location. In Australia they’re very very expensive. This homemade version from memory costs me about $10 per kg. In Australia monster clay is about $30 per kg. I do have some savings because I buy my ingredients in bulk. Beeswax is the most expensive ingredient
@@michaelarmstrong1910 Yes, but how much time do you have to work in dust? Probably a few years (professionally). And you can not use ordinary clay (not powder)?
@@michaelarmstrong1910 So the only condition for any savings is to buy ingredients in large packages like in the movie ?. The only thing that worries me is the fragility and dryness of your version. Maybe more of this baby oil should be given?
@@Gawron.. www.segelovtaylor.com.au/mesothelioma-dust-diseases/silicosis-and-other-dust-diseases/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlMPUspK27wIVDtiWCh1VOQ-7EAAYASAAEgLYMfD_BwE
The structure is drier, brittle and less smooth like Monster Clay etc.
It appears more brittle when first out of the mould. Once worked and heated in your hand it becomes smooth and flexible
@@michaelarmstrong1910 I don't see it in the film. I was looking for another movie with this clay on your channel but it's not.Then it becomes greasy and stretchy like Monster Clay???
In latinamerica we call it plasticera. I believe an argentinian sculptor cmae up with it and gave away the recipe to help the community.
no es nada parecido a la plasticera, tiene una textura muy diferente.
can i use paraffin wax
I use a portion of paraffin wax amongst other waxes but I have found that using only paraffin produces a brittle inflexible clay
I want to eat it
lol, I have made a non toxic safe to eat version of this clay but it is more expensive and has a shorter shelf life of two years so I stopped producing it
Looks like chocolate
Not wasting my time where the content creator is either unwilling or unable to speak and articulate their process.
Thank you!