SUPPLIES
- Newspaper
- 2 buckets
- Wooden spoon
- Electric drill with paint mixer attachment
- Bagged clay
- Wooden paint stirrer
- Wire strainer
- Bleach
- Drying rack
Overview
When a sculpture has a crack, sometimes it can be repaired with paper clay. A mixture of wet clay, water and newspaper pulp, paper clay is simple and inexpensive to make. After the clay is prepared, use it to patch small- to medium-sized cracks in sculptures that appear to have only superficial damage. This clay is not appropriate for reassembling broken items but is good filler material.
Step 1
Tear newspaper into strips that are about 1/2 inch thick and put them in a bucket, filling it about halfway. Pour hot water over the newspaper strips until the paper can't soak up any more liquid, stirring it with a wooden spoon to mix it thoroughly. Allow the paper to soak for several minutes, then mix it with an electric drill fitted with a paint mixer attachment until it creates a thin, well-mixed pulp.
Step 2
Throw two to three handfuls of bagged wet clay into the second bucket. Add warm water, stirring, until the mixture is about the consistency of yogurt. Use the electric drill fitted with the paint mixer attachment to blend the water and clay until the mixture is completely smooth.
Step 3
Scoop up the paper pulp from the first bucket and place it in a fine mesh strainer. Drain out excess water, then add the pulp to the clay mixture, stirring with a paint stirrer. Add about a teaspoon of bleach to the mixture to keep the paper from rotting and deter bacterial growth. Blend the mixture with the electric paint mixer until the paper pulp is thoroughly combined with the clay. The mixture will be thick and stiff.
Step 4
Allow the paper clay to rest for about 15 minutes, then mix it again with the electric paint mixer.
Step 5
Remove the paper clay from the bucket and dry it on a rack. Store the dried paper clay in airtight, sealed containers until it's time to patch the sculpture.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : If mold appears on the dried clay, spray it with a weak mixture of bleach and water.
Resources
