FIMO
Encyclopedia
Fimo is a name for a brand of polymer clay
made by German
company Staedtler
(STAEDTLER Mars GmbH & Co. KG). Fimo is sold worldwide. Its main U.S. competitor is the American brand Sculpey
. The material comes in many different colors; there are many finishes to choose from, and even a softener to use with it because it can be hard to work. It is used for making many things, including jewellery, accessories, and small trinkets. Once shaped, Fimo is baked in a standard or toaster oven for about 30 minutes at 110°C (230°F) to harden it. Once baked, it can be cut, drilled, painted, sanded, and sliced thinly.
According to information from Staedtler, Fimo contains polyvinyl chloride (PVC
), but has not contained any phthalates since 2006 .
, modelling clay
, and play-dough.
Sculptures can have glass beads and wire added before curing to provide additional detailing. Artists may also use armature wire to support their sculptures. Aluminum foil can be used to support large areas, where the foil is scrunched into a shape and then layered with Fimo. It is also possible to use glass objects as a base structure point to build up from.
If multiple colors are mixed thoroughly enough, the marble effect will fade and the colors will blend to make a new color.
, also known as millefiori
, draws from a traditional glass technique where a two dimensional design is constructed in three dimensions, with the various colored elements of the design extending all the way through the form from the front surface to the back surface. Once the initial form is completed, the form, known as a "cane," can be sliced (with the blade held parallel to the front surface) to produce a number of nearly identical copies of the design.
Additionally, the form can be extended by squeezing or rolling the sides so that the form becomes longer from front to back, while becoming narrower in the other two dimensions. When the resulting form is sliced, the original design will be preserved, but shrunk to a smaller size. This technique also allows a larger number of slices to be extracted from the same amount of clay.
In glass work, the nature of the material dictates that these be round, but with polymer clay the shapes can be more varied, although round and square canes are the most common because they are easiest to extend. Cylinders can be rolled out to a longer length very easily, while cubic forms can be squeezed on their four side surfaces. More complex shapes such as hexagons can be worked with, but it is difficult to extend complex shapes without distortion.
. The lacquers are thick liquids applied after baking. They dry to a hard finish that protects the clay as well as changing the surface texture. A matte finish lacquer was available for some portion of the 1980s and 90s, but it has been discontinued.
Polymer clay
Polymer clay is a sculptable material based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride . It usually contains no clay minerals, and is only called "clay" because its texture and working properties resemble those of mineral clay...
made by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
company Staedtler
Staedtler
Staedtler Mars GmbH & Co. KG is a German fine writing instruments company and one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of writing, artist, and engineering drawing instruments. The firm was founded by J.S. Staedtler in 1835 and produces a large variety of writing instruments, including...
(STAEDTLER Mars GmbH & Co. KG). Fimo is sold worldwide. Its main U.S. competitor is the American brand Sculpey
Sculpey
Sculpey is the brand name for a type of polymer clay that can be molded and put into a conventional oven to harden, as opposed to typical modeling clays, which require a much hotter oven, such as a kiln. Until it is baked, Sculpey has a consistency somewhat like Plasticine. It is sold in many...
. The material comes in many different colors; there are many finishes to choose from, and even a softener to use with it because it can be hard to work. It is used for making many things, including jewellery, accessories, and small trinkets. Once shaped, Fimo is baked in a standard or toaster oven for about 30 minutes at 110°C (230°F) to harden it. Once baked, it can be cut, drilled, painted, sanded, and sliced thinly.
According to information from Staedtler, Fimo contains polyvinyl chloride (PVC
PVC
Polyvinyl chloride is a plastic.PVC may also refer to:*Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor*Peripheral venous catheter, a small, flexible tube placed into a peripheral vein in order to administer medication or fluids...
), but has not contained any phthalates since 2006 .
Origins
FIMO was first a plastic modelling compound brought to the attention of German dollmaker Kathe Kruse in the late 1930s as a possible replacement for plastic compounds that were scarce from war privation. It was not suitable for her doll factory use, and she turned it over to her daughter Sophie Rehbinder-Kruse, who was known in the family as "Fifi." FIfi's MOdeling Compound was later sold to Eberhard Faber and is marketed under the name "FIMO."Sculpting
Fimo can be sculpted in ways similar to other modeling materials such as ceramicCeramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
, modelling clay
Modelling clay
You can use modelling clay to create items with it. The material compositions and production processes vary considerably. -Ceramic clay:...
, and play-dough.
Sculptures can have glass beads and wire added before curing to provide additional detailing. Artists may also use armature wire to support their sculptures. Aluminum foil can be used to support large areas, where the foil is scrunched into a shape and then layered with Fimo. It is also possible to use glass objects as a base structure point to build up from.
Marbling and color mixing
Because Fimo is packaged in colored blocks, the colors can be mixed while soft, then baked. By mixing two or more colors, then twisting, folding, bending, and cutting, various marbled surfaces can be achieved.If multiple colors are mixed thoroughly enough, the marble effect will fade and the colors will blend to make a new color.
Caning
Caning or caneworkingCaneworking
Caneworking is a glassblowing technique that is used to add intricate patterns and stripes to vessels or other blown glass objects.Cane refers to rods of glass with color; these rods can be simple, containing a single color, or they can be complex and contain many strands of multiple colors in...
, also known as millefiori
Millefiori
Millefiori is a glasswork technique which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware.The term millefiori is a combination of the Italian words "mille" and "fiori" . Apsley Pellatt was the first to use the term "millefiori", which appeared in the Oxford Dictionary in 1849...
, draws from a traditional glass technique where a two dimensional design is constructed in three dimensions, with the various colored elements of the design extending all the way through the form from the front surface to the back surface. Once the initial form is completed, the form, known as a "cane," can be sliced (with the blade held parallel to the front surface) to produce a number of nearly identical copies of the design.
Additionally, the form can be extended by squeezing or rolling the sides so that the form becomes longer from front to back, while becoming narrower in the other two dimensions. When the resulting form is sliced, the original design will be preserved, but shrunk to a smaller size. This technique also allows a larger number of slices to be extracted from the same amount of clay.
In glass work, the nature of the material dictates that these be round, but with polymer clay the shapes can be more varied, although round and square canes are the most common because they are easiest to extend. Cylinders can be rolled out to a longer length very easily, while cubic forms can be squeezed on their four side surfaces. More complex shapes such as hexagons can be worked with, but it is difficult to extend complex shapes without distortion.
Bull's eye cane
The process used to create "lacework" with Polymer clay. This refers to a single color roll of Polymer clay, which is then wrapped in a secondary color. Rolling and compressing the two colors to make a perfect join is a known as a "bull's eye". Cutting this length of clay into even lengths and laying them on top of each other and re-rolling forms lacework.Beading
Polymer clay can be formed into beads or charms, with the holes poked before baking or drilled in afterwards.Polishing
Using 400-600 Wet and Dry Sandpaper, an artist can sand their project to create an extremely smooth polished effect. Whilst sanding, a small amount of water should be run over the cured project until desired effect is achieved. A hand-held drill such as a "Dremel" can also be used on a low-speed setting with a buffer pad, to create an more highly polished look.Mixed Media
Polymer clay also works well with Embossing Powders. Mixing them into Fimo clay can create a metallic marble effect. Glitter foil, powders or flakes can be mixed in to create attractive effects when using the Fimo Translucent colors.Lacquer
Staedtler produces and sells Fimo-branded glossy lacquerLacquer
In a general sense, lacquer is a somewhat imprecise term for a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required...
. The lacquers are thick liquids applied after baking. They dry to a hard finish that protects the clay as well as changing the surface texture. A matte finish lacquer was available for some portion of the 1980s and 90s, but it has been discontinued.