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Modelling Clay That Never Hardens: Kaolin Kneaded with Petroleum Jelly (Lanza, US 861,294, 1907)
Clay mixed with water dries, cracks and needs wetting all the time. Lanza bound fine clay with petroleum jelly instead, so it stays soft and workable for good.
Result: a clean, non-hardening modelling clay; the more petroleum jelly, the softer it is.
Source: Lanza, US 861,294 (1907). Not given: batch size, kneading time. Picture drawn by Youblob.
Beginner
1 hour
Instructions
1
1
Sift the clay fine
Sift the clay fine
Use clay ground fine enough to pass a 100-mesh screen, better 200 mesh. Lanza used kaolin with good results.
Materials for this step:
Kaolin Clay Powder5 partsTools needed:
Fine Mesh Sieve2
2
Weigh 2 parts jelly to 5-7 parts clay
Weigh 2 parts jelly to 5-7 parts clay
By weight: 2 parts petroleum jelly to 5-7 parts clay. Ratio: more jelly (2:5) gives a softer clay, less (2:7) a firmer one.
Materials for this step:
Petroleum Jelly2 partsTools needed:
Balance Scale3
3
Knead them together
Knead them together
Mix the clay and jelly intimately until smooth. If the clay sticks to the fingers, work in a little sulfur as a filler.
Materials for this step:
Sulfur Powder1 a little, if stickyTools needed:
Mortar and PestleMaterials
3- 5 partsPlaceholder
- 2 partsPlaceholder
- 1 a little, if stickyPlaceholder
Tools Required
3- Placeholder
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