What is Polymer Clay and How is it Used?
Polymer Clay - P.V.C. or Polymer Vinyl Clay is similar in some respects to PVC handle material. It is not brittle. It finishes easily and does not burn easily. It is somewhat heat formable. The clay can mimic any form of art out there, can be made to look like almost any material and can hold any mosic work that can be done in pattern weld steel. Its color combinations can make any handle material out there look boring.
It was developed back in the bakolite era in Germany by a lady and used for doll faces. It was then taken over by a big German company. It later made its way to the USA where many artists used it in various different forms of art. It is manufactured here by quite a few different companies.
Some clays are hard and some more flexible, all have to be conditioned before use, then formed and baked at 275 to 300 degrees F. Like any material it requires some investment, attention to detail, practice and a lot of work. I usually run about 6-8 hours in 3 handle blocks.
Conditioning the clay requires going through the roller 25 times and coming out in the usable dimensions with no waste. I use 1/8” X 3” X 6” inch and a rolling mill. Pasta rolling machines are down until its about 36” long by ¾” to 3/8” and start putting it together again. I use Kato clay because it has good color and bakes hard enough to suit me. I use special detail in assembling the blocks and slabs to make them stronger. Polymer clay is compatible with liquid poly clay, super glue, Diamond-urathane, Devacon epoxy and Locktite depend. There are some glues and finishes that the clay is not compatible with.
Polymer Clay
What it will do and what it won’t do.
P.V.C. Poly vinyl clay is similar in mechanical characteristics to PVC pipe. It is fairly tough but not brittle like the pipe. It is some what heat formable. If you get it hot while grinding it is flexible. When you get it down to under 1/8” it is fairly flexible cold. If you screw it down and dovetail it, it will work fine and you can super glue finish it on both sides to make it a little more stiff. If it is put together right you can actually bend it 60 degrees with breaking it. You can carry a folder with the polymer vinyl clay handles with a pocket full of key and not hardly scratch it. I don’t know why. I assume because of its flexibility. The surface will cut with a sharp object and heavy pressure. You can slap the folder against a piece of steel with no adverse affect, with in “reason”. It doesn’t crack or break easily. Even though it is flexible around 1/8”, it doesn’t want to warp or move like hair horn or ivory.
All of you super folder makers out there might want to dovetail both ends of the handle and put screws end and middle or dovetail one end and 2 screws on the butt and one or two in the middle. It works well with superglue, two part Devacon epoxy and Locktite Depends. If you are using thicker slabs, ¼” and over, flexibility is not a problem. If you swell a rivet you won’t break or split them.
When using a block handle I like to take ½ to ¾ turn on the threaded butt plate and drill epoxy rivet holes in the butt plate to secure it. The column pressure will relax a little and this will hold the butt plate solid. Be sure to completely fills the tang cavity with epoxy for a good solid fit.
This material is easy to work. The only draw back I found is next to harder material it will undercut slightly if you get heavy handed with it. The same can happen with reconstituted spacer material that is out there. The handle is a pleasure to sand and finish. You can finish it with a dead, dull 220 grit belt and not burn it. Hit it with 00 steel wool and it has a good finish. If you want a glass finish, hit it with 1 or 2 coats of superglue and steel wool and then buff it. If you are making folder slabs and are worried about light under the slabs, arch it a little when it is warm say 1/8” end to end (on 3” slab) and super glue each side, dry and finish. Screw it down with the belly to the folder and give it another coat when you screw it down.
This is the easiest material I have ever worked with to sand and finish. I have been making knives for 15 years. If properly assembled it doesn’t burn, break, take on water, or shrink to any extent. It is somewhat heat sensitive around 150 – 275 degrees F. It becomes a little more filexible. At over 300 degrees F it will bubble and burn.
I haven’t tested it yet on the dash of closed vehicle at 110 degress in Arizon nor in the automatic dishwasher. I am sure your ivory or sheep horn or plastic handle wouldn’t appreciate that either.
Unlike plastics and other inexpensive materials, this material holds it highest value and labor in the art work patterns and colors you can put into it. It can mimic any damascus pattern you can put in steel and it has been used in almost every form of art. It can teach you new techinques in damascus by accident.