FIMO help!

[Pebbles]

I made some items from fimo yesterday, cooked them for the length of time it told me to on the packet, let them cool down then started to sand them..... and they snapped!

Did I do something wrong or do I just need to be gentler with the sandpaper?

[ladyluckjewellery]

Hi there, I've found sometimes that if FIMO is baked at slighty too high a temperature that it can be prone to going brittle. I usually bake for a little longer than it says, but at 5 or 10 degrees lower and it usually stays strong.

Hope that helps.

Claire

[lauralou1601]

Ive never sanded it, why do you do that? Ive actually just got some out of the oven then! Its cooling down quite nicely at the moment.

[wyattbean]

The 'curing' or the baking is quite important. You shouldn't need to sand it just let it cool. You can always add more and bake again but would suggest lower temperature for slightly longer...its all to do with the fusing of the molecules....not that that helps any!!

Sue

[Amethystjewellery]

Yes, longer and at a lower temperature is enough to strengthen it I usually sand it though and sometimes give it a quick re-firing after varnishing it with Klear floor polish !

[lauralou1601]

While were on the subject of fimo, does anyone know how to make grey??? I tried a very strange combination yesterday that was red, blue and yellow and a bit of white, and it looks absolutely horrible, its kind of green/brown/grey, which is not a good mixture methinks!

[Muddle Jewellery]

Do you have black and white fimo?

Mix those to get grey, whether you want light grey or dark.

[lauralou1601]

no I havnt got black but I have got white..... I didnt know you could get black to be honest! Im quite new to fimo and Ive only ever got it from woolies! Ill keep my eyes open... thanks!

[Muddle Jewellery]

No problem.
I haven't used fimo much, never got round to it, but I bought a few different colours including black.

I'd like to get into it and start making some beads, but I get frustrated when they don't work out.

Good luck!

[lauralou1601]

I made some beads last night, and then when I came to thread them, id forgotton to put a hole in them... as you do! So now I have lots of blobs! You know what, sometimes I amaze myself with my own brilliance!

[lauralou1601]

I know this is irelevant but can I just say woo! My picture and words at the bottom of my post worked! Coolio!

[Pebbles]

Can you wire wrap you blobs?

I forgot holes in some of the things I made, but I wire wrapped them instead..... looks lovely.

I have a fan oven, so I think I had been baking them too hot, I reduced the temp to 100 and baked them for 40 mins, turned out alright (not brittle anymore, but my work hasn't improved!)

[lauralou1601]

hmmmmm good plan batman! Ill have to get some wire. Glad your works improved, im sure its not as bad as you make out!

[ladyluckjewellery]

Don't worry about the lack of holes in the beads, just drill them out if you have a dremel or similar tool and a 2 or 3mm drill bit. I rarely put the holes in the beads until after baking, as sometimes just pushing the hole through can deform the bead slightly.

It takes a bit of practice with larger and thicker beads to get the hole straight though.

Claire

[Amethystjewellery]

All is not lost - you can still drill holes in them using a Dremil or similar