How Do I Mix Pal Tiya Premium?

Pal Tiya Premium comes as a dry powder.

It mixes with water to form a silky smooth 'dough' for Sculpting with.

The mix ratio is about 4-to-1, Powder--to-Water, by volume (or 5:1 ratio by weight). 

There are 2 ways to mix it:

Small amounts - By Hand.

Large amounts - By ELECTRIC (kitchen) MIXER (over 1Kg/2.2lb). 

Avoid using too much water!!

Pal Tiya Premium should always be mixed to a dough-like consistency.

If PTP becomes a too wet and watery (shiny) it will cure soft and weak. This is very important when gluing pieces together. 

When blending edges, keep the PTP as close to a dough as possible. 

Mixing by HAND:  

You will need: 

Pal Tiya Premium.

Water. 

Mixing Bowl - Those round-bottom take-away bowls are just awesome for beginners. 

Gloves - We find the disposable latex kind are best, experiment to see which 'feels' best for you. 

Measuring Stuff. 

First - put on the gloves & mask on. 

Measure a level 1/2 cup (130g) of Pal Tiya powder into a bowl. 

Pour in a small amount of cold water, 2 level tablespoons (26g), and begin stirring with your fingers. 

It should quickly form into small pea-sized "balls". 

Continue stirring until these balls begin to all clump together into a lovely lump of something like a silky-soft cookie-dough-like consistency. You can add more water - drop-by-drop - if you feel your mix still not getting to that 'silky' stage. So don't fret. 

When you're happy that your mix is 'just right' for you, remove it from your bowl and mix/knead between your palms for at least a minute. Don't forget to tell your friends how totally cool this part feels (I could honestly do this part all night!). 

If it has become too sticky/soft, no problem, just add a little more powder. 

If it is still too crumbly or stiff, just add a little more water, but just drop-by-drop. It's easy to get carried away. 

Remember, a few drops of water can quickly change your mix from stiff to  very wet. 

Your clay should have a soft silky feel to it, but still be just stiff enough to shape into delicate flower petals. 

When the fibers are  completely dispersed in the clay - and you cannot feel any tiny "clumps" - you are ready to sculpt. 

Mixing by ELECTRIC (Kitchen) MIXER: 

You will need: 

Pal Tiya Premium. 

Water. 

*Electric (kitchen) Mixer. *Note: We use our old reliable beat-up "Kenwood Chef" 'planetary' mixer, but 'twin-beater' mixers do just fine.  You won't be using it for food in the future mind ;)

An Old Towel. 

Measure 2 Cups of Pal Tiya Premium and place in your mixer's small bowl. 

Add ' almost' 1/2 a cup of cold water. 

Drape a large dry towel over the  whole mixer - to prevent escaping dust. 

Make sure the edges of the towel are draped  well over the lip of your mixer's bowl (to prevent them from being caught by the beater head). 

Now turn your mixer on to it's  slowest speed. 

Keep the mixer covered for the first 20 seconds until all of the Pal Tiya Premium has become moistened, then you can remove the towel and put it aside. 

Watch the mix carefully, and be prepared to either add more powder or a few drops of water (see above). 

The  magic consistency is when the mix moves back and forth between the paddle and the bowl without sticking to either one. This takes about 4-5 minutes for a thorough blending. 

Working time

Once each batch of Pal Tiya Premium is mixed, you'll generally have around 15 minutes working time for spreading it out onto your basic shapes. 

After that, your material will settle and begin to stiffen, just a little. 

This is the best time to begin sculpting in all of your lovely details. 

For fine detail and textures you will have another 2 hours to finish your work with that batch.