[Jewelry making - Article 00328] - Re: [Orchid] Rehydrating dried out PMC

[Colin Buckley]

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Hi there Sean,

    re-hydrating PMC isn't all that difficult. However, I will have to
    warn you, the reconstituted stuff simply won't be quite as nice as
    it is fresh out of the packet. First of all, it depends on how
    quickly you need it. If you don't need it right away, you can spray
    the lump a little bit every day or so with a little water, and then
    keep it sealed tightly with a small wad of moistened paper towel to
    help maintain some humidity in the pack. The quicker way would be to
    grind up the lump or chop it up into very fine bits and slowly mix it
    with water. The key is to go slow-overhydrate and you get slip (which
    has it's own uses, actually.) Once it starts to form a lump, stop and
    let the clay rest for a while, to allow time for the moisture to work
    its way through the clay. You didn't specify what type of PMC this
    was. In general, PMC+ and PMC3 are a little more challenging to keep
    moist and workable, as there is less binder. Standard, as there is
    more binder, tends to retain a bit more moisture. In any event, it
    should re-hydrate fairly easily. Another good tip, although I haven't
    actually tried this myself is to knead a small drop of glycerin into
    the lump. This should help the clay retain moisture a little bit
    better-but go easy on the glycerin just a drop should do the trick.
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