Which Glaze Is The BEST For Polymer Clay? One Year Experiment

Hi everyone! Watch in HD :)

In this video I run a little experiment over one year to test which gloss glazes last the best on polymer clay. The particular ones that I test are Gloss Mod Podge, clear nail polish, Sculpey Gloss Glaze, Triple Thick, polyurethane and UV resin. I hope you enjoy this video and find it helpful in some way or another. Thank you for watching!

Links:
Instagram – @rachyh96
Crafty Amino – @rachyh96
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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):

What camera do you use to film?
I use a Canon 70D with and 18-135mm lens.

What program do you edit your videos with?
2012-2017: Windows Movie Maker
2017-2020: iMovie
2021-current: Final Cut Pro X

What brand of polymer clay do you use/what is your favourite?
I mainly use Sculpey, Fimo and Premo, just because that is what is available to me. I don’t really have a particular favourite; they all have different things I like about each one.

What do you use to glaze your charms?
I’ve also used Sculpey Gloss Glaze, Triple Thick, and polyurethane in the past, but UV resin Is definitely my favourite.

How long have you been doing clay?
I started polymer clay in 2012. It is just my hobby that I do in my spare time as I also have a full-time job :)

Do you sell your charms?

What cupcake base mold do you use?

I just started polymer clay; do you have any tips or advice?

[shirelfinkel]

Hey! Just letting you know that UV resin in its liquid form is harmful and can cause health issues. So if you are considering using it, please do your research and follow proper procedures such as wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) and having a well ventilated area.

[rubydragonjd]

I had been enjoying UV resin, however developed an allergic reaction to it. If anyone is interested in an alternative, Sophie & Toffee has a really nice glaze, it's called "Sophie & Toffee Sealer Super Gloss". I've found that to give the most beautiful, consistent results, since stepping away from UV resin. I'd love to hear about your experiences with this glaze, as well if anyone else has tried it. I also love how it's not as costly, compared to UV resin.

[cheercraftics]

I make air dry clay charms and I have been using glossy mod podge for years. I’ve been wanting to try other glosses and this video was super helpful.

[artaanksha]

This was beyond my expectations for a product video, this was brilliantly portrayed and so understandable for even a beginner whoever going to buy a glazing material for clay products actually. How this video went I genuinely haven't watched any video of this level. Wow and thank you : )

[humayrabushra]

I used clear nail polish for top coat on my homemade clay and it's been three years, the shininess and smoothness haven't faded much if not at all!

[DrainYourBattery]

Mod podge is the only glaze I have access to so this was really helpful! I had never used it on my charms because I was worried how it’d work

[florecitadelcampo]

The best from my experience and without chipping the varnish from the piece, it’s to glaze it with a very thin layer of fimo liquid and then bake the pieces for 20 minutes, it’s not too shine and it doesn’t become yellow or sticky. That’s only for polymer clay

[creepycutiecrafty]

Very useful to know!

However, I would say that the UV resin will also discolour over time if it's left in bright light or sunlight. Some of the more expensive crystal UV resins are more slowly affected, but it's worth knowing.

But it's still definitely the best of the bunch - plus if you scratch it, you can very easily repair it by painting on another layer.

[jasmineAr]

Gloss varnish is a great option as welll

[WildPortraitArtist]

Thanks for this comparison Rachy! The UV resin is pulling away from the edges because you are using a doming resin. You will want to use a casting resin instead if you don't want that to happen :)

[avocadoedits]

Resin can be really dangerous, so always make sure that you wear gloves and stuff, because even if the reactions arent showing it could make you really sick. So always make sure to wear ventilation and gloves and stuff

[marvelmoore]

Ok Rachy....I finally watched the whole video....Thanks so much for your hardwork, patience, research and testing. This was alot of work...I appreciate the valuable information....especially for me (someone who wants to make polymer clay miniatures). As a beginner...I find this very helpful. Thanks again.

[DragnfireFairy]

as someone just starting with polymer clay this was incredibly helpful! thank you!

[Duskmist]

Wow amazing video! I also really like when you glaze black it looks so shiny

[kasiek]

Uv resin is the shiny sturdy queen~ worth every penny. Thank you so much for sharing your findings, it's so helpful ❤

[SpicyGamerChic]

Absolutely amazing video! Rachel thank you for always making such informative content! I’m watching this literally the day before I have to glaze an entire stock of brand new polymer clay earrings I’m debuting for a small convention in 13 days and a shop update after it. I cannot believe how perfect this timing was! I was literally going to do my research tomorrow morning on what would be the best option for glazing my pieces then this gem pops up on my sub feed! You are the best! A crafting guardian angel! 🙏🏽 Gracias!!!! Much love! 💕

[chocolatebex]

Love this, very helpful and you storing them for a year really gives us the best information for long term results 😘

[RowanWarren]

Best glaze I have ever used on polymer clay is Polycyclic. It doesn't flake off. Also, UV resting works great too.

[cassandre]

Thank you, thank you! I'm super curious about this because I'm always worried about the glaze wearing off. Thanks again for your experiments 💕

[tawanaspence]

Super helpful and you're always wonderful to watch! Thank you so much for your experiment! I love and work with UV Resin. So happy to learn this is the winner!