I have decided to venture into the world of silicones. I have everything I need to start and have done my research. The only thing I’m confused about after watching multiple tutorials is the prep. Some artist wipe their kits down with naphtha then use alcohol after that to wipe their kits down and paint. Others I’ve watched scrub the kit with naphtha then wash with warm water and dawn dish soap. I’m just wondering which way is the best.
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I wash my kits first in the dawn water. RINSE RINSE RINSE! Soap residue can cause inhibition so be sure it is all off. Then I wipe my kit down with NOVOCS. If you are using Naptha instead, you would wipe it down with that. This cleans the kit of any remaining residue and opens the pores of the silicone to make the paint stick better. I dunno why some insist on the alcohol but it is not necessary if you are using either NOVOCS or Naptha.
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Thank you!!! Some tutorials just didn’t make sense with this step
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Yep dawn and a hot hot bath, a gentle scrub down, rinse rinse rinse, I use a broad brush to paint with naphtha, let it dry and good to go. I do use alcohol later to clean if I have pieces sit out or see a fuzz or something on a cured piece. But for prep just keep it simple!
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@RosieCait what “Naptha” do you use? I had a Smooth On guy to tell me that the Coleman Camp Stove Fuel was the best and purest one to get and cheap. However, when I read on the ingredients it does have a little paraffin in it to keep it from rusting the container. That gave me pause…Overall I am afraid of the fumes of Naptha so I have been just paying the high prices of NOVOCS.
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I got it from Lowe’s 
It lives under my sink. I’ll take a pic when I get home! It was the only one they had
does it have a smell?
this is it
So I take it you don’t paint with this or add this to your matting layer silicone? I know some do.
Oh no. Just the A&B, pigments, and Gamsol. I definitely wouldn’t paint with this. I think I’d be high before the baby got any color I don’t even use it on everyone honestly. Just if I’m having a hard time getting paint to cure or it’s that awful marshmallow soft silicone.
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You use Gamsol as a thinner and don’t use Novacs at all?
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Correct!
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Can you wipe kit down with acetone too. Is wiping with acetone, NOVOCS and naphtha all the same?
Years ago when I got into silicone acetone is what we used to wipe our kits down. I know of one artist who still swears by it. However, Smooth on Tech support told me that it does nothing to open up the pores of the silicone to make it accept paint better. Naptha and Novocs both does.
On a side note, I also was told by Tech Support recently that Psycho Paints has more adhesive product in it to make it stick better than regular silicone used for pouring sculpts. I had wondered if it was paying the extra for it but I guess so. I have painted with both Psycho Paints and with Dragon Skin 10 medium cure. Both worked fine for me but I will stick to just Psycho Paints.
Naphtha seems impossible to buy here. I’ve been looking online, I’m going to go to the store and actually look at some labels. I’ve done some googling and other Canadians using it for other purposes, don’t seem to be able to have access to it either so I’m thinking it’s just not available in Canada. I can buy acetone so I hoped it would work just the same. I’ll probably be coming back over the border after the doll show with a big jug of naphtha. Nowhere in town to buy NOVOCS but there are a couple places that I could get it online. It’s expensive stuff and then the shipping isn’t free either so it makes it pretty expensive especially if that’s the only thing you’re ordering.
Lighter fluid is Naptha. Laurie Duncan told me once when she flies into a show she goes to the hardware store and buys lighter fluid. The Smooth-On Tech told me to go to Walmart and get Camping Stove Fluid, that it was food grade Naptha and very pure. He said he air brushes all his silicones for movie props with it. I just have not been able to bring myself to buy any as I am worried about my lungs. However, my husband did read up on what is in InhibitX once when I had some go bad and we were trying to figure out how to dispose of it. It is largely made of Naptha.
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I can’t even buy lighter fluid here, it’s all butane. I was going to look at the camp stove labels at the store. When I was reading what others were saying online the camp stove fuel says naphtha and lubricants so I wasn’t sure that was the same as in the US and if I could use it.
I can’t wait to show pics of him tomorrow!! The only thing I had a little difficulty with was the matting. He’s skin feels a little dry now. It’s not flaky and it’s not rubbing off. So I’m not quite sure what went wrong
Probably did not get your silicone layer pounced thin enough on the doll before matting. That is a common issue. I still struggle with matting. Mostly leaving missed spots that I have to touch up.
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Possibly. Is there anyway to fix it?