Powertex - Overview Powertex - Overview
What is Powertex?
Powertex is the new generation environmentally friendly water based, acid free liquid textile hardener, suitable for use with any porous material such as paper, fabrics, cardboard, air drying clays, concrete, stone, ceramics, wood, dried flowers, plaster, etc.
If you like to recycle then you will love POWERTEX. All those odds and ends that you have been storing up. Old clothes, unwanted manchester, scraps of wool, fabric, timber, paper, beads, mosaics. You name it and you can probably use it all!!! Combine your bits and pieces with a dab of creativity and mix well to create a beautiful sculpture or ornament that decorates your home or garden.
Powertex is not limited to making sculptures or statues. It is a very versatile product that even allows the preservation of memorable treasures such as your baby’s first shoes/feet or hand impressions, and what about their first clothes.
Make your own jewellery; create your own 3-D structures on canvas for impressionable wall art, for unique home décor inside or outside, or maybe even poolside.
Powertex is available in 4 colours:
Transparent/Clear, Bronze, Terracotta and Lead.
How do you apply Powertex?
You can dip it, you can spray it, you can paint it.
How do you make your Powertex Statue?
Start by making a frame with armature wire. Take the frame and cover with aluminium foil, forming the body as you go, then wrap the frame from top to bottom with masking tape. Now you add the fabric strips to the Powertex and wrap the body with the coated strips. Set your statue into the desired position, and now it’s time to dress your statue. This is accomplished by draping the fabric over the body to create a skirt, top, dress or pants.
It really is that EASY!!
Creating your own Coloured Powertex:
It is easy to create your own colours by using Powertex Power Color pigment powders. Before adding the pigment to the Powertex, add a little water to the powder and stir until you have achieved a smooth paste like consistency. Then stir it slowly into the transparent Powertex, and mix well.
In general you will need 1 jar of the Power Color Pigment (40gr) for 1 litre of Powertex.
Outside Statues:
• If you wish for your statue to be waterproof quickly or if it is to be constantly in water (such as part of a fountain or a birdbath), then you must use the Powertex activator. A two component adhesive (Powertex plus activator) is always stronger than one component, but once the activator is added to the Powertex you must use all of the mixture within 6 hours. You may choose to also coat your project with Easy Varnish this is also a water repellent and will provide extra protection against the elements.
• Bronze, Lead and Terracotta Powertex already have an activator component mixed in, so no extra activator is required.
• If you have used any paint for highlighting your statue, you must seal this with varnish as the paint that you have applied will not be weatherproof..
• It takes around 2 weeks for the Powertex to cure so do not apply varnish or leave outside until the Powertex has had a chance to dry and harden.
Important:
- Stir/Mix well before using.
- Clean tools and hands well with warm soapy water after use.
- Protect your clothes and REMOVE JEWELLERY as once Powertex hardens it may be impossible to remove.
- Weather resistant - this means that it is suitable for inside and outside projects.
- Powertex does not mould.
- 100% Natural fibres work best. Test a sample before starting your main work and if the fabric sticks to itself, it should work well. Natural fibres will cure harder than unnatural fibres.
- You may paint your Powertex project with oil, acrylic, latex, or PowerColor once it is dry or while it is drying depending on the desired result.
- Powertex does not adhere to plastic, but you may overcome this by covering the plastic item with masking tape. (Where there's a will, there's a way!!)
- Store powertex frost free. (do not store or transport below 0 degrees Celsius)
- Minimum working temperature for Powertex is 10 degrees Celsius)
- After Powertex is cured the temperature does not affect the finished product.
Powertex can also be added to Stone Art to create a totally different texture. Click HERE to find out more.
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