Stiffening projects - again

[tracey]

I know this subject is bought up periodically,  but it will still help people I'm sure.

Basically, is there any point at all in buying commercial stiffeners for felted pieces that stay indoors (pods), or is good old diluted PVA just as good? Dilute 50/50?

[felicity]

Tracey, I can bring a little amount of salvitosa (stiffener) to our next meeting if you wish to try.

[tracey]

That would be wonderful Galina, thanks very much!

I would still be very interested in PVA advice from anyone.

[wolgelukkig]

I have commercial hat stiffener but most of the time I use the dilluted pva for hats, pods and other objects but use more water to get about a 30-70 solution. To prevent a plastic look or white stains I prefer to do it 2 tot 3 times with a less stronger solution and build it up slowly.

[Shepherdess]

The problem with PVA is that it will take up moisture. So if there is high humidity it will take up the water from the air and become tacky and soft. I don't stiffen pots I just full them hard enough to stand up on their own.

[halay]

I'm using PVA for brooches, sometimes diluted 30-70 or 50 -50, epending how thin the felt is.

[tracey]

I don't like the sound of the possible tackiness Ann, thanks for that. I do work my vessels until my arms are ready to drop off, but I thought stiffener may add to them a little more.

[koffipot]

I use clear acrylic gloss medium any brand, from any Art Shop. Apparently the matt finish has small particles which can dull the colour, though whether or not this would be the case with felt I don't know.

It can be diluted as required and squidged into the still wet felt. When dry, it is rock hard. I tried filling a stiffened vessel with water and though it wasn't watertight, there was no tackiness at all.

Just looked in my box of tricks and haven't any left, otherwise I'd have brought some to Woolfest for you.

[flights]

I use dilute pva and squeeze it into the fibres before setting the piece to dry. I've been doing this since I went to a workshop where we were advised to use dilute wood glue (which seems to be PVA but more expensive!) I have never had any problems with it going tacky and even use it for windchimes hanging in windows.https://www.facebook.com/fantasiesinflight/photos/pcb.2439596286085356/2439593396085645/?type=3&theater

I wonder, though, if anyone knows anything about Gorilla Glues. Their website shows wood glues and something they call clear glue but the girl I spoke to on their technical team doesn't seem to understand the product as she said the wood glue could only be used for wood to wood and when I asked if the clear glue was pva she said not it was polyurethane. Which is the same thing, isn't it?

Has anyone tried either of these Gorilla glues diluted? Thanks

[lyn]

I've only ever used CMC granules, wallpaper paste and pva diluted 50/50 with water.

Wallpaper paste is more or less the same as CMC granules, but the latter is sold specifically for textiles as some wallpaper paste also contains fungicide and other things.

However, I used Gorilla contact adhesive to make my bead board (to agitate felt with) and it's brilliant!

[Shepherdess]

I know they use Paverpol for outdoor fabric sculptures. There is an indoor type and an outdoor type. It is very hard but fabric seems to keep it's look of fabric. I don't know if it can be diluted for less stiffness. I am not sure what it is. There are probably other brands for less and in different countries.

[MTRuth]

I don't know the answer to this. I haven't tried Gorilla glue.

[Pandagirl]

I used E2000 on my bead board. Never thought to use gorilla glue. I used pva on my crocheted bowl. Those are the only projects I’ve used stiffeners.