I am making two figures 50/50 fondant and gumpaste right now, I want to make them stand up on the cake, should I use some sort of support in them? and do I wait on the peices to dry before I assemble or put them together and then let them dry? AND what should I use for "glue" I am using water with fondant in it... I posted this in cake decor. but no one is answering! PLEASE HELP ME! thank you! :]

Not sure about support (personally I would for standing figures).

I seem to have better luck getting pieces to stay together when I assemble them before they are dry, you can also manipulate them to get the right pose you need before they get too stiff.

The best glue I have found so far is tylose. I got the recipe off Global Sugar Arts just yesterday. Bring one cup of water to boil. Add 3/4 teaspoon of tylose and stir with whisk or fork. I used a whisk and had to stir a lot. For some reason my tylose didn't want to dissolve, maybe that's why they suggest you wait.

Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight before using and after for storage. I forgot how long they said it keeps, maybe one or two months.

I didn't want to wait overnight so I used mine right after it chilled. It is fantastic stuff! I used it on candy clay to get Wilton sugar sprinkles to stick and it worked great. I will post again if I find that all the sprinkles fell off my Barbie Diamond Castle today while I was at work.

HTH

Kim

I'd use supports, too. I assemble when still pliable so I can pose them just right and allow them to dry fully formed. I used royal icing as glue but the tylose glue sounds like it might be better.

I always dowel my figures if they are kinda big. You can stick it in before they dry up. Definitely assemble before they dry, and you can just mix gum tex and water for my glue. It holds together really good. You only need a little bit, and just mix it really well. You can either use your hand or a paintbrush to put it on the figures. Good luck!

If they aren't really big, use spaghetti. It'd edible but can really help give some support.

I have gum tex so I will try that one first! I used spaghetti and toothpicks for support and the standing up guy was fine, but i tried to make the other guy in a lunge and he didnt make it lol there is a photo in my pictures, but I would really like to know what I did wrong if you think you know?

Just the weight of him off balance I think. Try some stronger support and don't give up! You can do it!

Did you use supports all the way through the feet, into the legs, and into the torso (make sure you leave some sticking out the bottom to insert into the cake). I like to use scewers for the supports in the legs. It gives me lots of length to work with.

Someone on here (can't remember who) suggested placing things to dry in a bed of flour covered in plastic wrap. The flour will conform to your shape while drying without the stress of gravity working against you. I haven't tried it yet but plan to.

Thank you sadsmile! and i tried to do support through the whole bottom from the torso but being that the legs were lunged, the toothpicks just went through the sides of the legs... thats why I'm hitting a road block...

Sounds like he needs some proping by any means.. can paper towels rolled up to hold his pose till he dries. Or grab your thickest wire or wrap multiple wires together and then make your body shape and add him onto his cool new skeleton peice by stink-in peice. Just don't give up!

Someone just told me to never use wire because it could have lead in it and make the cake dangerous to eat?

and don't worry I wont give up! If anything I'll just make them both standing up!!

My first one turned out great!!

golly, you were lucky using spaghetti, My bent with the spaghetti in the fondant. I think chocolate paste holds up best without any supports. I do a lot of scupltures, but they are large I use dowels and pvc pipe and metal threaded rods covered with plastic support dowels. Keep at it, It is so much fun when you are successful. I continue to learn and have been doing it for 40 years. My friend taught me something new today. I just finshed 22 individual cakes as centerpieces for the bride all buttercream frosted. She brought me grossgrain ribbon to put on them. She suggested that I cover the backs of the ribbon with scotch tape. Worked GREAT ! and dit not bleed thru. I always attach my ribbon with piping gel. Hugs

golly, you were lucky using spaghetti, My bent with the spaghetti in the fondant. I think chocolate paste holds up best without any supports. I do a lot of scupltures, but they are large I use dowels and pvc pipe and metal threaded rods covered with plastic support dowels. Keep at it, It is so much fun when you are successful. I continue to learn and have been doing it for 40 years. My friend taught me something new today. I just finshed 22 individual cakes as centerpieces for the bride all buttercream frosted. She brought me grossgrain ribbon to put on them. She suggested that I cover the backs of the ribbon with scotch tape. Worked GREAT ! and dit not bleed thru. I always attach my ribbon with piping gel. Hugs

Om-gosh he is just too cute!!! Yeah I know the wire isn't great but you could dip it into melted chocolate once the little mister is hard and handle-able that way chocolate goes into the cake.

Oh no some words are not meant to be put together...

LOL!! I get it, sadsmile!!