I just got a new tub of satin ice gum paste and I had a really hard time last night making a figure from it (my little pony) the legs and body sagged so much
ive bought satin ice brand a few times and I don't recall having an issue. Did I get a bad batch?
this morning I felt the figure and it was still pliable. Should gum paste drying in air be hard after 14-16 hours?
now the question is when remaking .. would you do four legs seperate (that's what I did then put body on top) or would forming the whole body and legs of the pony from one piece of gum paste be better?
im thinking maybe I should do the legs then wait a whole day and then do the body maybe .. then wait another day and do the head? This isn't a huge figure maybe 3 inches tall so i shouldn't have these issues
Hm, sounds like the paste is softer due to the humid weather. Do you know how humid your air is?
You could always try drying your figures in the oven with the fan and the light on (but no temperature) - that usually makes every thing pretty hard after 6-8 hours.
Quote by @Minh Cakes on 29 minutes ago
Hm, sounds like the paste is softer due to the humid weather. Do you know how humid your air is?
You could always try drying your figures in the oven with the fan and the light on (but no temperature) - that usually makes every thing pretty hard after 6-8 hours.
hmm it is pretty humid but since it's not hot I didn't think about that. I just checked and the humidity is 92 % right now though I'm not sure about yesterday, it was probably high then too
looking at the forecast friday is projected to be only 50% humidity ... so maybe I'll hold off and make the figures then! And I can also try the oven, thank you for the suggestions!
I wonder if I should try a different brand of gumpaste as well to compare
92% is pretty humid, no wonder your paste isn't drying! Good luck with the oven!
Satinice is pretty soft compared to others. I love Squires Kitchen flowerpaste - dries quickly even in humid weather. You have to work quickly with it though, not much time to correct mistakes.
Good luck!
Sometimes, I have to add a butt ton of cornstarch to stiffen up gumpaste. It's a tricky game because too much and it gets too dry.
Thanks guys! I got frustrated and took it apart and attempted to remold it but that just caused a lot of cracks.
im just going to redo maybe tonight. At least the second time I make something it usually goes faster
Honestly, when I work with gp, I stiffen it up until i feel like anymore cornstarch is going to be too much and I add just a pinch more. It always feels dry to me until I start rolling it out. That's usually when I know if it's stiff enough or if I need to add a touch of shortening because I went and added too much cornstarch in.
Its all about feel. Trust your fingers!
I always make my own gum paste, but on days that it feels a bit sticky or too soft, I add a little Tylose powder. Also, if I were making a standing pony, I would use skewers in the legs, all the way through.
Thank you kristie and Sandra! I did it again last night and just waited a little while between legs, head etc also I realized I was out of cornstarch so I used powdered sugar but no shortening (the previous day I put shortening on my hands)
it only took about an hour or so but I still need to add the mane and tail which I'll do tonight. I'll add a pic when I'm done
thanks ladies!
Sandra what recipe do you use for gum paste?
The legs did squish a bit but I made them taller to begin with this time in anticipation.
i did use a toothpick per leg. I saw a tutorial from Zoe's cakes where she didn't use a toothpick in the legs but I just know that wouldn't work for me
@Coffeelover77 , I use Nicholas Lodge's Gumpaste Recipe. I make it with real egg whites (large) and sometimes add an extra white, depending upon how it feels after adding four. I can roll this almost as thin as the famous Platinum Paste and, to me, it seems a bit stronger. Here is the recipe:
https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/nicholas-lodge-gumpaste-recipe/
I made these roses with NL recipe and, hopefully, you can see the thinness of the petals.
thank you @SandraSmiley !
what beautiful flowers!
Do you find this gumpaste dries too quickly for making figures?
Thank you, Coffeelover77! I've only done a couple of models with gum paste and it worked fine. I even added a little bit of extra Tylose. 99% of my modeling I do with modeling chocolate and the figures are generally about a foot tall with an armature made of strong wire. I did do Mickey and Minnie from the NL gum paste and I used skewers in their legs.
Wow @SandraSmiley !!! Those figures are fantastic. You are amazingly skilled!
here is my rainbow dash finally
Thank you, sweet @Coffeelover77! I really just piddle, this is my retirement hobby. Since I don't see your Rainbow Dash, I am going to your page to look for it now.
@SandraSmiley just piddle? madness! your stuff is amazing!
The forum won't let me add a picture here so I did add it to my gallery just now. This morning I looked and it had lilted even more to the side so I rested something against it before leaving for work ... this stuff can be a little nerve wracking lol
At least the second time it only took me a little over an hour to make so I'm hoping I can make two more as well just as quickly. I'm going to do one sitting down just because it will be so much easier 
I just went to the home page and saw your Rainbow Dash....ADORABLE! If you feel comfortable that you can do the additional figures more quickly, you could try adding a little Tylose to help the drying.
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