Chavant Le Beau Touche Plasteline Clay, Green - Sulfur-Free Non-Drying Modeling Clay, 2 lb

Name: Chavant Le Beau Touche Plasteline Clay, Green - Sulfur-Free Non-Drying Modeling Clay, 2 lb
Brand: Chavant
SKU: KLY-02
Price: 15.95 USD
Availability: InStock

Chavant Le Beau Touche Plasteline Clay, Green - Sulfur-Free Non-Drying Modeling Clay, 2 lb

SKU:KLY-02

$15.95 USD

$7.98 lb

Sale Sold out

Shipping calculated at checkout.

100 in stock

Size: 2 lb Block

2 lb Block

Quantity

Earn 15 Boat Points Learn More
Free Shipping on orders over $199 Learn More

Le Beau Touche is Chavant's soft, sulfur-free plasteline: an oil and wax based modeling clay that never dries out or hardens. In a composites shop it is what you reach for to build a parting line on a two piece mold, dam the edge of a splash, fill an undercut or a gap on a plug, and run temporary fillets, then peel it off and use it again. Because it carries no sulfur it will not inhibit platinum cure silicone the way sulfur-based clays do, and it stays hand pliable at room temperature while holding the shape you press it into.

Specs

Type	sulfur-free, non-drying oil and wax based plasteline (plastilina)
Color	green
Consistency	soft, high tack, Shore 17A
Softening point	100 F (38 C). Above about 90 F (32 C) it turns very soft and sticky
Melting point	180 F (82 C)
Block size	2 lb (0.9 kg), roughly 5 x 2.5 x 2.5 in
Silicone	Chavant rates it silicone friendly. Avoid citrus (d-limonene) solvents where silicone will touch it
Shop uses	parting lines, dams, fillets, filling undercuts on plugs, pattern and sculpture work
Shelf life	2 years unopened, stored at room temperature out of sunlight
Shipping	not DOT regulated

Working with it

Knead it warm in your hands, or warm the block gently, to soften it. Do not overheat it.
Press parting lines and dams tight against the plug and trim a clean edge with a clay tool or a putty knife.
Smooth with a rubber rib, a spreader or hand pressure. A light wipe of naphtha, clear mineral spirits or 99% isopropyl alcohol slicks the surface. Skip citrus solvents if silicone rubber is going over it.
Put a release over the clay before resin, gel coat or rubber goes against it. US Composites notes mold release can be applied over the clay to release resins or rubber molding material, and PVA #10 or Partall #2 paste wax both do that job.
Pull the clay when the job is done, clean residue with naphtha or 99% isopropyl alcohol, wrap it in plastic and reuse it.

The clay is not self supporting for tall figurative work, so build over an armature there. It adheres to aluminum wire, foil, cardboard, foam and paper. Pair it with tooling gel coat and a fiberglass mold making kit when you are taking a mold off a finished plug.

Note on heat: this is the original soft formula, so a hot shop or a summer delivery can leave a block soft and slumped. Let it come back to room temperature and it firms up again. Chavant makes a firmer HTR version for shops that run consistently above 90 F (32 C).

Data sheets: Chavant Le Beau Touche Technical Bulletin · Chavant Sulfur-Free Clay SDS

Specifications

MaterialSulfur-free oil and wax based plasteline

ColorGreen

Country of OriginUSA

Package size5 in x 2.5 in x 2.5 in

Specifications

Manufacturer: Chavant, Macungie PA
Product: Le Beau Touche, green, original soft formula
Block: 2 lb (0.9 kg), roughly 5 x 2.5 x 2.5 in
Hardness: Shore 17A, high tack
Softening point: 100 F (38 C); melting point 180 F (82 C)
Density: 94 lb per cubic foot, specific gravity 1.5
Shelf life: 2 years unopened
DOT: not regulated
Made in USA

2 years unopened at room temperature, out of sunlight and UV.

Keep opened clay wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight and heat. Unopened blocks keep about two years at room temperature.

Features

Sulfur-free and non-drying, so it stays workable and gets reused
Silicone friendly: no sulfur to inhibit platinum cure rubber
Soft and high tack, holds a crisp edge for parting lines and dams
Softens with gentle heat and firms back up as it cools
Non-toxic, odorless and made in the USA by Chavant

View full details

Is Le Beau Touche safe under silicone mold rubber?

Yes. It is sulfur-free and Chavant rates it silicone friendly, so it will not inhibit platinum cure silicone the way sulfur-based clays can.

One caution from the datasheet: citrus solvents containing d-limonene, sometimes used to smooth clay, may cause inhibition. Smooth with naphtha, clear mineral spirits or 99% isopropyl alcohol instead.

Does this clay dry out or harden?

No. It is a non-drying oil and wax based plasteline, so it stays workable and can be reused job after job.

Clay that sits open to the air for a long time can skin over at the surface, so wrap it in plastic or keep it in a sealed container between jobs.

Why did my block arrive soft and sticky?

Le Beau Touche softens at 100 F (38 C) and gets noticeably soft and tacky above about 90 F (32 C), so a hot shop or a summer delivery will soften a block.

Let it cool to room temperature and it firms back up. The clay can be warmed and cooled repeatedly. If your shop runs hot year round, Chavant's HTR version is the firmer option.