Does anyone know where I can buy some modeling clay in Taipei?
It doesn’t necessarily have to be high-quality (although that would be OK, too), but I’m looking for clay that will retain its shape and won’t dry up.
So, not really Play-doh or children’s clay, but something a bit better.
I’ll be checking art supply stores (I think there are some near Shida Lu), but if anyone has any specific recommendations, they would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
The local stationery stores have paper clay, but that dries up. Try Ba da art supply first;
EDIT: Bada has moved as of Sept. 2009; the new address, below, is about two alleys south of Grandma Nitti’s, and one alley to the east (Long2quan2), right next to a small park, on a corner.
台北市龍泉街87巷6號 Long2quan2 St., (one alley east of and parallel to Shi1da4 Rd.), Lane 87, #6. 2363-9307.
If you can’t find any, you could then try to make your own. I’ve heard sculptors do this and have read that plasticine (non-drying modeling clay), aka plastilina, is made chiefly of stearic acid (硬脂酸), calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and petroleum jelly.
You could try getting those at Tianshui St. and mixing them to see what you get. I don’t know the proportions, but maybe you could search sculpting forums? I were you I’d experiment, and would try melting, say, 1/2 c. stearin in a double boiler on low heat just until it melts, turn the heat off, let it cool a little but while still melted add 1 Tbsp. petrolatum, and then 1/2 c. of CaCO3, stir well, pour into a disposable cup, and let it sit an hour to congeal, then try kneading it to see if it’s workable. If too sticky, add more CaCO3. You would add colors by melting a crayon or candle color flakes with the stearin, once you’ve got the recipe worked out.
I’m picking up some stearic acid tomorrow morning anyway, so I might get a bit of CaCO3 and try this myself. 
When I was shopping for Christmas presents at ToysRUs I almost bought a little pottery set. It has a wheel and comes with some clay and beside it were packs of clay refill. I think you had to mix it. I decided to buy a electric dog instead.
Thanks for the replies.
DB, I will be checking out the Shida area in the next week or so (hope that this rain will stop soon). I haven’t been in those small lanes and alleys for a while, but I do remember the art supply store that you mentioned. And please do let us know how your own clay-making experiment turns out. I am going to forego the DIY route for the time being, but it’s a path I may end up taking at some point in the future.
Doc, I was in Toys 'r Us for some Christmas shopping, but I must have missed the clay-and-pottery-wheel set. I did see plenty of Play-doh there, though, and even a Play-doh ice-cream dispenser.
In any case, thanks to you both for the info.
[quote=“fee”]Thanks for the replies.
DB, I will be checking out the Shida area in the next week or so (hope that this rain will stop soon). I haven’t been in those small lanes and alleys for a while, but I do remember the art supply store that you mentioned. And please do let us know how your own clay-making experiment turns out. I am going to forego the DIY route for the time being, but it’s a path I may end up taking at some point in the future.
Doc, I was in Toys 'r Us for some Christmas shopping, but I must have missed the clay-and-pottery-wheel set. I did see plenty of Play-doh there, though, and even a Play-doh ice-cream dispenser.
In any case, thanks to you both for the info.[/quote]
The Toys r us on Linshen N road. Just past Thomas the Tank Engine and behind the Crayola display, on the wall there’s a bunch of marked down toys. It’s on the bottom row at the extreme right.
[quote=“Dr. McCoy”][quote=“fee”]Thanks for the replies.
DB, I will be checking out the Shi-Da area in the next week or so (hope that this rain will stop soon). I haven’t been in those small lanes and alleys for a while, but I do remember the art supply store that you mentioned. And please do let us know how your own clay-making experiment turns out. I am going to forego the DIY route for the time being, but it’s a path I may end up taking at some point in the future.
Doc, I was in Toys 'r Us for some Christmas shopping, but I must have missed the clay-and-pottery-wheel set. I did see plenty of Play-doh there, though, and even a Play-doh ice-cream dispenser.
In any case, thanks to you both for the info.[/quote]
The Toys r us on Linsen N road. Just past Thomas the Tank Engine and behind the Crayola display, on the wall there’s a bunch of marked down toys. It’s on the bottom row at the extreme right.[/quote]
Thanks. I was in the Nanjing-Tunhua branch (Asiaworld).
Hmm . . . it’s been marked down, too. Could be a real find there.
Thanks again.
fee;
I have seen it at “Hands T…” in Breeze. I haven’t been there in a while but I’m sure they will still have it.