PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

FIMO Professional Dolphin Grey 454g - Professional Polymer Clay - Hobby Heaven

🎨 FIMO PROFESSIONAL 🎨

Dolphin Grey | 454g Block

Premium Polymer Clay | Professional Grade | Made in Germany

🎯 Why FIMO Professional Exists

FIMO Professional is not the beginner-friendly polymer clay you might have used in school. This is a firm, dimensionally stable formulation designed for artists who need their work to hold crisp detail, resist sagging during sculpting, and produce durable finished pieces. The trade-off? It requires proper conditioning before use – you can't just open the packet and start sculpting.

The Dolphin Grey shade is a neutral mid-tone that works as a base colour for realistic skin tones, stone effects, or as foundation for painting after baking. It's popular with doll makers, miniature sculptors, and jewellery artists who need a professional-quality polymer that won't let them down.

⚠️ Important: This Is NOT Beginner Clay

Let's be clear upfront: FIMO Professional is firm and requires significant hand conditioning (kneading) before it becomes pliable enough to work. If you're new to polymer clay or have hand strength issues, FIMO Soft or Sculpey Premo would be better choices. This clay is for people who already know what they're doing and need its specific properties.

Who Should Use FIMO Professional:

Experienced polymer clay artists familiar with conditioning techniques
Professional sculptors who need dimensional stability
Cane makers requiring firm clay that won't distort when sliced
Artists creating fine jewellery or detailed miniatures
People with access to pasta machines or clay conditioning tools

🔍 Material Properties

Property	What This Means
🔨 Firmness	Harder than Sculpey or FIMO Soft – resists deformation during work
📏 Dimensional Stability	Holds shape without sagging – critical for detailed work
✨ Detail Retention	Excellent – captures fine texture and crisp edges
🌡️ Baking Temp	110°C (230°F) for 30 minutes per 6mm thickness
💪 Post-Bake Strength	Very durable – resists breaking when dropped
🎨 Colour Stability	True-to-Life system – baked colour matches unbaked

💪 The Conditioning Challenge

Fresh from the packet, FIMO Professional is too firm to sculpt with directly. You need to condition it – that means kneading, folding, and working the clay until the heat from your hands and the mechanical action makes it pliable. This can take 10-15 minutes of solid work for a 454g block.

Conditioning Methods:

Method	Details
👐 Hand Conditioning	Cut into small chunks, knead each piece. Time-consuming but gives best feel for the clay
🍝 Pasta Machine	Most efficient – slice thinly, run through repeatedly, fold and repeat
💧 Softeners	Add drops of mineral oil, baby oil, or FIMO Quick Mix if clay is very hard
🌡️ Warming	Keep clay warm while working – body heat pocket, warm room helps significantly

⚠️ Warning: Under-conditioned FIMO Professional will crumble and crack during sculpting. If pieces are breaking off while you work, stop and condition more thoroughly. This is the #1 complaint from people who try this clay without understanding this requirement.

🎨 What Artists Make With This

🧚 Detailed Miniature Sculpting

Doll makers, miniature enthusiasts, and figurine artists choose FIMO Professional because it doesn't sag while you're working on fine facial features, tiny hands, or delicate clothing folds. The firm consistency means you can add a nose to a face without accidentally squashing the cheeks you just shaped.

Popular for: BJD dolls, 1:12 scale figures, fantasy miniatures, portrait sculptures

🌀 Cane Work (Millefiori)

Making canes – those patterned logs of clay that you slice to reveal intricate designs – requires clay that stays firm. FIMO Professional excels here because it won't distort when you reduce the cane diameter or slice through it. Soft clays compress and smear; this doesn't.

Perfect for: Complex pattern canes, face canes, precise geometrics, kaleidoscope effects

💍 Professional Jewellery

Jewellery artists need pieces that won't chip or break when worn daily. FIMO Professional's post-bake durability means earrings, pendants, and beads survive the real world. The Dolphin Grey works beautifully as a neutral base or can be painted with acrylics, alcohol inks, or metallic powders.

Common pieces: Statement earrings, textured pendants, decorative beads, mixed media components

🖼️ Sculptural Art Pieces

Artists creating gallery pieces or commission work appreciate that FIMO Professional produces archival-quality results. Properly baked pieces are lightfast and stable – they won't degrade over decades. The grey tone works for monochromatic pieces or serves as an underpainting layer.

Applications: Wall reliefs, standalone sculptures, mixed media assemblage, art dolls

🐬 Why Dolphin Grey?

This isn't just a random colour – Dolphin Grey is one of the most versatile shades in the FIMO Professional range:

Practical Uses:

Realistic skin tones: Mix with pink, beige, or brown to create natural flesh colours
Stone and concrete effects: Perfect base for faux granite, slate, or aged stone
Shadow tones: Add depth to any colour scheme without making it muddy
Painting base: Neutral enough to paint over with acrylics or oils
Metal simulation: Mix with metallics for pewter, steel, or aged silver effects
Neutral backgrounds: Frames, backings, or settings that don't compete with focal elements

FIMO's True-to-Life colour system means what you see unbaked is what you get after baking – the grey won't shift to brown or blue in the oven.

🔧 Technical Working Notes

✅ Best Practices

Temperature matters: Work in a warm room (20-24°C). Cold clay is harder to condition
Sectional conditioning: Cut the block into quarters, condition each separately
Colour mixing: FIMO Professional mixes well with other FIMO lines and most polymer brands
Tool selection: Metal tools work best – clay won't stick as much as to silicone
Baking accuracy: Use an oven thermometer – temperature variations cause brittleness
Support structures: Use armatures or baking supports for pieces over 2cm thick

🎨 After Baking

Once fully cured, FIMO Professional can be finished with:

Sanding (wet or dry, from 400 to 2000 grit for glass finish)
Buffing to a natural sheen
Painting with acrylics, oils, or alcohol inks
Varnishing (FIMO varnish or compatible polymer-safe sealers)
Drilling for findings or assembly

❌ Common Mistakes

Insufficient conditioning → crumbly, cracked work
Under-baking → brittle finished pieces that snap easily
Over-baking → darkening and potential burning
Using PVC tools → some plastics melt or react with polymer clay
Rushing the warm-up → trying to sculpt before clay is properly pliable

⚖️ Strengths & Limitations

✅ Why Professionals Choose It

Superior detail retention
Dimensional stability (no sagging)
Excellent post-bake durability
True-to-Life colour accuracy
Perfect for cane work
Professional finish quality
Wide colour range

⚠️ Challenges to Expect

Requires significant conditioning
Can crumble if under-conditioned
Not suitable for beginners
Tiring for hand conditioning
Higher price point
May leave slight residue on hands
Needs pasta machine for best results

💭 Bottom Line: If you're experienced with polymer clay and need professional-quality results, FIMO Professional delivers. If you want something softer and easier to work with right from the packet, look at FIMO Soft, Sculpey Premo, or Cernit Number One instead.

📋 Product Specifications

Brand	FIMO (Staedtler)
Product Line	FIMO Professional (formerly Classic)
Colour	Dolphin Grey (True-to-Life #80)
Weight	454g (1lb block)
Firmness	Firm (requires conditioning)
Baking Temperature	110°C (230°F)
Baking Time	30 minutes per 6mm (¼") thickness
Skill Level	Intermediate to Advanced
Made In	Germany

✨ Best Suited For

Experienced Polymer Artists – You know how to condition and work firm clay
Miniature Sculptors – Need dimensional stability for detailed work
Cane Makers – Require clay that won't distort when sliced
Professional Jewellers – Creating durable wearable pieces
Doll Artists – Working on BJD faces, hands, or detailed figures
Gallery Artists – Need archival quality for commissioned work
Advanced Students – Ready to move beyond beginner clays

🏆 HOBBY HEAVEN 🏆

Your UK source for professional sculpting materials. We stock the full FIMO range plus tools, mediums, and finishing supplies.

Fast UK dispatch | Secure packaging | Family-run business

Questions about polymer clay selection or techniques?

We work with these materials regularly – honest advice available!

FIMO Professional Dolphin Grey 454g - Professional Polymer Clay - Hobby Heaven 🎨 FIMO PROFESSIONAL 🎨 Dolphin Grey | 454g Block Premium Polymer Clay | Professional Grade | Made in Germany 🎯 Why FIMO Professional Exists FIMO Professional is not the beginner-friendly polymer clay you might have used in school. This is a firm, dimensionally stable formulation designed for artists who need their work to hold crisp detail, resist sagging during sculpting, and produce durable finished pieces. The trade-off? It requires proper conditioning before use – you can't just open the packet and start sculpting. The Dolphin Grey shade is a neutral mid-tone that works as a base colour for realistic skin tones, stone effects, or as foundation for painting after baking. It's popular with doll makers, miniature sculptors, and jewellery artists who need a professional-quality polymer that won't let them down. ⚠️ Important: This Is NOT Beginner Clay Let's be clear upfront: FIMO Professional is firm and requires significant hand conditioning (kneading) before it becomes pliable enough to work. If you're new to polymer clay or have hand strength issues, FIMO Soft or Sculpey Premo would be better choices. This clay is for people who already know what they're doing and need its specific properties. Who Should Use FIMO Professional: Experienced polymer clay artists familiar with conditioning techniques Professional sculptors who need dimensional stability Cane makers requiring firm clay that won't distort when sliced Artists creating fine jewellery or detailed miniatures People with access to pasta machines or clay conditioning tools 🔍 Material Properties Property What This Means 🔨 Firmness Harder than Sculpey or FIMO Soft – resists deformation during work 📏 Dimensional Stability Holds shape without sagging – critical for detailed work ✨ Detail Retention Excellent – captures fine texture and crisp edges 🌡️ Baking Temp 110°C (230°F) for 30 minutes per 6mm thickness 💪 Post-Bake Strength Very durable – resists breaking when dropped 🎨 Colour Stability True-to-Life system – baked colour matches unbaked 💪 The Conditioning Challenge Fresh from the packet, FIMO Professional is too firm to sculpt with directly. You need to condition it – that means kneading, folding, and working the clay until the heat from your hands and the mechanical action makes it pliable. This can take 10-15 minutes of solid work for a 454g block. Conditioning Methods: Method Details 👐 Hand Conditioning Cut into small chunks, knead each piece. Time-consuming but gives best feel for the clay 🍝 Pasta Machine Most efficient – slice thinly, run through repeatedly, fold and repeat 💧 Softeners Add drops of mineral oil, baby oil, or FIMO Quick Mix if clay is very hard 🌡️ Warming Keep clay warm while working – body heat pocket, warm room helps significantly ⚠️ Warning: Under-conditioned FIMO Professional will crumble and crack during sculpting. If pieces are breaking off while you work, stop and condition more thoroughly. This is the #1 complaint from people who try this clay without understanding this requirement. 🎨 What Artists Make With This 🧚 Detailed Miniature Sculpting Doll makers, miniature enthusiasts, and figurine artists choose FIMO Professional because it doesn't sag while you're working on fine facial features, tiny hands, or delicate clothing folds. The firm consistency means you can add a nose to a face without accidentally squashing the cheeks you just shaped. Popular for: BJD dolls, 1:12 scale figures, fantasy miniatures, portrait sculptures 🌀 Cane Work (Millefiori) Making canes – those patterned logs of clay that you slice to reveal intricate designs – requires clay that stays firm. FIMO Professional excels here because it won't distort when you reduce the cane diameter or slice through it. Soft clays compress and smear; this doesn't. Perfect for: Complex pattern canes, face canes, precise geometrics, kaleidoscope effects 💍 Professional Jewellery Jewellery artists need pieces that won't chip or break when worn daily. FIMO Professional's post-bake durability means earrings, pendants, and beads survive the real world. The Dolphin Grey works beautifully as a neutral base or can be painted with acrylics, alcohol inks, or metallic powders. Common pieces: Statement earrings, textured pendants, decorative beads, mixed media components 🖼️ Sculptural Art Pieces Artists creating gallery pieces or commission work appreciate that FIMO Professional produces archival-quality results. Properly baked pieces are lightfast and stable – they won't degrade over decades. The grey tone works for monochromatic pieces or serves as an underpainting layer. Applications: Wall reliefs, standalone sculptures, mixed media assemblage, art dolls 🐬 Why Dolphin Grey? This isn't just a random colour – Dolphin Grey is one of the most versatile shades in the FIMO Professional range: Practical Uses: Realistic skin tones: Mix with pink, beige, or brown to create natural flesh colours Stone and concrete effects: Perfect base for faux granite, slate, or aged stone Shadow tones: Add depth to any colour scheme without making it muddy Painting base: Neutral enough to paint over with acrylics or oils Metal simulation: Mix with metallics for pewter, steel, or aged silver effects Neutral backgrounds: Frames, backings, or settings that don't compete with focal elements FIMO's True-to-Life colour system means what you see unbaked is what you get after baking – the grey won't shift to brown or blue in the oven. 🔧 Technical Working Notes ✅ Best Practices Temperature matters: Work in a warm room (20-24°C). Cold clay is harder to condition Sectional conditioning: Cut the block into quarters, condition each separately Colour mixing: FIMO Professional mixes well with other FIMO lines and most polymer brands Tool selection: Metal tools work best – clay won't stick as much as to silicone Baking accuracy: Use an oven thermometer – temperature variations cause brittleness Support structures: Use armatures or baking supports for pieces over 2cm thick 🎨 After Baking Once fully cured, FIMO Professional can be finished with: Sanding (wet or dry, from 400 to 2000 grit for glass finish) Buffing to a natural sheen Painting with acrylics, oils, or alcohol inks Varnishing (FIMO varnish or compatible polymer-safe sealers) Drilling for findings or assembly ❌ Common Mistakes Insufficient conditioning → crumbly, cracked work Under-baking → brittle finished pieces that snap easily Over-baking → darkening and potential burning Using PVC tools → some plastics melt or react with polymer clay Rushing the warm-up → trying to sculpt before clay is properly pliable ⚖️ Strengths & Limitations ✅ Why Professionals Choose It Superior detail retention Dimensional stability (no sagging) Excellent post-bake durability True-to-Life colour accuracy Perfect for cane work Professional finish quality Wide colour range ⚠️ Challenges to Expect Requires significant conditioning Can crumble if under-conditioned Not suitable for beginners Tiring for hand conditioning Higher price point May leave slight residue on hands Needs pasta machine for best results 💭 Bottom Line: If you're experienced with polymer clay and need professional-quality results, FIMO Professional delivers. If you want something softer and easier to work with right from the packet, look at FIMO Soft, Sculpey Premo, or Cernit Number One instead. 📋 Product Specifications Brand FIMO (Staedtler) Product Line FIMO Professional (formerly Classic) Colour Dolphin Grey (True-to-Life #80) Weight 454g (1lb block) Firmness Firm (requires conditioning) Baking Temperature 110°C (230°F) Baking Time 30 minutes per 6mm (¼") thickness Skill Level Intermediate to Advanced Made In Germany ✨ Best Suited For Experienced Polymer Artists – You know how to condition and work firm clay Miniature Sculptors – Need dimensional stability for detailed work Cane Makers – Require clay that won't distort when sliced Professional Jewellers – Creating durable wearable pieces Doll Artists – Working on BJD faces, hands, or detailed figures Gallery Artists – Need archival quality for commissioned work Advanced Students – Ready to move beyond beginner clays 🏆 HOBBY HEAVEN 🏆 Your UK source for professional sculpting materials. We stock the full FIMO range plus tools, mediums, and finishing supplies. Fast UK dispatch | Secure packaging | Family-run business Questions about polymer clay selection or techniques? We work with these materials regularly – honest advice available!

Specifications

Brand FIMO
MPN CH29717
Country of Origin Germany
EAN 4007817053836

ABOUT US

Welcome to Hobby Heaven!

We're a brand built by passionate hobbyists for hobbyists. Our mission is to support all your creative endeavors, whether you're into modeling, wargaming, crafting, or art. As enthusiasts ourselves, we understand the importance of quality supplies at affordable prices.

Our carefully curated selection of high-quality materials is designed to inspire and empower hobbyists and artists alike. We're particularly proud of our innovative, cost-effective basing system - a game-changer for modelers and wargamers looking for professional results without breaking the bank.

At Hobby Heaven, we're dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and ensuring your creative projects are a success. Our team is always ready to offer advice, share techniques, or help you find the perfect supplies for your next masterpiece.

Thank you for choosing us as your trusted partner in creativity. We're excited to be part of your hobby journey!

PAYMENT

We accept payment by PayPal and Credit / Debit cards entered on eBay only. You must be registered with PayPal or eBay to buy from us.

SHIPPING

We primarily use RM24 for shipping, and we can arrange other courier services upon request. For large international shipments, we utilize FedEx. Once your order has been dispatched, you will receive tracking information. For domestic deliveries, the estimated arrival time is usually 1-4 days.

RETURNS

Please ensure that all items are returned in their original condition. Returns are processed within 1-2 business days of receipt. Refunds are issued minus the original shipping cost. All returns are handled in accordance with eBay's policies.

At Hobby Heaven, we strive to provide our customers with the best possible online shopping experience. Our commitment to excellent customer service extends well beyond the delivery of your order.

We encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding your purchase. The most convenient way to contact us is through the eBay messaging system.

Our dedicated customer service team responds to messages within 24 hours, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM GMT.

Your satisfaction is our top priority. We're here to help and look forward to assisting you!

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING ABOUT US

As listed, well packed and prompt delivery - good to do business with	fat_paulie_g (1676 )
As listed, well packed and prompt delivery - good to do business with	fat_paulie_g (1676 )
Great item, quick delivery, well packaged, smooth transaction, many thanks!	sherlocknumb (1194 )
Fine product and well packaged	anthonykwebs (497 )
Amazing thanks	actionmynett (791 )