While a full, in-depth break down of our products is available on our main Products Page, consider this the CliffNotes version of things!
Worbla’s product line covers a wide range of plastics, but they can be broken down into three categories:
Standard Sheet Products:
These sheets are the most commonly used of our products, and the most commonly referenced online and in tutorials. They have similar properties with small differences that can make specific applications easier/faster, but they can be used interchangeably on most projects, the biggest difference being in finishing time when a smooth surface is needed and level of self adhesion to other products and themselves. All sheet products are roughly 1mm thick.
Worbla’s Finest Art:
Our most popular product, Finest Art is brown, made from plastic and wood, is very self adhesive with good stretch over complex curves and a textured finish similar to orange peel when worked, which can be primed before painting.
Worbla’s Black Art and Worbla’s Pearly Art:
Sister products to Finest Art, these are black or white sheets made from plastic (no wood), with slightly less adhesive and stretch than Finest Art but with a far smoother surface. These are often used instead of or in tandem with Finest Art for builds that require a smoother surface before priming and painting. Black Art is especially used for fine detail sculpting, as the adhesive has the largest amount of forgiveness, allowing artists to place pieces and remove them to correct details with minimal damage.
Worbla’s Flame Red Art:
Specifically designed for theatre productions, Flame Red behaves as a cross between Black and Finest Art (great stretch, smoother surface, adhesive but forgiving), and is suggested for builds that will benefit from its flame retardant properties. (More information can be found here.)
Specialty Sheet Products:
These products are less commonly used compared to our standard sheets, with more specific applications.
Worbla’s TranspArt / Transpa Art:
Designed to avoid the pitfalls of PET and acrylic plastics, TranspArt offers a translucent, flexible, resilient plastic that stays workable for minutes instead of seconds and cannot be shattered. TranspArt is solvent stable and can be dyed and glued, and has some self adhesive properties. It’s often used to create water, ice, and flame effects. TranspArt activates at 120° C or 250° F and requires gloves to be worked safely.
Worbla’s Mesh Art
Designed for when strength is needed, especially over curves, Mesh Art blends our thermoplastic base with a structural plastic mesh. Still capable of making domes and complex shapes, Mesh Art is the most adhesive of all of our products on its smooth side, making it useful not only as a build product but also as something that can be used to create on-site repairs to props and scenery or to reinforce rigging and attachments.
Worbla’s Kobracast Art
The thinnest and lightest of our materials, Kobracast is a fabric gauze overlaid with our thermoplastic base. Kobracast is exceptionally flexible and can be molded around extreme curves and shapes and then simply ‘peeled’ off to create under-structures, or laminated to fabrics to allow for complex fabric manipulation far more durable than traditional methods. It’s often used for fabric manipulation in hats and as structural elements in collars and cuffs, or as a very lightweight reinforcing skin for large foam builds.
Our Pellet Products
We have two plastic products that come in pellet form: Worbla’s Deco Art and Worbla’s Crystal Art. It’s important to note that these plastics are not simply pellet forms of our sheet plastics, but rather their own specific products with different properties. Our pellet products can be tinted or dyed with polyester dyes and are solvent stable. Just like the rest of our line, these plastics are self adhesive, can be activated endlessly, and have no shelf life.
Worbla’s DecoArt
Opaque white pellets that when heated blend into a fluid smooth plastic, you can use Deco Art for quick casting and molding or simple sculpted details, custom made hand grips, and quick repairs. Deco Art sets up as a super smooth plastic that makes excellent mascot teeth and eyes, and can be used to fill voids or smooth joins on other Worbla sheet builds. Deco Art has a low thermal transfer, meaning it is easier to handle and sculpt for those sensitive to heat.
Worbla’s Crystal Art
Translucent, rubber-like pellets designed to be an alternative to casting for translucent results. These pellets need to be blended by hand when heated, then shaped or pushed into a mold. Crystal Art cools quickly and ‘sets up’ in a matter of minutes, allowing you to create crystals and gems and other translucent looks with speed and ease. Finished pieces are flexible and can be used for various lighting effects with LEDs.
Notes on Temperature Ranges
Most Worbla products activate at around 90°C or 195°F and can be shaped by hand, though work gloves may be more comfortable for some.
Worbla’s TranspArt and Crystal Art, however, activate 120° C or 250° F (above boiling) and require gloves to be worked safely.