polymer clay and pewter

[bubba]

I have read that polymer clay needs to be baked after sculpting/modeling. Does it shrink during this process? How fine and detailed can it get?

Can polymer clay be formed around an object, baked, and used as the mold for pouring pewter?

Where does a person get polymer clay? Anything special to look for or ask for?

And somewhat related...has anyone used casting wax to sculpt a shape prior to casting? How does the casting wax compare to polymer clay for sculpting and picking up detail?

Yes, you can use polymer clay. Shrinkage is insignificant and you can get as detailed as your skills allow. I wouldn't try using it for a break away type mold however. It isn't really a clay substance and doesn't fracture easily. You'd probably damage your casting. You can get it at most any craft shop, it's a fairly common item in making some types of jewelry. If you intend to try lost wax casting you might have some problems since the mold would have to be a two part affair.