Have you used FIMO modelling clay?

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Can you tell me how long it stays 'workable' for and does it ever go completely hard? Can you paint it afterwards? I know it comes in different colours but I'm thinking of using it to create as exact copy of a piece of carved wood that's fallen off a painted piece of furniture.

Used to growing up, never for your purpose though.

Not tried painting it but can confirm it stays hard for a v long time. Easy to work.

As a kid yes. You bake it and it is hard as concrete, it doesn't soften.

Haven’t used it for a few years but I think as long as you keep it well wrapped up it should stay pliant for a fair while. So if you didn’t use a whole packet you could go back a while later and make something else

It doesn't air dry so you don't need to wrap it up but if you want to keep lint away from it it's best to. If it goes hard you can soften it by massaging baby oil or liquid polymer clay into it. You can paint it after baking but use something solvent free as you don't want it to have a bad reaction with the clay. Acrylic is best.

It stays workable for a quite a while but if left uncovered it will eventually go rock hard. I had some stuff that went really tough but I worked it for ages and it came back, I had sore hands afterwards though.

You should wear gloves while working with it btw, it's not good for you.

I think you might be better off with air dry clay if you want to paint it?

FIMO should stay soft until you bake it in the oven. Saying that, it does seem to have some sort of use by date. Unbaked stuff goes brittle and unworkable after a few years, even when in the packet.

I prefer Sculpley.

I don't like the fibres in air dry clay. I haven't heard of Sculpley so I'll look that up