Hi !
Now that Polymer Clay ( from now referred to as PC) is quite easily available in India , I see a lot of people who are beginning to play with PC. Even though I am newbie as well , having the virtue of being a slightly older newbie , I get quite a few questions about PC. For the most part they are recurring , so I have decided to answer most questions here.
1. Is PC an air dry clay ?
: No. It needs to baked.
2. What temperature do we need to bake the clay at ?
: The temperature is mentioned on the cover of your clay.
Sculpey3/ Premo/souffle at 130 degree celcius , Kato at 135 degree celcius.
3. My clay packet does not have baking instructions. What can I do ?
: Most good quality clay's come with baking instructions as the baking temperature varies from brand to brand. If the baking temperature is not mentioned , you will have to experiment on your own and see which is the baking temperature.
A word of caution : Polymer clay burns if the temperature is too high , but it will be under-baked if the temperature is too low. The baking temperature may even vary from packet to packet of the same brand of clay where the temperature is not mentioned.
4. Can I bake my home made PC ?
No. Cold porcelain is also called as home made PC and that is an air dry clay.Their chemical composition is quite different , Cold porcelain being a PVA based clay and PC being a PVC based clay.
5. What can I do if I don't have an oven ?
To work with PC you need an oven. There are many brands of toaster ovens available in the market.
6. Can I use microwaves to bake PC ?
No. It is mentioned on most of the packs as well.
Here is a Video of what happens when you microwave clay , by claycupcakes4 on YouTube. If you go through the comments there are some who recommend using a bowl of water to cure clay in the microwave. I have not tried it this and I don't know if the clay was cooked through.
7. Can I use the pressure cooker or water in some form to cook PC ?
I would say no, Water evaporates at a 100 degree Celsius , and most clay brands need at least a temperature of 130 degree Celsius for it be correctly baked.
8. What oven should I buy ?
As long as the oven has a temperature control feature ( such as knobs) , you can buy any oven in your budget.
There are pros and cons to every oven out there. Go online and check out the various offers available along with the reviews. Speak to people have baking experience ( not necessarily clay) . Speak to electronic stores , check out guarantee / warranty offers.
Another thing to keep in mind are the projects you plan to do. For example if you intend to make large figurine's at some point in the future , ensure you buy an oven big enough to accommodate it.
9. What else do you use regularly while baking PC ?
I use an oven thermometer every time I bake.
Many , if not all ovens have temperature spikes, My oven spikes anywhere from 30 degree Celsius to 80 degree Celsius.If I don't use a thermometer , I will only know about burned projects once I smell them on opening the oven.
I need 2 aluminium containers to bake my projects in , and 2 Binder clips to keep it closed.
10. Do you burn projects ?
Yes. All of us burn projects at least once in a while.We may burn things due carelessness ( did not notice wrong temperature on the dial ) , or forgetfulness ( forgot to put the second aluminium cover on) , or because oven temperature suddenly spiked more than normal.Just like how a baby falls when they take first steps , we may burn things on the way to becoming artists. Don't let that stop you from loving clay :)
Hope this was useful to you . Please comment to give feedback or to add the other questions you commonly recieve , question will be added with due credit.
Thanks for reading have a good day !
Now that Polymer Clay ( from now referred to as PC) is quite easily available in India , I see a lot of people who are beginning to play with PC. Even though I am newbie as well , having the virtue of being a slightly older newbie , I get quite a few questions about PC. For the most part they are recurring , so I have decided to answer most questions here.
1. Is PC an air dry clay ?
: No. It needs to baked.
2. What temperature do we need to bake the clay at ?
: The temperature is mentioned on the cover of your clay.
Sculpey3/ Premo/souffle at 130 degree celcius , Kato at 135 degree celcius.
3. My clay packet does not have baking instructions. What can I do ?
: Most good quality clay's come with baking instructions as the baking temperature varies from brand to brand. If the baking temperature is not mentioned , you will have to experiment on your own and see which is the baking temperature.
A word of caution : Polymer clay burns if the temperature is too high , but it will be under-baked if the temperature is too low. The baking temperature may even vary from packet to packet of the same brand of clay where the temperature is not mentioned.
4. Can I bake my home made PC ?
No. Cold porcelain is also called as home made PC and that is an air dry clay.Their chemical composition is quite different , Cold porcelain being a PVA based clay and PC being a PVC based clay.
5. What can I do if I don't have an oven ?
To work with PC you need an oven. There are many brands of toaster ovens available in the market.
6. Can I use microwaves to bake PC ?
No. It is mentioned on most of the packs as well.
Here is a Video of what happens when you microwave clay , by claycupcakes4 on YouTube. If you go through the comments there are some who recommend using a bowl of water to cure clay in the microwave. I have not tried it this and I don't know if the clay was cooked through.
7. Can I use the pressure cooker or water in some form to cook PC ?
I would say no, Water evaporates at a 100 degree Celsius , and most clay brands need at least a temperature of 130 degree Celsius for it be correctly baked.
8. What oven should I buy ?
As long as the oven has a temperature control feature ( such as knobs) , you can buy any oven in your budget.
There are pros and cons to every oven out there. Go online and check out the various offers available along with the reviews. Speak to people have baking experience ( not necessarily clay) . Speak to electronic stores , check out guarantee / warranty offers.
Another thing to keep in mind are the projects you plan to do. For example if you intend to make large figurine's at some point in the future , ensure you buy an oven big enough to accommodate it.
9. What else do you use regularly while baking PC ?
I use an oven thermometer every time I bake.
Many , if not all ovens have temperature spikes, My oven spikes anywhere from 30 degree Celsius to 80 degree Celsius.If I don't use a thermometer , I will only know about burned projects once I smell them on opening the oven.
I need 2 aluminium containers to bake my projects in , and 2 Binder clips to keep it closed.
10. Do you burn projects ?
Yes. All of us burn projects at least once in a while.We may burn things due carelessness ( did not notice wrong temperature on the dial ) , or forgetfulness ( forgot to put the second aluminium cover on) , or because oven temperature suddenly spiked more than normal.Just like how a baby falls when they take first steps , we may burn things on the way to becoming artists. Don't let that stop you from loving clay :)
 |
| My very first project : BURNED ! |
Thanks for reading have a good day !
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