Fri, Mar 2, 07 at 6:48 PM
Author:Bev Gelfand
Subject:Problems with curing clay
First, thanks go out to Jack for starting up this forum! I'm sure we'll all get a lot out of it!
Anyone have any suggestions for curing ProSculpt without burning it to a crisp? I make very small dolls (usually under 10"), and if I bake them at 265 for 10 minutes (in a convection oven, hence the slightly lower temp), they come out purple (yes, my latest batch of clay turns purple when overcooked, not brown like older batches). I don't usually have clay any thicker than the recommended 1/4", but if I take the parts out of the oven when the smaller bits are cured, the thicker bits aren't, and if I leave them in the oven long enough for the thicker bits to cure, fingers and toes (and other small stuff) get crispy.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
Bev
Fri, Mar 2, 07 at 6:53 PM
Author:Kate Clegg
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Hi Bev! Isn't this an awesome thing. Now I don't know if this will work or not, but what if you lightly wrap your piece in poly stuffing. I have used it in the oven to prop things up and it did not burn. I am just thinking it might work as an insulator of types to help. Let me know if it works. Have a great weekend! Kate
Fri, Mar 2, 07 at 6:58 PM
Author:Bev Gelfand
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Hmm. Thanks, I'll give that a try. I tried tenting with foil, but all that did was insulate the bits the wrong way, and they turned BLACK! LOL. Fortunately, those were dragon teeth and horns, so it didn't matter - actually turned out really cool looking, and super-strong!
Bev
Fri, Mar 2, 07 at 7:00 PM
Author:Bev Gelfand
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Hmm. Thanks, I'll give that a try. I tried tenting with foil, but all that did was insulate the bits the wrong way, and they turned BLACK! LOL. Fortunately, those were dragon teeth and horns, so it didn't matter - actually turned out really cool looking, and super-strong!
Bev
Fri, Mar 2, 07 at 7:07 PM
Author:Kate Clegg
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Hope it works! Let me know. Thanks for replying to my question so quickly, too. At least the black teeth and horns worked into the piece. :) Kate
Fri, Mar 2, 07 at 10:05 PM
Author:Jack Johnston
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Sculpting very small hands and feet etc. with a full body is a challenge. One thing I recommend to solve that problem is by making the torso first and curing it in the oven and then sculpting the arms and legs in a second curing. That way you can cure the body for 15 minutes at 275 degrees and then cure it again with the arms and legs attached. This will give the body an additional 10 minutes to cure, but won't burn the thin body parts. Try it and let me know what you think.
Sat, Mar 3, 07 at 12:56 PM
Author:Jack Johnston
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Mark Dennis shows how to sculpt a body torso without the head and limbs attatched. He adds the arms and legs after the body is cured. He actually cures the arms and legs seperate from the torso for a shorter period of time. By doing this he is able to cure the body for a longer time and then cure the limbs at a shorter time. As you may know ProSculpt Publishing published his book, so I worked on it hand in hand with Mark during the writing and publishing period. Mark never has burning problems with his bodies or torsos using this method. It is a wonderful book and is well worth having if you are sculpting full body sculpts. You may read about the book and see his sculpts at www.artdolls.com.
I've found by my personal experience that the only times I have curing problems is when I don't follow the instructions on back of the package. One of the common errors is curing the parts for too long. If you will make the thickness of the clay no more than 1/4 inch thick it will cure perfectly. Just make the torso out of wire and aluminum foil to the thickness you want the doll to be minus just enough room to put 1/4 inch of clay over the armature. The mistake has been made to measure the thickness of the doll from front to back counting the total thickness. This is wrong. You should only be measuring the thickness of the skin, not the thickness of the doll. For example, if you have 1/4 inch of clay on the front, an armature that is 1 inch thick and 1/4 inch of thickness on the back the clay is still 1/4 inch thick, not 1 and 1/2" of thickness. If you understand this paragraph it should prevent burning the clay. If you don't understand, call me toll free I will go over it with you personally until it is clear. I want you to be satisfied with your clay, not frustrated.
Sat, Mar 3, 07 at 5:44 PM
Author:Bev Gelfand
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Thanks Jack, for your input. I'm not having any problems with clay that's 1/4" thick - just the small/thin bits. I find that on a full sculpt, if I cook the body first, and then add smaller features, the clay can sometimes turn slightly darker on the parts that have been previously cured. Especially with the faces - the noses and ears get too dark if not burnt, especially on a second go-round. I think I will try doing the full sculpt, but then cut off the head, hands and feet, and then cure the body. Once the body is cured, then I can re-attach the thinner head/hands/feet and cure it again. I suppose at some point, there is a certain amount of experimentation involved, since ovens vary, and of course, moving downward into smaller and smaller dolls creates new challenges too, LOL. Always figures, though, that when you get a really good sculpt going, that's when you burn it, LOL. Anyhow, I'll give your suggestions a try, along with a few possible modifications and experiments - I'm sure I can get it figured out eventually! :) Thanks again, Bev
Sat, Mar 3, 07 at 11:27 PM
Author:Debbie Weimert
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Bev, have you tested to make sure your oven temperature is correct? I always put a thermometer in the oven with the sculpt and watch to see what the temp on the thermometer is. I have never had an oven that is correct yet. LOL. So I am wondering if your oven is either spiking at some point during the baking or if the temp is off and running higher than the setting.
Debbie
Sun, Mar 4, 07 at 4:01 PM
Author:Jack Johnston
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
If the nose, ears or fingers are turning dark it is because the oven is too hot or your body parts are getting too close to the coils in the oven. If you will test small pieces of clay in your oven at 275 degrees for ten minutes they should be perfect. Baking them a second time at the same time and temperature should not effect their color. Using a termometer in every curing is essential. You may actually want to watch the thermometer for the full time the parts are in the oven until you know the oven is accurate. Most ovens are of from 25-40 degrees. They are generally hotter than expected. The clay will not turn colors until it reaches 294 degrees. We test the clay in commercial ovens with a camera, so we know exactly when they turn. Debbie is right, ovens will spike. Curing clay is a perfect science. It will not turn colors until it reaches too high of a temperature. The clay will fuse at 275 degrees and be perfectly hard, below that temperature it will not fuse and will eventually break in time. Above 275 degrees it will turn color and eventually turn black and catch of fire. Please, do not experiment beyond 275 degrees, just read the instructions on the back of the package and follow them. We have already done the testing in controlled environments. We have cured the clay at all temperatures and found only one tempeture that is right for the clay, 275 degrees. If you have questions you cannot resolve, you may call me personally (its a free call) at 800-290-9998. I will be very kind and do our best to solve your problem.
Sun, Mar 4, 07 at 7:25 PM
Author:Sharon Stephens
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
I am making a full body sculp and have problems with cracking and half moon circles. I have glued the cracks and refired but they return. What am I doing wrong? Also I have so many half moons, what can I do with them?
Thanks, Sharon
Sun, Mar 4, 07 at 10:28 PM
Author:Jack Johnston
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Half moons are a product of over heating. If you will call me personally I will help you avoid the cracking problem. Call me toll free at 800-290-9998. Good luck!
Mon, Mar 5, 07 at 1:14 AM
Author:Nancy Frias
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Hi Jack,
First time posting here, but I was wondering if you would share the procedure with avoiding the cracking problem and moonies with all of us.
Nancy
Tue, Mar 6, 07 at 11:38 AM
Author:Jack Johnston
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay and avoiding cracks and moonies
Cracking in polymer clay is a problem that has been around as long as polymer clay has. Moonies are also as old as polymer clay. Both of them can be avoided most of the time, but not always. Cracks are generally caused by making a weak place in the clay when you sculpt the doll. For example, if you make the clay very thin at the corner of the eyes or mouth you have given the clay a place to crack. It is much like the surface of the earth. If there is a fracture in the earths surface a slight trimmer or heating of the surface will cause a crack. To avoid cracking make sure all seams are well stitched together when you first put the clay on the face. Do not sculpt the corners of the mouth to a sharp point at the corners as that will give the clay a place to crack.
Moonies are caused by microscopic water droplets in the clay. If they are too close to the skin when it is cured the water turns to steam and escapes through the surface. Stretching the clay while you are smoothing the skin brings the water droplets closer to the surface. You may help avoid this by applying the clay without stretching is across the face. Another thing that causes moonies is over heating the clay. Do not get the surface of the face too close to the coils and do not allow your oven to exceed 275 degrees. Moonies are generally not a problem with ProSculpt, but they can sometimes occure. If you wish to remove them when they do show up you can cut them out and replace the mark with fresh clay and re-cure the head. Call me if you have further questions.
Thu, Oct 4, 07 at 10:38 PM
Author:Jami Ross
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay and avoiding cracks and moonies
I have a terrible time with my clay cracking. Although I think some ?s have been answered after reading everybody's thoughts.
Jack mentioned something about not stetching the clay when smothing it. I don't think I understand this.
Jami
Sat, Apr 14, 07 at 4:03 PM
Author:Dottie.. ( Dorothy ) Clark
Subject:Re: Problems with curing clay
Hi fellow dolly artists. I'm surprised I haven't seen my method here. I use the same stuffing that I use for the bodies. I wrap this around the parts I want to protect. Fingers, and toes, and even the hair. Sometimes we have to repair or add to; so the doll goes into the oven numerous times. No problem when you wrap them.. No more dark appendeges. One thing to watch for; If the stuffing is too thick, it might keep the heat from properly baking around that area. Such as, you're covered the head to protect the hair, and you've worked on the ears, or the eyes, it may not bake as well. After a few times doing this, you can figure out what's best for you. Hope this helps.
Hugs, Dottie