April 15, 2008
Baking Polymer Clay Pendants in a Ceramic Tile Sandwich
Vid #40: How To Bake Polymer Clay Pendants So You Don't Have To Spend As Much Time Sanding and Finishing:
Some of the first pendants I made with polymer clay ended up looking horrible because no one showed me how to bake them properly. Eventually I learned though. And now I can help you to avoid making some of the same mistakes that I made as a beginner.
During the baking process, it's best to sandwich your flat piece of polymer clay between two ceramic tiles. Make sure the ceramic tiles have a smooth glazed finish on the side that is next to the clay. Also, it's best to use white card stock or parchment paper layered in between the clay and the actual tile surface.
This technique will keep both the front and the back side of your jewelry pendant as smooth as possible as it is baking. And what this really means is less time required for final sanding, buffing and finishing.
>> Baking Polymer Clay Pendants <<
"Baking Flat Pendants" Video Description: The full version of this tutorial is available in my Beads and Beading Membership Club. There are a few tricks to baking polymer pendants so they remain flat and smooth. In this video I show you what to do AND what not to do.
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Filed under 10: Finishing by Cindy Lietz
Comments on Baking Polymer Clay Pendants in a Ceramic Tile Sandwich »
To avoid trapping air bubbles in your flat sheet of clay, you first need to condition it properly using a polymer clay pasta machine.
Cindy last blog post..When Baking Beads, It's OK to Sometimes Break the Rules
When baking polymer clay items that need to be flat can you also use one of those new non-stick baking sheets that they are selling or will they leave a funky residue or "shine" on the bead?
If you are baking them with the ceramic tiles do you have to increase or decrease the baking time?
Are you talking about one of those silicon mats like the Silpat liners? I'm not sure if they would be good or not. Might be great… might be horrible… would have to test that.
When you bake on a ceramic tile it does even out the temperature so you can bake it longer. I recommend baking for way longer than the package says. To learn more on that technique click on the 'baking beads' link by my name.
Where can you get a couple of ceramic tiles?
Places Like Home Depot and many tile shops, sell single ceramic tiles. The color doesn't matter though they should be as smooth as possible so texture doesn't get transferred to the clay.
Does the baking time change using the ceramic tiles? I'm concerned my pieces may have not baked long enough sandwiched in between two ceramic tiles. Is there a way to tell if a polymer clay piece is baked long enough?
It is a good idea to increase the baking time when baking between tiles. I always bake all my beads for 1 hr anyways so this seem to be adequate. You can't really tell that easy if your clay is baked hard enough without breaking it, though it does feel harder and sands nicer when it is baked right. Kind of something you get a feel for over time. Thanks for the comment Lisa!
Thank you Cindy for your answer! Wow, you bake your beads for an hour! That is great to know. I was afraid to bake too long, thought it would burn the clay. And that was going to be another question on mine… how can you rebake pieces (after adding raw clay to it) without burning the previously baked piece. But, I guess that burning the clay has only to do with the oven temperature? Would an hour at 275 degrees be safe?