March 20, 2008
Sanding Polymer Clay Beads - How to Make 'em Shine
Tip #41: Learn How To Sand Your Polymer Clay Properly If You Want Professional Looking Beads:
Sanding is probably THE most important step for getting your beads to look professional. My best advice here is to put as much time into getting a great finish on your polymer clay beads as you did making them in the first place.
Do this and the quality of your work will quickly surpass those of the lazy beaders… guaranteed!
>> Sanding Polymer Clay <<
"Basic Sanding Techniques" Video Description: The full version of this tutorial is available in my Beads and Beading Membership Club. As far as I'm concerned, sanding is one of the most important final steps to making your beads look elegant and classy. This video is the first part of a series where I demonstrate how to use all of the different kinds of wet-dry sandpapers and polishing grits on your polymer clay pendant and bead projects.
Spread the Word!
Filed under 03: Supplies, 10: Finishing by Cindy Lietz
Comments on Sanding Polymer Clay Beads - How to Make 'em Shine »
Fight the temptation to be lazy. Don't skip over this crucial last step of sanding your work. I have seen incredibly intricate cane works of art spoiled by a few ugly fingerprints that did not get sanded out after the baking process.
If you really hate to sand, then try very hard to avoid leaving fingerprints before you get to the baking stage.
If you find that your baked beads have a very uneven surface and that starting with the 320 grit would take too long to get a smooth surface, start the sanding process with some drywall mesh: Sanding Polymer Clay with Drywall Sandpaper Means Less Gouging
I just had to see what a polymer bead was…..
Well Tim, I hope it's opened up a whole new world for ya!
I make polymer pendant jewelry and would love to purchase your videos, however my husband gets mad when I clog up the computer. Can you burn them to a DVD?
Thanks,
Sarah
Hi Sarah - Thanks for your interest in my videos. They will be available very soon now in web video format. If there is enough demand for DVD's, I guess I'll have to look into that too.
BTW, the web videos stream on your computer which means they won't clog up your hard drive. The big advantage in using the web to deliver my polymer clay bead making videos is that I can upload new clips on regular basis.
Once I get all the "i's" dotted and "t's" crossed with the web publishing platform I'm using, the plan is to provide you with weekly video updates. This would be tough to do as frequently on DVD.
Now that this topic has been brought up, would anyone else like to share some thoughts about Web Video vs DVD preferences?
Cindy's last blog post..Polymer Clay Supplies From Unlikely Places