Comments on: Sculpey Polymer Clay Tutorials – Baking Sculpey Clay Without Burning

By: Linda K.

Linda K. — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 18:05:15 +0000

@June S.: I’m not sure what you mean by clay looking “partially raw.” Sculpey III clay has a tendency to change color a bit as it cures, but other than that there is no real way to see if it’s “raw.” What happens is that the clay goes from soft to hard and that’s not something you can really see. If you bake your clay, as Cindy suggests, at 265 for 1 hour it should be totally cured. You cannot overbake most polymer clay by cooking it too long, but you can overbake it if the temperature spikes above 275.

Translucent clay is a little different and, depending on the brand, it can yellow a bit as it cures. In fact, you can overbake the translucent clay. You should do a search in the upper left corner on this page for “baking translucent clay” to learn all the tricks.

By: June S.

June S. — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 18:19:06 +0000

Hi. I bought small packs of Sculpey to create some thick buttons for a fabric project I am working on. I have worked in regular clay before but never polymer clay so I’m not sure what they are supposed to look like when they are completely cured. The buttons are about an inch thick in the biggest area and so I baked them on 275 degrees for 30 minutes then another 45 minutes. Since they looked partially “raw”, I baked another 45 minutes. They are cooling in the OFF oven now. How can I be sure what they are supposed to look like when done? Once they cool, how can I tell if they need to bake more? Also, one of the colors I bought was translucent, but it looks a funny yellow color now. How do I get that clay it to end up more clear? Thank you for any recommendations. BTW, the clay did not burn.

By: Linda K.

Linda K. — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:57:19 +0000

@An Tan: An you should be able to buy a portable thermometer in the supermarket or one of the big box stores. They’re only a few dollars. You could be lucky and have an oven with a good thermostat, but I wouldn’t count on it.

By: fran

fran — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:21:36 +0000

Carrie – If you haven’t found an answer to leaving your sculpture outside, have you looked up any info on Renaissance wax? They seem to use it on outdoor objects so it might be worth checking out.

By: An Tan

An Tan — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:40:25 +0000

Hi! i have a problem baking the sculpey polymer clay but i haven’t started it yet because I don’t know what oven to use..I have an oven toaster at home but I’m not sure if it’s going to work since ive searched a lot of sites that says you need an oven thermometer if you’re going to use an oven toaster to bake polymer clay. But I don’t have that kind of thermometer. Will it burn my clay?how many minutes should i set?I’m afraid of getting it burned since it is my first time and I don’t want my money to go to waste.thank you!

By: Natalie H

Natalie H — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 05:59:40 +0000

@Cindy Lietz from Making Polymer Clay Beads:
Hi Cindy
Well about two weeks ago I baked some yellow and pink what I called lentils( slightly flattened bicone beads i and 3 pendents in a toaster oven that I got on free cycle..tented it with alumnim foil( that was my first mistake) and then let bake for too long(walked away)..Well , you can imagine what I had when I came back. Pendants looked like burned marshmellows and my beads were now brown and darker yellow..I almost threw everything in the garbage but decided to read your article about burnt beads. Guess what ..I made a beautiful bracelet..the beads look like wood..( my 4 year old granddaughter helped me shine then with future shine).Everyone who sees it just loves it..My daughter said she would even wear it.. But I know for the future.what to do Keep my eyes on my work and tent with parchment! Thinking of burning more to get the wood effect but the smell is not worth it.
Natalie aka Safti

By: Cindy Lietz@Most Asked Beginner Question

Cindy Lietz@Most Asked Beginner Question — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 18:41:55 +0000

@Carrie and Phaedrakat: Boy I was hoping someone would pop in here with some advice for you. I haven’t any experience with putting my clay outside and being up here in BC where it is cool and rains a lot, won’t help much for a comparable testing ground. Maybe Carrie you should just put a piece outside to see what happens. I’d write the date on it so you know how long it has been out there and leave it for awhile. I’m still crossing my fingers that someone from a hot place like Texas can help you out.

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:35:05 +0000

Does anyone know of any problem with Carrie leaving her Sculpey figure exposed to the Texas elements? Has anyone had problems leaving their polymer clay pieces outside?

By: Carrie

Carrie — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 03:03:09 +0000

I guess I was just worried about breakdown in the elements. It has been combined with steel, plastic and Bondo as well as car paint. The sculpey parts are the teeth and lips. I live in Texas where it is hot and rainy most of the time but occasionally get a freeze (rare). Carrie

By: Phaedrakat

Phaedrakat — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:53:03 +0000

Hi Carrie, I just saw this, and I didn’t want it to get overlooked, so I’m “bumping” it forward. You can try a search to see if this has been discussed before, but I haven’t seen anything myself. As far as the elements…we know polymer is okay with most of them. It’s waterproof, & it can withstand the heat (baked in the oven!) It can handle cold, too — although I’m not sure HOW cold. What kind of “elements” in your area?

Perhaps this question would be best answered by the manufacturer of the clay you used? Are you worried about the color fading? Getting pitted by high winds? Of course, if you used foils, metal leaf, powders, etc. on your sculpture, you’d need extra protection from a good finish if leaving outside. Interesting question…I wish you good luck! Sorry I wasn’t any help…