Video #422: There’s a time when shiny is good… but there are also times when it looks really terrible!
Topics Covered In This Video:
- I did a tips video several weeks ago about How to Remove Fingerprints and Shiny Spots Using Acetone, but since there were so many comments from people having problems with shiny spots, I thought I’d do a video on how to avoid them in the first place.
- Shiny spots on the back of your polymer clay pieces, happen when you bake on shiny surfaces. Whether it is a shiny glass or ceramic tile, a metal pan or a glass pie plate. If you stick your clay piece directly on a shiny surface while baking, it will leave a shiny spot on the back.
- I show two samples of polymer clay; One baked directly on a shiny glass tile, and one baked on a piece of paper sitting on top of the same tile. The piece that baked on the paper has a smooth matte finish. And the one baked directly on the glass surface has a mottled uneven surface with some very shiny spots. Needless to say, the one baked on the paper looks way better!
- You can bake any polymer clay piece on a piece of paper. Just lay a sheet or two of plain office paper (no printing) or a piece of cardstock or file folder on top of your baking pan or tile, and then add your polymer clay pieces.
- I used to use parchment paper (aka baking paper) to bake polymer clay on, but I found that some brands will wrinkle in the oven and some will leave shiny spots… so you might as well just use regular paper instead.
- Paper is fine in the oven at the low temperatures that we bake polymer clay at. VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure the paper does not touch the elements or the inside walls of your oven… or the paper could catch fire. But other than that, paper will be OK in the oven at low temperatures.
Question of the Day:
Do you have trouble with shiny spots on your polymer clay pieces? And do you think you will use this tip?
I look forward to hearing from you.
By the way, if you have a polymer clay question or challenge you’d like me to address in an upcoming video vlog, do post it in the comments below. I’d love to help you find quicker and easier ways to bring up the professionalism in your polymer clay art.
Oh and don’t forget to give these videos a Thumbs Up click at YouTube if you are enjoying them. The more Likes a video gets, the higher it rises in the searches. And that means even more people will be able to join in on this polymer clay journey of a lifetime.
Also, by subscribing to our YouTube Channel directly, you will receive notifications as soon as new videos are uploaded. To subscribe, click here… Avoiding Shiny Spots When Baking Polymer Clay. The Subscribe Button is right near the top of that YouTube page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
  |
I have a box of parchment paper squares that I got from somewhere! They were given to me a long time ago. They are perfect for placing on my tiles to bake my pieces on. I put another one on top when I bake flat pieces and put a second tile on top of that. Perfectly baked and no shiny spots! I was wondering what I would do when I run out. Now, I know! Thanks, Cindy!
You’re welcome Betty! Sounds like your parchment squares don’t wrinkle, which is great to hear. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for this tip Cindy. Yes, I’ve been getting shiny spots and yes I will be using this tip!
Marion
Does anyone know of an acrylic sealant spray I can buy in the UK? PMYII has been recommended but the only sites offering this are in the USA and cannot ship overseas. I want to use it to seal alcohol ink as well as polyclay.
Many thanks – Marion
Marion,
I have used Crafters Companion Spray and Shine with no noticeable side effect yet but have only just found PC and Cindy so long term use I cannot say. I used it on a PC and mica coated Woodland Friends large mould necklace.
Sue
I will definitely use this tip! I have had that happen often and have avoided making flat shapes because of this. Anything to help cut down finishing time!
I haven’t been making polymer clay lately because all my supplies are put away (My beading supplies took over!!) in my small apartment and the time to finish the pieces take forever! I wish I had a quicker way to polish them. I am thinking of getting a dremel (sp?) and ask my dentist every time I see them if they have an old one. lol
My 4 yr old is VERY interested in clay so I have to make my more complicated pieces at night after bedtime. Do you have great space saving organization tips?
Thanks
Janine
Hi Janine, there are lots of storage ideas on this blog as well as polishing and buffing ideas. Just use the search box at the top of the page to get a list of posts that should help you out. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Cindy, I finally know why I have these shiny spots on my works!!! Thanks for it and will definitely try it out!!
Fion (from Hong Kong)
Hi Cindy! Thanks for the video! I like to use index cards, which are a good size for most of what I do, and I just put them on top of my 4 in. x 4 in. tile. Or, I also like to bake things that are not flat on the bottom, on a flattened piece of batting. &:-)
Great tips! I also had problems with parchment paper wrinkling and have switched to cardstock. I think it’s worth noting not to set your clay pieces on the paper while they are waiting to bake unless they’re going to be baked very soon. As Cindy has said in previous videos, paper leaches the plasticizers out of clay – helpful with too-soft clay, but will weaken an uncured piece!
I wish I could like this 100 times! I was always worried about putting paper in the oven, and always annoyed at shiny spots! You have eased my mind on both points! I’m just in the middle of a marathon viewing of all your videos. Know I will be coming back lots too. Great viewing. Thanks.
It has been so dismal getting ready for winter. But I started watching your videos and my cares washed away. How to condition, polish, and so much more. Thank you so much.
Hi Cindy, I have been watching your videos on YouTube and love them! I am in the midst of re-branding and want to offer clay jewelry to my line. I have been having issues that I can’t seem to find the answers for. One being when I bake my clay and do the sandwich technique it has shiny spots on both sides. I do tile, printer paper, clay, printer paper, tile. For some reason when I first tried this it worked, but now I always get these random shiny spots on both sides. I’m using premo clay and bake at 275 for 45 minutes to an hour. Have you ever heard of this problem? Thanks.
Thank you Carol! It sounds like your paper is either shiny or becoming shiny from the oils in the clay. Maybe the clay is extra fresh and oily these days? Try experimenting with different papers and see if that works. Or you could try baking between two pizza stones instead. Then you wouldn’t need the paper because the stones have a matte finish and don’t leave shiny spots.
Hi Cindy!
Thanks for all the value info you shared in your Beginners Course.
All my pieces are perfect now, BUT! I have a problem
There are some white lines that are on the layers below and are noticeable on the surface (this after baking, but they are also present like white spots when conditioning).
I can’t get rid of them! please help
Thanks and regards
Susy Alfaro
Hi Susy,
Glad to hear that the Beginners Course was helpful for you. Thanks for saying so :)
I looked at the photo you emailed to me, and although it is a little tricky for me to tell just by looking at your pic, I believe those little “white” marks on the clay are likely deep inside and not on the surface… hence the reason you couldn’t get them off. Are you using a translucent based clay? Perhaps Cernit or another translucent clay that you have tinted red? Polymer clay can get this tiny little fractures or splits in the clay caused by trapped air or moisture that is often called plaquing or moonies. I believe they are there in both opaque clay and translucent clays, but you just can’t see them in the opaque clays. To minimize plaquing, try to avoid trapping air or moisture in the clay as much as possible. If you don’t need the clay to be translucent, you can always mix in a little opaque clay into your translucent based clay, to make it less translucent and therefor less plaquing will show. I hope that helps.
Hi cindy!
Thanks for your answer.
I think is a manufacturing problem, because I did not add nothing to the clay.( I used red premo)
I will try to reduce the moisture with paper first, as they suggest in their web
Thanks a lot!
i have been placing my beads on a cookie sheet to be baked. is there a better way to “cook” the beads? i get a shiny bottom around the hole that is placed on the sheet… my thanks, judy
Hi Judy, yes there is a way better way to bake your beads. I do have several videos on the subject, if you want to do a search on this blog. But my current favorite way to bake is on a pizza stone with a separate oven thermometer and a flipped over tinfoil pan as a “lid”. This set up will avoid shiny marks on the back, hot spots and scorching. All things you want to avoid when baking polymer clay!
thank you so much for your good suggestions about shiny spots on pieces when they are baked. i appreciate your help. judy
You are welcome Judy. Good luck with your baking.
Hello. I love your tips! I have been baking my flat polymer clay beads on parchment, and they have a nice even finish on the back. Lately, though, I’ve been making domed beads, and I haven’t discovered a way to prevent them from getting shiny spots on the back. I’ve been baking them on a glazed ceramic bowl turned upside down because that’s what I have available. I’ve also tried the bottoms of aluminum beverage cans with smaller beads. I have considered purchasing a dome tool specifically for polymer clay, but as they are made of metal, wouldn’t they also leave shiny spots? Do you have any suggestions for creating domed pieces without shiny spots on the back? Thanks for any suggestions.
Hi Angie, thank you for your question. The reason clay gets shiny in spots when baking, isn’t because of the type of material it bakes on (i.e. glass, metal, ceramic, etc.) it is how smooth the finish is on the baking surface (i.e. shiny, satin or matte). Metal baking surfaces have different issues, like hot spots. The domed tool (Hollow Bead Maker by Sculpey https://amzn.to/3KoRUOB **Amazon Link) is made of Aluminum which doesn’t have the same issues with hot spots as steel does, and it has a pebbly finish, which translates to a matte finish onto the clay. So it’s actually a good option to use for curved clay. Another thing you can do is put cornstarch on your clay to bake it on your shiny bowl, but it will slide around, so you may want to bake your piece on the inside. Hopefully that helps you a bit. Have fun!
Thanks for the response!