Sculpey Questions & Tutorials., Any questions about sculpey will go here

Hello,

I thought this would be a handy topic to have around.
That way, members won't have to clutter the forums with any questions about sculpey they might have.

Please post all of your questions and answers involving sculpey ONLY in this thread.

Thank you,

Hello Amanda,

When baking the Sculpey III (or I guess any of their products for that matter), would there be any problems to your knowledge about covering the clay in aluminum foil (would it bake the same covered or uncovered) or would it have to be exposed in the open (read: just sitting on top of the foil, instead of covered)?

[I actually saw and origami box (instructions here: http://www.jamboree.freedom-in-education.c...0corner/box.htm ) which I was thinking on using if I had to use the foil- instead of wrapping it up and messing the design, create the box, put the piece in, pop it in the oven.]

Thanks,
Alan

As far as I know tin foil is not neccessary,
I just bake my custom pieces in a mini pie tin otr a cake pan(some old messy ones..) Though,I have never used foil so I guess it could be worth trying.

I would recomend a glass casorole pan to bake sculpey, as it is what the directions say to use.

Sorry for deleting your coments in my post Lamanda, I just got tired of it. The glass casorole dish may not have an effect on the final item, but it is just what I use when I bake Sculpey.

<<K29>>

Amanda, Kramer, hello and thanks for the replies. Since I'm jewish, this was a kosher-related question. Long story short, one of the people I asked if I could bake the sculpey in a kosher oven that's used for kosher food told me "to be safe, wrap it in tin foil (AKA cover it)" so I was just curious about if this would affect baking et al and I should just disregard this persons suggestion (I have found no indications that sculpey would have a problem kosherwise- I'm not a total rogue nor am I looking for permission from anyone for anything, just curious how covering sculpy III would effect it). I'll leave my question/response/followup at this just so you understand why I asked it and where my thoughts were leeding. If I totally confused anyone, let me know, and I'll explain my self further. Thanks again for the help. By the way, ripping a piece of tin foil is just easier for me, that's why I used it as an example.

-Alan

Okay, another stupid question if I may, since you've been working with Sculpey longer than me (I could just wait and find out eventually but I'd rather be prepared ahead of time just in case- if y'all know the answer that is).

Even though I don't play with my LEGOs like I used to when I was a kid, how much "playability" (i.e. if my son got his hands on it, or even just removing and putting back on (over and over) the headpiece that I created) would [baked] Sculpey III be able to tolerate before breaking?

(I'm sure casting an accessory in resin is stronger but I'm not up to that ability yet.)

Thanks again,
Alan

Although I have never worked with Sculpey III (I use regular Sculpey), I find that it breaks easily in thin pieces. But, with the shape that that piece is, it could probably hold up pretty well, as long as your son isn't too rough on it.

<<K29>>

P.S. Make sure you don't double post. I will let it slide this once, since people might not notice it if its in your prevous post. Just make sure you don't do it again.

Alan,
I think your beret should be just fine,
the only things that ever break on my are hair spikes (like on my Clod Strife minifig) and ears.(though a little reinforcing with some pointy toothpick ends can solve that little problem)

and seeing the your beret is all one solid piece,it should hold up pretty well.

And yes,resin casts are much stroger,but what else is there to expect from plastic ; )
but like I say,your berets should be safe so there is no need for casting them.

The funny thing is that even though I know alot of my sculpey pieces are sturdy to hold,I still don't like people picking them up,it worries me ; )

And Kramer,
Double posting is fine if the two posts are so far apart like that,it is just when people try to bump topics or do it intentionally that you should warn members about.

A few new questions if I may.

1) They say not to overbake your sculpey- how do you know if you've overbaked it or not? With my beret project, the package's instructions say to bake the sculpey for 15 minutes per 1/4" (I'm quoting from memory right now, in case I'm misquoting) but I bake the berets for 15 minutes even if they aren't 1/4" thick (empty space on the inside where the head goes, and it's really not thick so even though I've never taken a ruler to them, I'm sure they're not 1/4" thick)- so far I have not experienced any scorch marks (so I know I haven't kept them in for that long) and they don't seem to be brittle (I've dropped at least one unfinished beret and it didn't seem to chip from what I could tell). So from any of your experiences (since I can't put a toothpick in the middle to see if it's done (like baking a cake) and I'm doing alot of guesstimating) what is the best way to tell if you've overbaked or for that matter underbaked the sculpey?

2) On a similar question to the one above about overbaking; once you've baked a piece of sculpey [in an oven] are you able to add more sculpey to it and toss it back in the oven or would that damage your previous work [that you are adding the new sculpey to]?

Thanks.
-Alan

Peter_Nix,
I simply always cook all of my custom pieces for 15 minutes, and it seems to work.

Now on to my tutorial:
To make a sculpey mold, you will need an object you want to clone, two blobs of sculpey, some toothpicks, and baby powder (or talcum powder, I think they are the same thing). You pust the object you want to clone into one of the blobs of sculpey. Once you have done that, push another blob of sculpey onto the object, onto the side opisite of the other blob of sculpey. Use the toothpicks to make marks in the side of the mold, so you can line it up again. Bake the two halves of the mold. Sprinkle baby powder on both parts of the mold, on the inside. Place a piece of sculpey in between the to halves of the mold, and squeze. Remove the newly created piece from the mold, reshape any deformed parts with toothpicks, and bake your new piece.

And also something more:

I would think that if wrapping it in foil did anything, it would make it cook faster, as covered things usaully do.

K

Hi Kramer. So everything you sculpey you bake for 15 min; both largetr than the instructions say (1/4" I think) and smaller? I created an R5 Astromech head and baked it for 30 minutes (it was about 1/2" and solid). I was debating after it was baked to add on it's three "eyes"- if you bake something that's even the size of a small dot (read: much smaller than 1/4") for 15 minutes then it would seem that I could bake the R5 head for longer without damaging it. Perhaps I'll try that (as opposed to painting the "eyes" on).

As for the tutorial, thanks. I was actually thinking of that idea but I would have used alot more sculpey and wasted it. Your version of the thought seems more economical (I do need a Stormtrooper helmet or few).

And for the tin box- it's all academic now. Since noone answered the question at the time, and I found no reason to believe that it was not kosher (if any other jews read this, feel free to ask me for my sources and inqueries), so I baked it on an open tin foil with no lids or covering. As for the cooking faster- I never thought of that, thanks.

Anyway Kramer, if I haven't said it before, thanks for the response the tutorial and the PM.

Alan,
Things like the Stormtrooper helmet do clone very well. Though I myself like to clone clone trooper helmets more, as I don't have any Stormtroopers. I'm happy that you enjoyed the tutorial. It's always good when you come up with a good idea.

K