Before you work on polymer clay it’s important to know these 10 tips to make your life easier.
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Storing polymer clay:
1. Don’t want goo? Avoid storing uncured clay in hard plastic containers.
Because believe it or not, uncured clay can melt plastic. You might end up with some sticky goo in your container, or the clay seems to be stuck to the plastic which is still pretty unpleasant. But now you’ll know what the heck that is, should that happen.
You might be wondering, “then why doesn’t it melt the plastic that the clay is wrapped in?” Read on for the answer!
2. If you’re going do plastic, store polymer clay in plastic that is compatible.
Uncured clay is incompatible with only specific type of plastics so the plastic it’s wrapped in, is of course compatible with the clay.
- Plastics that have a recycling number of 2, 4 or 5 are usually fine for storage.
- You want to steer clear of plastics numbers 6 and 7.
- When in doubt, you can test it out storing a small piece of clay for 1 or 2 days to see if the container softens or gets sticky.
One of the most convenient and cost-effective options to store polymer clay, is to place them in plastic sand-which bags and then label them for easy identification. I like to write the brand name and color mixture onto the bag with sharpie, and then house all the little bags with the same brands into a larger bag. Also you can wrap your clay in plastic wrap that isn’t polystyrene and then store it in any container.
3. Never leave uncured clay on furniture.
The plasticizer in polymer clay can ruin furniture in your house.
- It’s best practice to never leave uncured clay sitting around for long periods of time on unprotected surfaces like tables or countertops, as well as painted, varnished, or lacquered surfaces.
- Improper storage can ruin the clay or damage objects in your home that are made of wood or certain types of plastics. This is because polymer clay is bond together by what’s called “plasticizers” which is a chemical that makes plastic soft and flexible. This is also the reason why it may not play well together with other plastics.
Thou shall not harm furniture. Once the clay is baked, it is inert and chemically inactive and therefore cannot harm furniture.
Is Polymer Clay toxic?
4. Don’t eat from objects made with polymer clay.
- While polymer clay is rated as nontoxic, you also can’t eat or drink from objects made of it so no, it is not certified for food contact, nor can you borrow things from your kitchen for clay usage.
- Cured polymer clay is very porous and bacterial can use it as a breeding ground if food particles get stuck in pores, nooks, and crannies, and it’s almost impossible to clean adequately after using with food. Polymer clay is made for craft use, not as a food utensil so it’s not going to withstand sanitization methods like using hot water, disinfecting liquids and will break down after repeatedly using it in a dishwasher.
- Another reason why baked clay should not come into contact with food because residual plasticizer can remain on the clay even after firing. However, you can use it for decorate food serving pieces where it doesn’t touch food directly like napkin rings, embellishing handles or the bases of stemware. You can also sandwich the clay between pieces of glass as long the clay doesn’t come into contact with food.
Now let’s talk about safety with clay tools
5. Keep kitchenware and polymer clay tools separate.
- Kitchen tools used for working with clay should remain craft or clay dedicated. As a rule of thumb, once you use an object for polymer clay, set that aside for clay usage only and take it out of the kitchen so others do not accidentally use it for food.
- This is because it’s difficult or near impossible to remove all clay particles from some utensils like a pasta machine where it hides in nooks & crannies, and the plasticizer from the clay can remain on porous surfaces like plastic. (clip of pasta machine).
Cleaning hands after working with polymer clay
6. Get rid of polymer clay residue on hands when you’re done working.
After working with clay there is usually some residue on your hands which soap and water will not remove. There are various products you have use to dissolve the clay on your hands, and then follow with ordinary dish soap.
- You can rub some hand sanitizer to dissolve the clay residue.
- Another option is to use a pumice based, waterless hand cleaner.
- If you don’t have that, rubbing alcohol is another option.
- A more gentler option is to rub a little bit of olive oil onto your hands to break up the clay particles.
After dissolving the clay with any of the methods mentioned above, follow with soap and water to finish cleaning it all off especially before you eat or cook.
Baking Polymer Clay
7. When baking polymer clay, you never want to leave baking clay unattended.
- If the clay appears to be smoking or burning, turn off the oven, remove the clay, place it outdoors until cool and ventilate the room.
8. Do not bake polymer clay at really high temperatures where it might burn at around 350 degrees F.
- If you’re unsure if your clay is completely baked all the way, you can get away with baking the clay for longer periods of time or even raising the temperature 10-15 degrees higher, in fact, that can help strengthen the clay. However, be wary over temperature fluctuations that can occur with inexpensive ovens.
- When baked as directed, the fumes are not toxic. However, at really high temperatures, it is close to burning or starts burning, it releases hydrogen chloride gas which can cause eye, nose or mouth irritation. Different brands will have different baking times, but from what i’ve seen, it ranges from 212F – 300F.
Protective Gear
9. While carving, dry sanding, machine buffing or drilling clay, wear safety goggles and use a dust mask.
- You don’t want to pop your eye out because a piece of the clay went flying off the buffer at a really high speed.
- Buffing/sanding can produce fine particles that can get into your lungs or eyes.
10. Instead of dry-sanding opt for wet sanding.
- Wet sanding which not only prevents air-borne dust, but also minimizes the appearance scratch marks on your finished clay. Not having to deal with a thousand dust particles flying everywhere is a big plus! When sanding you can periodically dip the paper into soapy water or sand underwater. Soapy water using a bit of dish soap or detergent helps with lubrication for smoother sanding.
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