How hard is the clay when it is cured?

by P Smith
(Limoges, France)

Hi,
Your article is very interesting but I have a question. I have just 'cooked' my first batch of tiles but they still seem to have some bend in them after 'cooking' them twice. I must admit it has been hard to keep the oven at a steady 130oC (Sculpey Original)and sometimes it has gone lower and then a bit higher. (I bought an oven thermometer).
How hard is clay when it has been properly cured? Should it be as hard as china for example? Or does it have some give in it?
Thank you very much for your help.

Regards
Penny

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How hard is the clay when it is cured?

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Apr 25, 2011
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by: jennie

This was an extremely helpful post for me. I'm also a beginner and am attempting to make very thin pieces. I've read that Cernit brand pc is the strongest and firmest after baking. I just placed an order for some and I'm excited to try it out. Of the brands I have tried, however (Fimo, Sculpey III and premo Sculpey), I find the end result to be pretty much the same as far as flexibility. The only difference I notice is with the raw clay, as some are softer and easier to work with during that phase.

Thanks for the great information!
Mar 30, 2011
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by: Penny

Hi Anne, thank you so much for your answer.
I'm a total beginner and I am making tiles for various mosaics and they are only 3mm thick and they remain fairly bendy after curing (using Original Sculpey). I've cured again at the requisite 130oC and they have not changed in that they are still flexible. So I presume that they will stay thus however many times I bake. I'll try Premo! next and see if 3mm tiles will be any firmer with that.
Again, thank you kindly for your response.
Best wishes
Penny
Mar 30, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar		 How hard is clay when cured
by: Anne Cecilie

Hi P,
It is always difficult to get the right temperature in the stove. I have found that I rather leave the beads in the oven for a longer period of time, than constantly monitoring the temperature. Occasionally some get burned, but only if the temperature change a lot. So if you use the temperature suggested on the pack, you should be fine if you prolong the curing time.
How flexible the clay is after it is baked, vary a bit from brand to brand. If you use Sculpey III, it may flake and crack. It is not so suitable for bead making or tile making. Premo Scupey is very durable after curing, and is a good choice of clay.

All polymer clay brands are soft when they come out of the oven, but once they cool they get firm. There is still some flexibility in the clay even when cured properly,especially in thin pieces. That is why polymer clay cuff bracelets have to have some sort of armature inside. It simply softens when heated from your body temperature.

Even if the clay has some flexibility after curing, it will take a lot to breake it, unless you deliberately try. Most brands are firm enough to hold shape after curing, even if they bend slightly when you try to bend them.

You can use this flexibility to your advantage in that, if you make thin tiles you can cut them up with a tissue blade or with a pair of scissors. You can even use a shape puncher (the ones you use for scrapbooking).

I hope this answered your question. I wish you all the best and good luck with your polymer clay projects.

Anne Cecilie

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