Figure Baking Question

[AurraSing]

Hi Everyone,

I'm fairly new to sculpting. I'm in the process of working on a troll sculpture. I'm almost ready to bake him but want to add on his hands and feet during a second bake. This is my first serious sculpt and I was hoping for some advice on what temp and how long to bake. He is made from super sculpey and a little of the sculpey firm. I just need the first bake to harden the details so I can then easily work with what's left and re bake.

Any advice? Someone had mentioned baking at half temp.

Thanks!

Rebecca

[Mostly Fantasy]

How thick is the thickest section? I know some people like to hit the surface with a heat gun, just to "lock" in detail, and do the final bake later. What's your armature made out of? The biggest mistake I used to make was not letting it cool down COMPLETELY prior to taking out of the oven- let it cool so as not to cause cracks from temp. difference- otherwise you'll be spending all your time filling the cracks!

[AurraSing]

At his thickest point he is about 1 1/2 inches. I'd say his gut is the thickest part. The armature is made from aluminum wire twisted together. I am attaching a photo, it's not the best photo of him. His ears are only on temporarily in this photo and there are still a few touch ups to do and the knitting needle won't be there. I know I've made some mistakes, as he's my first sculpture but I'm hoping not to make too many while baking. I suppose I could add the hands and feet now but feel they'll get squished or something else will.

I'd appreciate any advice at all about baking. When I finish baking him I take it I should turn off the oven and let him sit in there a few hours before removing? If I take him out and cool him on the counter will he crack then?

Also, I plan to lay him down on a wooden board with cotton underneath to support him. Does that sound like a good idea or any other suggestions? The lowest my oven goes is 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thanks so much to everyone in advance.

[RubyRiot]

Came here to learn about one thing and also learnt about something else.
Been having trouble with Scupley cracking but now I know not to remove it til it's cool!
Cheers lovelies :D

[Nopsis]

I tired a lot of different temperatures and baking times. I even ran some empirical tests to find out the temperature distribution of my oven.
I get the best results for Super Sculpey with 110 ° celsius (about 230 Fahrenheit). I leave it in the oven over an hour, no matter how thin the piece is. Afterwards I turn off the oven and wait until the piece is cool before I take it out. To be honest I couldn´t see any differences between slow and fast cooling, there are always some micro-cracks, but at least I want to be able to say that I tried everything to avoid cracks...
I cannot help you with the cotton thingy though, I have no expirience with that.

[Mostly Fantasy]

I wouldn't lay him down as he'll pick up any grain from the wood- I wouldn't lay him on cotton either as it might catch fire- I'd bake him in the standing position if at all possible. That way, he doesn't deform under his own weight, and gets heat distribution more evenly. I'd have to check on the max temp for sculpey- I think on their website they suggest 250 (?) F for every 1/4 in for 15 minutes? Check their site if they have any info. Nowadays, I always let it cool down so that it's at room temp. before I even take it out-I usually bake and let sit over night in the oven turned off- that way I don't rush it and pay for it later. Once the body is done, you can always do the feet/hands later and key them in for attaching.

[AurraSing]

As far as the baking, I've read different things. I've read that if I bake him standing up the clay could run down and he could crack at the joints, as standing creates more stress. Has anyone experienced that?I'm sure my armature should have been a tad stronger, but I worked with what I had.

I've read also that a glass or tile could be used to bake him on. I have Katherine Dewey's clay figure book and have been reading up in that. I wondered if the cotton would stick to the clay. She says to put polyfil under the sculpture and shows some of her sculptures laying down and seated ones on small cardboard boxes. She also states that a blanket of damp paper towels can be laid in place halfway through baking to prevent scorching. Anyone do these things? I'm just very nervous about ruining all my hard work.

Thanks

[SoulWraith]

Sculpey will not run down. As it heats, it becomes hard, so...it does not melt and run.

I use Polyfill to lay my smaller sculptures on while baking and I never have any problems. I have baked mine on wood, glass, and aluminum cookie pans. Larger sculptures, I bake standing upright on the armature stand.

I bake mine at 240 degrees for an hour or so (30 minutes for something small and thin ...more for thicker larger pieces), and I take them out while hot or when they cool for really large pieces. If you bake at the lower temp, it doesn't seem to scorch as easily. You are more prone to get cracks if you heat it up too fast(in my experience). I set my oven for 200 and put the piece in and let it heat up with the oven, when it reaches 200 I let it sit there for maybe 10 minutes, then I put it on 240 and let it heat the rest of the way...I find that if I let the oven heat up first, then add the sculpture, I get lots of little moon cracks. Letting them heat together, not so much.

[SoulWraith]

Sorry for posting twice...but, I wanted to tell you that you might make something small first...like medallion size, and bake that. This way you will know what to expect as far as the smell and the process, and you don't freak out on your hard worked sculpture baking in there! just a thought :)
Maybe do a couple of them different ways.

Oh, and the polyfill will compress a bit, so don't get worried when it is not all puffy under your sculpture when it heats up. If a tiny little strand or two do stick to the sculpture, it just comes right off. I use the same polyfill over and over.

[Mostly Fantasy]

Just be sure to get all the surface detail you want (skin texture, wrinkles, etc.) prior to baking, as it would be difficult to do them post-baking. Don't worry about thinner areas turning brown-ish- thinner areas will usually get darker than thicker areas. SoulWraith had a great suggestion in baking something smaller first. The reason I asked what the armature was made of was so you didn't bake anything that might give off possibly toxic fumes, but wood and wire is o.k.

[Mostly Fantasy]

P.S. what are the eyes and teeth out of? I just noticed they're a different color. If the eyes are glass, BE SURE to let it cool down so they don't crack/craze.

[SoulWraith]

P.S. what are the eyes and teeth out of? I just noticed they're a different color. If the eyes are glass, BE SURE to let it cool down so they don't crack/craze.

Actually, they shouldn't because an oven doesn't get hot enough to bring them to the point of needing to cool slowly. I use glass eyes in my sculptures, and I don't usually let them cool off slowly. Never had a problem with them cracking or anything at all. :yayca:

[AurraSing]

Thanks for the replies. The teeth are made out of Sculpey Firm and the eyeballs are made out of Sculpey III, which has already been baked.

I have made a couple silly, small sculptures in the past with Sculpey III but I think it's a good idea to make a test object to bake. Sounds like a good idea to let the sculpture heat up with the oven and cool completely. From what I've been reading it sounds like if I do 2 bakes then I need to do the whole process the first time like normal, and then repeat it with probably less time. I think I will bake a few experiments and see how adding on works.

Thanks for the suggestions, they've all been helpful.

[Mostly Fantasy]

Good luck!

[maddmaestro]

Bake for one and a half hours at 230, then lower your oven temp to its lowest possible setting and bake for another hour. then leave sculpt in oven for twice the time it cooked for at least... let it cool slowly and thoroughly. I usually leave it there overnight. With this method cracks are rare and the sculpey is cured totally. Thanks to William Paquet ( a bloody genius at this) for putting up a baking tutorial on Statueforum.com in the home grown tips section. Read it there! ANd good luck!!

Maddmaestro:afroboy:

[AurraSing]

I'll have to look into that baking tutorial, thanks. I have another question. I know a few people have mentioned using polyfil. It doesn't catch on fire in the oven? I'm thinking I may use it for something but wanted to know how safe it is to put in the oven and at what temps. The polyfil packaging of course says it shouldn't be used near heat!

Thanks again!

[Mah ' Crub]

Hi. If I have to lay something down in the oven, I put it into an aluminium pan and then I make alum-foil " pillows," for it to lie on. Don't sweat the scorching discolorations, they make no difference at all.
I also put my work into a cold oven, and bring it up to heat. I let it cool overnight in the oven. In the morning it's like Christmas, you get a very nice gift.
Don't worry too much, that is counter-productive, and you probably sculpt to get away from all the troubles of the world.
Don't worry about messing up. You won't learn until you make mistakes, so welcome them like friends you don't really like all that much.
Have fun !

Mah ' Crub

[SoulWraith]

You aren't baking at a high enough temp for Polyfill to ignite. I use it all the time, it doesn't even discolor.

[jaroldsng]

I usually bake my sculptures regardless the size at 110 degress celcius for an hour. then lower the temperature to about 80 degrees for another hour. then switch of the oven, and let the sculpture cool in the oven itself. hope this helps

[AurraSing]

Thanks again to all of you for the advice. There's always that fear of putting certain things in the oven, like polyfil and wood, and I feel better about it now. I think I am going to try to finish a little more on my sculpture and try to bake him only once. He is going to be holding a club in one hand and a head in the other. I may have to add his hands after, we'll see. I will make some test objects and give it a go. I'm sure I'll be posting on here again for more advice.

Thanks!