
Soufflé/Premo at 300˚ for 30 minutes covered with tin foil also worked well. The best mixtures: Equal mixtures of Soufflé/Kato or all four clays together worked well at 265˚ for 30 minutes covered with tin foil. The best method for Premo seems to be in baking pans at 320˚ for 30 minutes. I had to increase the temperature to 300˚ for 30 minutes uncovered and 320˚ for 30 minutes in baking pans. The manufacturer’s recommended temperature of 275˚F for 30 minutes per 1/4″ didn’t prevent breaking.
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I couldn’t figure out how to get it to not break when covered in tin foil or cornstarch. Premo broke easily, but didn’t shift color much. The best method for Kato seems to be in baking pans at 300˚ for 30 minutes. Baking at 300˚ worked well, though I had to increase it to 320˚ under tin foil. The manufacturer recommends 300˚F for 10-30 minutes. It shifted color, but less so when under tin foil or in baking pans. The best methods for Fimo seem to be either covered with tin foil or in baking pans at 265˚ for 30 minutes. Each was baked for 30 minutes, except I had to increase the cornstarch method to 40 minutes. The manufacturer recommends to not bake above 265˚F, no duration given. The best methods for Soufflé seem to be either covered with tin foil or in baking pans at 300˚ for 30 minutes.įimo was the most flexible, but shifted color considerably when uncovered and shifted color a little in cornstarch. I had to increase the temperature to 300˚ for 30 minutes when covered with tin foil or inside baking pans. The manufacturer’s recommended temperature of 275˚F for 30 minutes per 1/4″ worked well with uncovered clay and cornstarch. Soufflé was quite flexible and barely shifted color. In conclusion, the methods with the least yellowing and without cracking seem to be as follows: One big ceramic tile covering the whole bottom of the baking box. It made the whole garage smell and there wasn’t even clay in the oven, so I won’t do that again. I had to crank the oven up to 430˚ to reach 300˚ inside the baking box. When I tested the temperature inside, it was 100˚ lower than the dial. I didn’t know what else to try with the tin foil and cornstarch methods.Īnother thing that didn’t work for me was one big ceramic tile covering the whole bottom of the baking box, as shown in the photo below. I had a really hard time getting Premo to not break. Not the best combination.įollowing are photos of swatches that broke. The problem is Fimo has the lowest recommended baking temperature and Kato has the highest. Fimo/Kato baked at 265˚ for 30 minutes didn’t shift color, but it broke. The color shift in Fimo/Kato might be reduced if baked at 275˚ for 30 minutes covered with tin foil. Equal mixtures of clays that didn’t break.

I also tried mixing the more flexible clays (Fimo and Soufflé) with less flexible clays (Kato and Premo) and baking them at different temperatures until they didn’t break. Part three of the test: What temperature and duration does each clay need to not break, using each method? Final results with the least yellowing without cracking (well, almost). I tried different temperatures and durations. In the process, some yellowed or browned. I’d previously learned that more heat or the correct heat for a longer time should solve the breakage problem.

Part two of the test: Do they break? Unfortunately, yes. Clays all baked for 30 minutes at manufacturer’s recommended temperatures. Part one of the test: Do they change color in the oven? Yes, some do. Four methods tested: Baking pans with two small tiles covered with aluminum foil buried in cornstarch and uncovered. If you live at a lower elevation, the temperatures I’ve used may be too high for you. I live at 85oo feet which means I may need to increase temperatures and/or bake times. (Some packages still say just 10 minutes, which can’t be right.) Premo clay- 275˚F for 30 minutes per 1/4″ I tried to follow the manufacturer’s recommended temperatures which are:įimo clay – Don’t heat above 265˚F (no duration given)

When the swatches were cool, I tried to break them by bending them until the short ends met. Polyester fiberfill can make little lines on the clay, so I didn’t test that option. in an aluminum “baking box” with two small ceramic tiles.Then I baked them using these four methods: To find what works, I first made swatches of four different brands of clay: Kato, Premo, Soufflé and Fimo. It’s easy to avoid a color shift if the temperature isn’t too high, but then the clay is more susceptible to breakage. I’d love to learn how to bake polymer clay so it looks like the photo above, without yellowing or cracking.
