Polymer clay inlay.

[sgood]

Here is the latest project I just posted on the blog. I have used polymer clay for inlay before and it works great. I wanted to make a hand mirror for myself. My wife don't like it when I use hers. I like the way the walnut and bright red clay contrasts with each other. The mirror and clay are baked at 265 degrees for 30 minutes and the clay is hard and ready to be sanded flush

[rwb]

thats an awsome piece of work

[Caribbean Scroller]

Thanks ,this idea have the wheels in my head turning

[Marshall]

Nice work Steve , keep up the dandy work .........Marshall

[Chase]

Interesting

Chase

[northie66]

3 questions... first off, do you stain, clear coat, and assemble it all before you bake it?  secondly, does the clay shrink any after it's baked.  And lastly, where do you get the polymer clay?

[sgood]

Hi Janet, You want to bake the clay before you add any finish. There is very little shrinkage. Not enough to make the clay loose. After it cools I sand, dip it in lemon oil and finally spray it with gloss acrylic. I have one mirror that is 5 years old and looks as good as the day I made it.

There are a couple different brands of polymer clay. FIMO and sculpey. I have used both and I don't see any difference. Michales Crafts store and Hobby Lobby both carry polymer clay. There a lots of places to buy it online. It's 2 or 3 dollars a pack. The mirror I just made took about half a pack of clay.

[Russ C]

I have a question too. Does the clay work as well as the inlay material for key chains etc.? 

[sgood]

Hi Russ, the thicker the wood the better but I have used it on 1/4" thick wood. Just make sure you over fill the cutout. You can then sand it flush. You may also have to bake it for less time. The thinner the wood the more likely it might burn quicker. Practice on a few test pieces first.

[Becky]

I'm going to have to look into that.  I really like the way it looks.

I wish I knew a way to measure how much the things I have learned on this site have pushed me farther and faster along the learning curve than I'd have ever come on my own in these last few months.

[cherie]

Wow, all kinds of ideas going through everyone's minds now.  HEHEHEHE.

[northie66]

I have another question... do you put the clay in there with your hands or do use like a putty knife?

[chips]

 Steve,

  And another question.  Does the polymer clay come in different colors or do you have to color it, and if so how do you go about this?

[sgood]

You can just push the clay in with your fingers. You want it to be too full anyway so you can sand it flush. The polymer clays come in many colors and can be mixed to make all kinds of colors and fake marble effects. There are even tutorials on the web to make wood textures with the clay. You could make an inlay that simulated wood.

[towdude3]

i tried the clay today and it worked very well. I am going to try it on the keychains and if that works then maybe Christmas ornaments. It is very easy to work with. I found it at Michaels for 2.49 a pack and a good variety of colors. Still like the inlace but the clay is faster. I used it on 1/8th inch BB. Thanks Steve for another good idea. Mike