Hi Folks,
Christmas is over for another year, and although I’ve been busy, here’s where the Red-tail is tonight.
I’ve added a considerable amount of detail to the driftwood, and I believe that it is almost ready for a first bake. According to what I have read, I should be able to bake the piece at a lower temperature (I thought I’d try 200 degrees) and set the detail that is already in place so it is not as easily damaged when I work on other parts of the sculpture. I will also still be able to add more clay to the sculpture even after it is baked. (That’s what the “Pros” are telling me at any rate.) I would probably have already begun to bake the base, however the “Christmas Cookies” took precedence.
This also explains why the hawk is sitting so high on the armature. I wanted to begin to add clay to the bird, but wasn’t ready to marry the bird and the base together, so I ran a screw through the the upright of the armature (you can see a screw driven through the armature just below the bird if you look carefully.) This allowed me to work on the hawk without doing too much damage to the base.
Do a full bake on the base here is why when you bake at a lower temp or to short of time it makes the piece brittle. You can do a full regular bake and still add clay but your piece will be stronger. If you have problems getting the raw clay to adhere to the bake clay use a little bake and bond or liquid translucent clay. As long as you do not go over the recommended temp you can bake polymer clay over and over.
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Thanks for your input. I had planned to bake the base this morning using my “Half-Baked” idea. Thanks to your input I’ll be going for the full count bake at 250 degrees. I’ll let you know how it goes.
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Hey –It looks good!
At least you have something to show after Christmas instead of more weight!
Will work on your other issue tonight
Ted
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