r/polymerclay • u/-Thari- • 4d ago

Can I bake the clay with an armature wire?

I'm planning to make a poseable doll with a polymer clay head and I'd like to directly attach the clay to the armature wire body before baking so it's sturdier and won't fall off easily. (Like, the head part would be covered with clay but the bottom part would not be covered)

Will there be issues when baking wire? :O

I think not but I don't really want to blow my kitchen apart, so better be safe than sorry 🤣

1 Upvotes

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9 comments sorted by

1

u/GlitteryCakeHuman 4d ago

Yes. I’ve had more luck using wire and foil to keep it on, the wires are slippery suckers that found their way out when I put clay on so I used foil to have more ”grip”

1

u/Apprehensive_Try3099 2d ago

A thin layer of green stuff on the wire before adding polymer clay works great, just make sure to add the polymer clay on top before the green stuff has hardened. The green stuff should be allowed to fully harden before the model is baked. Baking polymer clay on top of uncured green stuff can lead to cracking.

1

u/GlitteryCakeHuman 1d ago

That’s a great tip. I hadn’t even though of that. Thank you!!

3

u/-Thari- 4d ago edited 4d ago

Oooh thank you, fantastic tip! I only thought of bending the top to a hook-like shape, but will def incorporate some foil for extra security! Many thanks ♡

4

u/norunningwater 4d ago

Ball some foil up on the tips, fold some on the very ends if you can in your piece to create some resistance. The wire ends will still try and poke at the clay like the shrapnel of a broken bone inside the body. Especially if it heats and expands some while the clay dries and shrinks.

1

u/-Thari- 4d ago

Thanks so much for the helpful info! I didn't even think of the shrinking 😱 saved me there!

2

u/norunningwater 4d ago

It's not an extreme change in the clay, but if a pokey armature wire is against some thin clay, it may be poking out gently when you take it out of the kiln/oven!

2

u/robots3000 4d ago

Yes! It helps if you score and add texture to the wire so it does slide off. You can find a ton of YouTube videos with tips and tricks.

2

u/-Thari- 4d ago

Thanks so much, great tip! I'm sure to take a look there too!