Trade Secrets
Dollmaking Tips to and from Dollmakers
Baking Clay
Proping While Baking
Tin foil will leave a shiny mark on the surface. I have found polyfill to work wonderfully and it will not burn in the oven ... provided you stay within the correct baking temperature of 250-275 degrees.
Baking Temperatures
I have found that if the clay is baked too long at the higher temperature
(275°) it will have more of those dreaded "mooning" cracks. I usually bake at
225 degrees and then the last 10 minutes bake at 275°. This reduces the mooning.
I bake in an ovenproof glass plate. Heat is distributed more evenly this way. I also use an oven thermometer to get an accurate reading of the oven temperature, as all ovens vary.
Watch your sculpture during the first 15 minutes of baking time to make sure your propped areas stay propped.
Let the sculpture cool after baking, as it is still soft until it cools. If it is handled during the cooling process you will risk cracking off a part.
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