My Splurges on a Clay Press and Clay Oven
I admit that I did splurge on two big tools. A clay oven and a pasta machine.
It is possible to bake polymer clay in a conventional oven, but the one that I have access to does not allow for low enough temperature to bake polymer clay. Weird, right? The lowest it will go is 300 degrees. So, I bought this AMACO 12505P Polymer Clay & Craft Oven one from Amazon. So far, it gets the job done and is easy to use.
The other pricier item I got was Darice Studio 71 Machine Polymer Clay Press, which also has been working well. I was a little surprised at how thin the thickest (#1) setting is, but I think that's due to my previous work with ceramic clay, which is usually worked at 1/4 inch at the thinnest.
When I do want to roll out something thicker, I already have Activa Clay Roller Kit, which I think is a great option for the price of only about $17. If you are just giving polymer clay a try and you're not ready for a pasta machine, consider this or a similar roller kit.
The thinnest my roller kit can go is 1/16th inch, which is actually still thicker than the thickest setting on my Darice Studio Clay Press.
I'm actually currently using this roller kit as my primary workspace. I like that I can easily turn it to work from different angles.
However, my blades have left some cuts in the plastic and I do eventually plan to upgrade to a ceramic surface. Also, I saw some plastic cutting sheets and Dollar Tree recently. I might give those a try in the future.
So, while I did spend significant money on an oven and press, there are cheaper options:
- Use your conventional oven if you already have one
- Buy a "roller kit" for under $20
-Ciera
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