# Why did my canes turn brown?



## Cwalker935 (Nov 5, 2015)

Here is my second attempt at a polymer clay pen.  I got the shape right this time but the area around my canes turned brown during baking.  I baked it at 300 degrees f for 30 minutes.  Did I bake them at too high of a temp, too long, or both?  It looked much better white.  Should I knock it apart and do over?


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## mark james (Nov 5, 2015)

Cody:

From my eye (screen) I don't see a problem???  

If you are referring to the background brown - it is a uniform color, and looks quite natural and appropriate; I see nothing wrong with it.  It may have gotten cooked, but if it turned/finished fine - the appearance is great!

The canes look fine, the background looks fine.  Maybe others can shed some light, but the blank looks very uniform from left to right, I see no variation which would indicate an "end" problem.

For me - Looks great!


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## Jim15 (Nov 5, 2015)

Still looks great to me.


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## duncsuss (Nov 5, 2015)

Disclaimer ... I know nothing about polymer clay ...

Is the material that turned brown the same as the material inside your flowers (which remained snowy white)?

If it's the same stuff, I think there is something very strange happening: the white material in the background has uniformly turned brown, and the white material in the flowers has stayed white.


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## plantman (Nov 5, 2015)

Cwalker935 said:


> Here is my second attempt at a polymer clay pen.  I got the shape right this time but the area around my canes turned brown during baking.  I baked it at 300 degrees f for 30 minutes.  Did I bake them at too high of a temp, too long, or both?  It looked much better white.  Should I knock it apart and do over?
> 
> View attachment 140604



Yes and yes !!   275 for 15 minutes. Also use an oven temp gauge to make sure that your setting is correct on whatever you are using to bake with.   Jim  S


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## magpens (Nov 5, 2015)

Don't know anything about polymer clay. . The pen looks great to me ! . If it were mine I would be proud to show it !!!


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## lorbay (Nov 5, 2015)

Pretty, I mean pretty darn fine. 
Lin


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## BRobbins629 (Nov 5, 2015)

Think a little too hot and too long.  I would try 250 for 20 minutes and see how it feels. You can always put it back in the oven.


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## Skie_M (Nov 6, 2015)

The background you used was thin and made with Sculpey III transluscent?

If so, the answer is deceptively simple .... it didn't turn brown.  That's the brass tube's color showing through the transluscent clay.  Add some white kato or another opaque white clay to your background transluscent to make it more solid.



Aside from that tiny detail, the end result is still amazing ... I love it!


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## Cwalker935 (Nov 6, 2015)

Skie_M said:


> The background you used was thin and made with Sculpey III transluscent?
> 
> If so, the answer is deceptively simple .... it didn't turn brown.  That's the brass tube's color showing through the transluscent clay.  Add some white kato or another opaque white clay to your background transluscent to make it more solid.
> 
> Aside from that tiny detail, the end result is still amazing ... I love it!



I purchased the canes and do not know what the background is made of.  I applied them over a base layer of yellow clay so it is not the tube showing. The background may be translucent since it is different than the white in the middle of the flowers.  It definitely turned brown so I think Jim and Bruce are right and that I should dial back the time and temp.

Thanks everyone for your input.


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## Brian G (Nov 6, 2015)

If you had paired it with chrome components, I'd wince a little.

Having paired it with TiAu makes it look right, even if it was supposed to look different.


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## ladycop322 (Nov 6, 2015)

I've done some clay and baked too long....they turned brown


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## ELA (Nov 6, 2015)

I wouldn't say a word. No one but you will know it wasn't intended to look that way.  By the way, It looks great to me.


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## MShepard (Nov 6, 2015)

knock it apart and redo.  By the way you wouldn't want anyone to see that blank laying around your shop so send it to me and I will evaluate and dispose of it......
Seriously I think it looks great and would be proud of it.


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## 79spitfire (Nov 7, 2015)

Sculpey® III | Sculpey

Baking instructions are at the bottom. My daughter uses this quite a bit for school projects, it is very temperature sensitive. Get a thermometer and verify how hot your oven is. Also pre-heat the oven. In our experience the time is not as critical as the temp. 275F any more and the colors shift... All to brown...


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