# Brief explanation to make a PC Tube



## Toni

I hope this is posted in the right place:biggrin: 

I would like to explain alittle about how my pens are made, since I dont have the tutorial yet to post. BEWARE I have an interesting way of writing tutorials

1. I dont turn.
2. I dont use blanks.
3. I dont use CA

Now that you know that I will explain briefly how I make my "TUBES".

Equipement: Polymer clay for a base layer, pasta machine or roller, pre-made canes or canes you made(this post is not going to teach you how to make a cane!!) a sharp blade, oven, sandpaper and muselin buffing wheel and your choice of gloss/finish

***Baking Polymer Clay does give off plasticizer residue/fumes they are not toxic(thats what all the literature says), but it is recommended that you either cover your piece that you are baking in the oven with a tinfoil tent or a large baking dish(you know for making loafs(ask your wives)) OR you can purchase a toaster or convection oven and use that just for polymer clay. sorry i forgot to mention that..i have to use a toaster oven as the ovens in New Zealand are sooo small, no thanksgiving turkeys in there, lucky if a chicken will fit.  For those of you that have baked in your home oven it has not been enough for you to worry about..again my apologizes

I use a sheet of pc (polymer clay) to cover the tube, pc needs to be conditioned before you use it. To condition the clay you can roll it on a tile to get it soft and pliable or you can run it through the pasta machine till you dont see any cracks. (if this step is not done your clay will crack or worse all the work you have done will crumble off the tube)

Once conditioned run the clay through the pasta machine, a thin sheet. Wrap this sheet around the tube, cuting it where they join, smooth out the seam.

I take a cane, you can see photos of them in my etsy shop (http://www.toninz.etsy.com) and cut slices off using a sharpe blade, Thomas Scientific Blade(they can be purchased online,they are as sharp as(kiwi lingo)) I do this with all the canes I am going to use for my design. hint: slice them as thin as possible!!

Apply these slices onto the tube(which has a pc sheet wrapped around it, this acts like glue!!) if you place a slice on the tube and want to move it good luck it will rip!! so think first before you start putting on the slices.

After you have put a few on, roll on a large tile,ie..the ones you use to tile your kitchen floor, plain white is perfect you dont want one that has indentations!! APPLY LIGHT PRESSURE when rolling; be gentle guys. Then apply more slices, roll again, continue to add slices and roll till you have covered the tube.

While rolling the tube clay will begin to move to the ends, use your blade to slice off the clay that is not adhered to the tube.

When you are done rolling and its smooth. Place the tube on a flat tile standing upright. Bake it in the oven acccording to the manufacturers directions(all pc artist that write tutorials are supposed to say that) for 30-40minutes. The tube will look like the first picture.

The second picture shows you the inner view of the tube, hopefully this photo explains ALOT!! Clay on the outside, metal tube on the inside.

Once cooled,start sanding that baby with 600 or 800 grit, be careful you dont want to sand off the millefiori, so sand till you have it nice and smooth, move onto the next grit, same thing as above be careful, keep sanding till you are at 2,000 grit. You are now done sanding. do you still have your fingerprints?? 

Buff it on a muselin wheel or your jeans( I dont, but you can) and coat it with CA or whatever gloss you have, I use floor polish to seal in the shine. Should shine like glass before you even apply this coating.

Assemble your pen and viola you are done!! Now you have some insight on how to make a polymer clay tube ala Toni. 

I promise I will get a better tutorial with step by step photos ASAP.


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## frankhp

I am amazed each and every time I see your work.


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## Toni

Thank you, but what did you think of my quick tut?


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## witz1976

I too am amazed & your quick tutorial is nice, but to be honest where I never used clay before and found it is a little confusing.  I can't figure out how the heck you are putting flowers in it for instance.  I am anxiously waiting for a nice full scale tutorial with pics =)


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## AceMrFixIt

I have a friend that is very interested in how you do this. I sent her a copy of your post. She said she has done the canes but not to the extent you do. Great looking pens. Now I have a bit of a clue how its done. Keep it coming.


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## johncrane

Well done Toni.:wink::biggrin:


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## Toni

Oh sorry the flowers are canes you can see them on my etsy shop  http://www.toninz.etsy.com they are all clay with a design in the center filled in with a translucent clay.  

How long has she been working with pc?


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## Toni

Glad you liked it John, did you like the "sharp as":wink:


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## AceMrFixIt

Toni said:


> Oh sorry the flowers are canes you can see them on my etsy shop http://www.toninz.etsy.com they are all clay with a design in the center filled in with a translucent clay.
> 
> How long has she been working with pc?


 
She has done it in the past. I sent pics of your pens and she got all excited and wants to get back into it. She is very artistic with painting so I think she can do it.


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## snyiper

That helps alot! I have the idea now i just need the skills..LOL Great Job Toni!


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## TomS

Nice tutorial. I'd like to see the "clones" that come from this.
Tom


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## johncrane

Yes i liked that Toni, also as sharp as a bowling ball works:redface::wink::biggrin:


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## fiferb

Very nice tutorial. It took me a few seconds to understand that the canes on your website were pictures of the end of the canes and that the design is going all the way through it. Hence, the thin slices. Having never worked with PC the lightbulb finally came on. Thanks.


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## wood-of-1kind

Toni said:


> Thank you, but what did you think of my quick tut?



You have a very nice "tut".:biggrin:


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## Pioneerpens

Great job on the min Tut Toni  

Jennifer


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## snowman56

Toni
Good job on the tutorial.I think i will stay with the gator's they are tamer.


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## Lenny

That explains a lot .... although I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. :biggrin:


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## OKLAHOMAN

Just wondering how it would look on a larger pen...say a Jr. Gent or Retro fountain pen. Would be a nice seller to some.


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## lwalden

Nice work on the Mini-Tutorial, Toni- thanks for helping educate us PC neophytes. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind- 1st, how long are the canes themselves? How are they stored? Do you have to worry about things like humidity and room temperature much (I'm picturing a collection of tupperware containers in the fridge!)? I've got a daughter who's 10 that loves working on craft projects, and I'm wondering if this would be a good medium for her to try a few things with. Given her age, I'm hesitant to think of her trying to use very sharp knifes to cut very thin slices of anything. How difficult are the canes to slice? Are they very firm with a lot of resistance? And if so, is there a downside to cutting thicker slices other than possibly needing to bake for a longer period? I'm wondering if thicker pieces are more prone to cracking while baking. I know this is a lot of questions, if you can recommend a site that may have more generic information on PC, I would appreciate it. Thanks, and again- Love your work!!


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## its_virgil

I too am amazed at how you PCers can make those canes...especially the floral ones. Awesome work both making the canes and the pens. Yours are the first PC pens I've really liked.  You have coupled your creativity and talent with an interesting medium. I love pens also.
Thanks for the quick tutorial and I look forward to more info from you.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## rjwolfe3

How hard is the finished pen? In other words, does it hold up to abuse in a pocket or should it be babied?

Very good tutorial. I understand the basics now. Your canes and pens are awesome.


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## LEAP

Nicely done and in a way even I can understand! You have certainly gained a lot of admirers with the beauty of your work. My wife loves her pen and has been busy showing it off at work. You must be getting a lot of hits on your ESTY page.


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## workinforwood

I can make a simple flower cane, I just can't make a flower cane that looks so cool as those.  Making a cane is just like making a segmented twist pen, or making an end grain cutting board.  After you condition the clay, you roll it into long thin worms.  So lets just say you have 2 long thin worms, one yellow, one green.  Cut the 2 worms in half then you place the 4 worms beside each other so it's like an alternating color square, but long of course.  Now make 4 more long thin rolls of a different color and use those to put in the spaces of your "square".  Then roll out a sheet and wrap what you just did...hey, you are making a sushi roll!  Once it is wrapped, roll it out into a long round roll again.  The pieces inside will get thinner as the clay roll gets smaller but longer.  Now you can cut this into 4 sections and once again place them beside one another like a square.  You can now make 5 long thin rolls.  Put one roll in the center of the square, the other 4 around the square to truly square it out.  The wrap that and roll it out again.  By now you should have a can with 8 flowers in it.  Simple flowers with round petals, but still flowers.  Then you do as Toni said, slice it thin and apply it to your pen that has clay wrapped around it.  It maybe takes a bit of thought, but it all begins just the same as a segmented twist pen.  Only difference is that the pieces are round, so each time you make a "square", you have to fill in between the rolls or you would have a gap.  Just picture holding 4 dowels together as a square. inbetween each dowel is a v shaped gap that needs to be filled to complete the square.  Wrap, roll, cut.   Now I have to figure, if you want a more designed cane, like a tear drop shaped petal, then you could probably get a tear drop shaped or make a tear drop shaped cutter for the pasta machine.  Then you'd have a round roll in the center.  You would have several tear drop shapes the length of it and have to have a filler peice in between each petal. Then you would wrap an outer shell around all that. and evenly roll it all out to remove any air and thin out the design.


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## thewishman

I'm off to Michaels - they are selling PC at 4 for $5. Wish you could get a commission on all of the PC and tool sales that you are inspiring!

Your mini "tut" was cute! Enough information to get me ready to make a huge mess. Your finished pens also give me the desire to push through the learning process to make something special.

Thanks, Toni. Just how many canes would you need to sell to get back to Jersey?:biggrin:


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## jttheclockman

Your work is just simply amazing and everytime you make a post here from now on you are going to get many people following it and replying so be prepared. 

You make it sound so simple and to you it is after all your time you spent working with it. I see this is the basic steps and the secret lies in the canes themselves. I do have a couple questions. When picking the base color is there a rhym or reason to pick certain colors. When doing acrylics for us, the color paint we chose to paint the tubes makes a difference in the outcome of the shade of the blank.  Is that the case with your system. Does the bottom layer show through the added canes???  Also when curing in the oven, is it possible to overcook them and what are the danger zones, both over and under cooked????  Thanks for sharing. I do see an increase in pc sales. Maybe we should warn Michaels and AC Moore stores ahead of time.


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## ssajn

Toni
I think you stuff is assume. I showed it to my wife and now she want to try it. I just ordered the magazine with your article. I think your tutorial was well done and am looking forward to the next one. 
Thanks


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## ESwindell

I have been talking with Toni and have asked some of the questions that others have, so in an effort to save her the time and energy involved in repeating herself I will post them here.

Toni if this is bad form let me know and I will remove my post.

"How hard is the finished pen? In other words, does it hold up to abuse in a pocket or should it be babied?".... how fragile?? humm... I drop them and nothing happens, you must make sure you bake it at the correct temperature!!

"how long are the canes themselves?" ...(my answer) from what I have seen, most on her site are ~2" long x 1/2" thick.  http://www.toninz.etsy.com

"How are they stored?" ... fishing tackle box or tupperwere container and make sure its covered

"I've got a daughter who's 10 that loves working on craft projects, and I'm wondering if this would be a good medium for her to try a few things with." ... (MY ANSWER) The blade needed to cut the canes, from my research, are SUPER SCARY SHARP, think scalpel, so unsupervised no.  Supervised or some one cutting the pieces for her then sure. 

is there a downside to cutting thicker slices other than possibly needing to bake for a longer period? ... (my answer) it depends on what she is making, buttons and beads should be thick.  the pattern stuff like Toni makes needs to be thin as you are building the design up and the thicker the pieces the father out from the base clay it will be.

"can recommend a site that may have more generic information on PC, I would appreciate it." ... (my answer) google/ youtube polymer clay  lots of reading/ videos.

Hope this helps.

God Bless,
Eric


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## Toni

Thanks Eric you were spot on!!

My daughter who is 10 as well has been playing with pc for years, she doesnt use the "SHARP" blades I use there are other ones that will slice canes.  some supervision would be needed as well as basic instruction on using the blades carefully.  My daughter loves to make beads, containers, stuff for her doll house it will spark serious creativity(I let her use my cheep clay,SculpeyIII)

As for how fragile, I have dropped my pens on the ground and nothing has happened ever!!

Canes are typically sold for the lengths Eric said, BUT you can request longer and see if its doable.

As for storing, they can be stored ontop of each other as long as they are wrapped in Saran wrap.  I ship my canes all over the world!!! they are wrapped in saran wrap and placed on top of each other with no problems.

Awww... the base color!! Good question!! I choose a color that is in the canes that I am using, so for the Pink rose/orange and yellow flowers the base color is yellow, nice and light so it doesnt "darken" the flowers.  If you look at the photo of tubes where you see the inside you can see the base colors. 

Does the base color show through? sometimes it will thats why I am carefull with the color I use, there are a few pens that I Let the base color show..i will attach a picture of that pen(that design won me second place in a bead contest, the base color is a jade green pearl)

Which magazine did you get? most of my tuts are for making jewelry.  There 'was' a magazine in OZ that I did a few unfortunatly the magazine went under and I am trying to find out if those tuts published I can now sell.

Overcooking.........hell yes you can burn them!! I have Make sure you have a timer set if you are like me and do other things and forget when you put them in the oven.  

As for placing them in the oven~I didnt know how to exactly explain that in the mini tut, you have a few choices.

1. stand them up make sure they arent close to the top of the oven
3. use a metal skewer through the tubes and place that skewer on a glass dish
4. Use a bead rack(yes I know you probably dont have one) thats what I use now.

I REALLY REALLY MISS MICHAELS, I miss craft stores PERIOD!!

Oh the thicker the slice the more distortion you will have and when you layer canes on top of them it gets even thicker, SOOO thinner is better.  To show you how I slice would need to be video taped or done in person.  I am not keen on putting it on youtube, sorry. so you will have to send me a plane ticket to show everyone:biggrin:

I have not seen or used a Jr. Gent pen..sigh..I have done Fountains as you can see in my photos, not sure if they are the size you are asking about.

I will re-read the posts to make sure I got everyone covered.  

THANK YOU EVERYONE for your feedback and positive response, I really wanted to help the members as well as get it across I dont use blanks. 

When I am able to make some tubes, hopefully you will understand what you are buying because you wont need to turn them, but you can apply CA!!


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## Toni

JEFF I wanted to make a comment about your description, it works for me!! Those 4 rods you are holding and the gaps inbetween each one, I use translucent clay to "caulk" between them almost like a flattened triangle, wish I could draw it, maybe Lenny can do it seems he is very computer savy 

How many canes to get me back to the US? for a visit a few thousand dollars for a plane ticket.  To move back home for good a full time job that will support a family of 5.


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## workinforwood

Thanks Toni.  I think a person could make millefiori with exotic wood dowels and casting resin.  You take two maple dowels and two walnut dowels and set them in a tube <alternating the colors> that is the right size that the 4 piece just fit then fill it in with resin and cast.  Then remove that and cut it into 4 equal pieces and set into an even bigger tube where they just fit and cast again.  Slice it super thin and set the thin slices in hot water for 30 minutes and they can be bent around a tube, hold them on the tube with elastics till they dry then glue the formed pieces to the tube and cast in clear acrlic.  Milledowelfiori!:biggrin:


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## babyblues

Wow!  Something I will definitely have to try.


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## KDM

I thought I'd be smart and got a couple of pieces of polymer clay different colours and marbled them, squished them into a block, baked it just to see what it would look like after I turned it on the lathe.




​ It turns up really well, actually, but the resultant tube was just too crumbly to make a pen from. Is this typical, or do you have any tips as to how I can make it stronger?

Your pens are stunning, by the way. The patience you must have!!


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## Toni

Hi Ken~First off what brand did you use? That may be the problem.

REmember I DO NOT OWN A LATHE and have never turned anything except a hotdog But I can help you with other issues, like this.

Thank you for the complements in regards to my pens.  Not so sure about patience, I just love what I do so I dont mind how long it takes, some aspects of polymer clay that should take long to do, I can do it in minutes only because I have been working with it for so long.  Probably the same for a woodturner.

Feel free to ask for anyhelp!!


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## KDM

I used Fimo. I think it's supposed to be one of the stronger brands. At this point the lathe is pretty well irrelevant. That was the part of the process that WORKED!! See in the photo how the right-hand end cracked off? I could do that just with my fingers.
Thanks for getting back to me.


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## Toni

Ken~I wish I could enlarge the photo, I could probably tell you definatly what happened.  Your choice of clay is fine, so that leaves me to believe it was either not conditioned enough, how did you condition the clay? or you didnt bake it long enough at the right temperature..


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## Glenn McCullough

Toni,
     Very good tutorial, and stunnning pens.....still waiting on mine.


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## keithkarl2007

Do the white outside pieces of the cane have to be cut away after slicing? Your pens are awesome and the detail in your canes is amazing. Can't believe you actually make the canes yourself


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## bobleibo

Hi Toni...
Your work is amazing to say the least. I'm not sure I am going to start making flowered pens just yet, but your work and craftsmanship absolutely intrigues me. A curious question.....do you actually slice a single cane flower into many pieces that then get molded into the PC on the tube or is it one flower for each piece that is embedded? 
I would love to sit and watch you actually create one but I don't think a quick stop in NZ is in the cards just yet. You should do a video! There used to be a guy not far from me who created the blown glass vases and animals that I would sit and watch for hours. Always fun to watch artistic people in action. 

Cheers
Bob


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## KDM

Toni said:


> I wish I could enlarge the photo



Ooops. That was silly. try clicking it now.



Toni said:


> ... that leaves me to believe it was either not conditioned enough



So I didn't look a berk, I looked up_ "conditioning clay". _You may be right. I may well need to massage it more. Also, I hadn't realised, but my clay was relatively hard compared to a freshly opened pack.



Toni said:


> ... or you didnt bake it long enough at the right temperature..



30 minutes at 150C. My oven might not be terribly accurate, though, and I don't have a food thermometer yet. How critical is it?

Damn - should have started a "PC HowTo" thread!!!


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## Toni

keithkarl2007~the white outside is translucent clay, if the slices are thin you wont need to cut it off as it will be see through.  Yes I make all my cane flower canes(there are a few that I have bought) 

Bob~Trying to figure out what you are asking.  So I will tell you what I do, I take slices off the cane and apply them onto the tube, dont understand the molded part they are like putting sticky stickers on a piece of paper a bitch to take off without them ripping:frown: Back in new york state we had a swedish glass blowing studio, You could watch them work and I loved it!! Was great fun when i took the boyscouts there we got right up close man is it hot.  I have always wanted to learn how to blow glass, but ummm..hubby wont let me....its not safe to have me around fire you dont want to know.LOL

Ken~the clay has to be rolled out with a rolling pin or a pasta machine numerous times to "conditiion" the clay. I have never massaeged clay:biggrin: you know when its ready to use when you can fold it over and it doesnt crack at the seams....you know there isnt a nice way to explain all this to a guy without laughing!!!  As for temperature I have a thermometer in my oven to keep a close eye on the temperature as it fluctuates.. Try again!!!!!!!!!!


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## keithkarl2007

How the heck do you keep the flowers uniform through the cane, or even shape them like that  you've more patience than i have :biggrin::biggrin:


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## Toni

They arent perfect, clay is soft and moves, but the thinner the slices the less distortion there will be. it takes time and practice, I have been working with pc since 1997. send me a ticket to Ireland and I will give you a private lesson!!!


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## KDM

Toni said:


> REmember I DO NOT OWN A LATHE and have never turned anything except a  hotdog



...and I am an aircraft systems engineer with ZERO artistic talent and absolutely no pasta machine!!



Toni said:


> the clay has to be rolled out with a rolling pin or a pasta machine numerous times to &quot;conditiion&quot; the clay.



Yes. I did that this time. Rolled it up into snakes, folded it, rolled it. All nice and squidgy. No cracks.



Toni said:


> I have never massaeged clay



I was cautious with the use of that word.



Toni said:


> you know there isnt a nice way to explain all this to a guy without laughing!!!



Ergo, my caution.



Toni said:


> As for temperature I have a thermometer in my oven to keep a close eye on the temperature as it fluctuates.. Try again!!!!!!!!!!



I have one in the oven as we speak. (Oh, boy. Now who's laughing?)


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## Toni

I am very excited to see if you were able to succeed...gulp.....  Does it help that I cant draw for beans??


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## KDM

OKay, loads of massaging and folding and rolling the snake beforehand. It was so well conditioned that it was alsmost ... sticky. Also, because it was quite hard beforehand, I rubbed in some Vaseline (advice from poymerclaycentral), which stopped it cracking when folded. In the oven for 45 mins at slightly lower temp of 120C.

Damned tube is still crumbly. To give you an idea, the tube wall is 3mm thick and I can crush it with very little effort. I _could_ make a pen out of it, but I fear that it would shatter if it got dropped!! This is very annoying. It looks like such a versatile material.

(And I'm starting to see why you giggle so much when talking about the subject.)


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## Toni

OK, NOW I KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You arent covering a brass tube. You need to put that sheet onto a brass tube, it says it in the tutorial.

What you are doing is making a tube with polymer clay on the mandral?? (tell me I am right, because that will show I am learning)   If you wanted to do that you will need to use Kato clay.  I have never used vaseline to condition the clay, zips mouth shut. 

Try again!! hehehehe


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## KDM

I didn't set out to follow the instructions. I just wanted a block of hardened clay that I could carve up onthe lathe. I'm also not following "traditional" pen making instructions. I made my own tools, so I have two sizes of mandrel - one for turning without tubes and one for turning with tubes.

I did form the tube directly onto the mandrel. The engineer in me leads me to believe this might make a difference to the direct heat applied to the tube.

What difference with Kato clay make? What exactly is going on here?

Vaseline is your friend if your clay is a bit old.


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## capcrnch

Toni, when you bake them, how do you set them in the oven?
Are they laying flat on their sides or do you "prop" them up somehow?

Thanks!


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## jeffnreno

*Another Medium To Try*

Thank you for the great tutorial.
This site is such an incredible source information.


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## Toni

Rich~stand the tube upright on a flat tile.(updated the tutorial with this information, thank you)

Jeff~thank you so much!

KDM~I did not realize that was what you were doing, sorry for the confusion.  As for turning on a lathe, as I said in the begining I have never turned pc on a lathe, my only suggestion is the clay is not strong enough.  All clays have there own characteristics, ie..flexible, strength and weeknesses.  Kato clay is known for it strength and higher baking temperatures.  From what I remember you can not buy it in the crafts stores(that was 3 years ago) you had to buy it online.  I do appologize for not being able to help.


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## KDM

Toni said:


> As for turning on a lathe, as I said in the begining I have never turned pc on a lathe, my only suggestion is the clay is not strong enough.



Yeah, but this stuff has never made it as far as the lathe. It's crumbling in my hands. I'm quite sure I could folow your instructions and my clay would still crumble! I reckon it must be just too old. (And my oven is crap.)


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## CaptG

KDM said:


> I didn't set out to follow the instructions. I just wanted a block of hardened clay that I could carve up onthe lathe. I'm also not following "traditional" pen making instructions. I made my own tools, so I have two sizes of mandrel - one for turning without tubes and one for turning with tubes.
> 
> I did form the tube directly onto the mandrel. The engineer in me leads me to believe this might make a difference to the direct heat applied to the tube.
> 
> What difference with Kato clay make? What exactly is going on here?
> 
> Vaseline is your friend if your clay is a bit old.



Hi Ken,  If I am reading Toni's tutorial right, there is no lathe work involved in her process.  Being a tool and die maker I don't know if clay could turn without chipping out, sanded to shape yes, but I doubt turned.  Turning clay is an interesting thought tho,  Seeing how Toni does not own a lathe and can not give info on this and you are obviously looking to turn clay, (your thinking outside the box here is how great new processes get started) I hope you keep us up to date and give us a tutorial when (not if) you figure it out.  I will be waiting to see the results.


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## daveeisler

Toni, things here in NJ/NY are improving, and rental homes have stabilized, as well as homes for sale, they are still very low, but taxes, well that still is high, but as you must know, living in NJ, and working in NY, with your talent, you could easily have a studio in the city, where you could sell your stuff and hold classes too. So when your ready, I will send some home buying info, no , I am not a realtor. just helping friends.


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## creativewriting

> Yeah, but this stuff has never made it as far as the lathe. It's crumbling in my hands. I'm quite sure I could folow your instructions and my clay would still crumble! I reckon it must be just too old. (And my oven is crap.)


 
I to have never used vaseline to condition clay.  There is a fine line when you are adding any additional substance to clay.  I have used mineral oil in small (very small) doses, but that is it. 

Clay, on its own, will not hold up to turning or threading.  If you just want to turn a chunk then roll it into a sausage shape (technical lingo), cure it, drill, and glue in the tube.  Doing this you should have no problem.  The clay needs the support of the brass tube.  I have torn several of my pens apart for testing reasons and your clay should not crumble.  From my experience it is very flexible and doesn't tear easily.  The tubes I have dismantled I have been able to fold and bend the clay portion with out any sign of wear.

Over the past couple of years they have been reformulating polymer clay to decrease or remove the phthalates (platicizers used originally).  There were a few brands that had very bad luck in the first attempts to do so.  I am not sure if Fimo was one of those or not.  I usually work with Premo or Studio.  

If you need some more information on the different charactoristics of clay try this site or this site.  Garie is the mad scientist of polymer.  These links will provide everything you need to know about the durability of Polymer.


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## glycerine

I have a question.  Once you make a cane, how do you store it to keep it from drying out until you use it all up?


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## KDM

CaptG said:


> ... I don't know if clay could turn without chipping out, sanded to shape yes, but I doubt turned.  Turning clay is an interesting thought tho,  Seeing how Toni does not own a lathe and can not give info on this and you are obviously looking to turn clay, (your thinking outside the box here is how great new processes get started) I hope you keep us up to date and give us a tutorial when (not if) you figure it out.  I will be waiting to see the results.



Course I'll keep everyone posted. For info, I took a pice of my broken experiment and put it on a mandrel (I made a 7mm mandrel for turning without tubes) and it turns up a treat! It's quite a smooth finish (I used a metal cutting bit rather than a wood tool) but not shiny. However, even after several passes with graded sandpaper, it was too soft to take a shine. I guess I'll be laquering it!!


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## KDM

creativewriting said:


> Clay, on its own, will not hold up to turning or threading.



I used an indexable DCMT metal cutting bit. Worked OKay.



creativewriting said:


> If you just want to turn a chunk then roll it into a sausage shape (technical lingo), cure it, drill, and glue in the tube.  Doing this you should have no problem.



You know, I'm gonna give that a go - The reason I formed it on the mandrel was to reduce waste, but I think I'll try drilling it next time.



creativewriting said:


> The clay needs the support of the brass tube.



Ah. That's something I didn't consider. CA gluing the tube into it will make it a lot stronger already. Maybe I'll sacrifice a couple of tubes and see what happens.


----------



## OC1

This is my first post, first let me tell you Toni, your pens and designs are just absolutely amazing and jawdropping. I normally prefer abstract textures, but when I see a great craft I can't help myself.

Anyway, I jumped here because I always turn Polymer Clay. It turns like butter and there is far less mess than turning casting resins or even wood. I use normal woodturning gouges so nothing special. one has to be a bit more careful because it really go fast. The result is pretty smooth already, then just work with sanding paper and wool the shine. I use woodworking wax to get base shine then use auto polishing compound for final shine. All on lathe.
If the clay crumbles then you simply didn't bake it long enough. When it is baked properly it turns beautifully.
I turn PC because I am not exactly good in making a good nice smooth barrel without turning.

Here are few my PC pens from yesterday - I use pen making just as a fill-up between my woodworking projects (accoustic guitars). Normally I use some scrap woods etc, but clay is wonderful thing ...me and my kids love it. I was trying to do some faux stones on few of them on others I was just monkeying around. The left one looks like something between marble and sausage...(I used shavings from previous pen and mixed it with clay) the right one looks surprisingly like quartz even when held in hand...
I just mostly use slimline kits I got from ebay...


----------



## Toni

Oscar~how excellent!! Glad you posted as well as showed your pens. I agree it looks like quartz!! Turquiose is nice looking as well!! We both have completely different styles!!!  When/If I ever get a lathe you know I am going to drive you NUTS!!


----------



## dgscott

Toni:

When I first saw your work, my immediate reaction was "WOW! I wanna do that!" But to be honest, I think I would have the same reaction standing underneath the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. Just because I want to do that doesn't mean I could. So, I'm resigned to admire what you do in the same way I'd admire a painting by Monet or a sculpture by Rodin. Absolutely astonishing work. Thanks for the tutorial, but I think I'm content to be amazed.
Doug


----------



## OC1

Toni
I am not worried, I am sure artist of your strength will master any technique. The fact is that by using PC you already choose the most versatile material that allows far more control over the output that any other material out there. When using resins or wood, it is always waiting for the random texture to be good. Sometimes it isn't.

I have some experience with finishes so I will try to work out a good high gloss and non-toxic way for PC. I use French Polishing for wood and I will try to apply this to PC (it is ethanol based so it doesn't mix with the oils and within 30 minutes the ethanol is all gone anyway). You can create a very unique and stable high gloss with FP that can be buffed into ultra piano gloss.

CA glue finish works well on almost anything, but I believe the toxicity of CA fumes are often downplayed and I would recomend to stay away from it as much as you can.


----------



## Rfturner

Thankyou toni for the great tutorial and for showing others constantly what to do. I know what I have done wrong in the past now


----------



## Toni

Ryan your welcome its all part of being a member on the board!!   So what was it you were doing wrong?


----------



## les-smith

Great tut.  I've been making pens from PC for a while, but I've never had any luck using the canes.  I always distored them so badly they didn't look good.  I see how your way would work and it makes sense.  I am a man, it takes me a while sometimes. I was wondering, are the leaves and butterflies different canes or is everything just one cane cut thinly.

As far as durabilty, I agree with you.  The first 5 or so I made I gave away to see how good the held up before I sold any.  There has been discussion about the durablity of PC.  They've all held up great.  I've been finishing my with CA, but all the one I gave away have held up just great.

Anyways, thanks for the post Toni.


----------



## Toni

Yes I know with men its takes some time...LOL The leaves and butterflies are all seperate canes and EVERYTHING is sliced thin.. 

You are welcome!!


----------



## Charles

Very beautiful, But I must admit, I need to be watching some of the videos, I guess on youtube. I still can't grasp how you get the "cane" to look like a flower, and why are they called canes? Guess I am stuck in the PR and alumilite casting craze, and wood. Can't picture how these aree done and I read and reread the tut. Thanks for trying Toni. When you do a video, maybe then I'll get it.
Still beautiful work!


----------



## Toni

Charles I am sorry you are having difficulties grasping it.  I dont think its something you can just read and "get it" right away...

This will help explain what a cane is: http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/toniransfield/sets/72157605667566334/
thats on my flickr page.

A videodont see one happening dont own a video camera, that could be dangerous!! LOL

thank you for the complement


----------



## CabinetMaker

Hi Tony,
I was wondering who makes the canes and hot they are made.


----------



## HSTurning

She (Toni) makes them.
youtube has some videos on how to make them.


----------



## Toni

Thanks Matt!! George you can go to my etsy shop http://www.toninz.etsy.com for canes and a blade to slice them with. To learn more about how the canes are made you can look here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/toniransfield/sets/72157605667566334/ Left hand side I explain how they are created.


----------



## Russianwolf

While no where near as nice as Toni's canes, here's a video that shows how they are made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6172lxLvqc&feature=related

And the funny thing is, Toni, I understood everything you were describing and I'm a Man. Granted I've been an artist since I was 3, but a man none the less.:biggrin:

By the way, the same technique used in the canes have been around for Hundreds of years. They have been used to make hard candies with designs for generations.


----------



## Ankrom Exotics

Very interesting thread. I seldom read every post of a thread this long but it seems like there was something to be learned from nearly every single contribution. Thanks to Toni and everyone else that helped to de-mystify the techniques used to achieve the finished product.

I am assuming that the overlapping of cane slices is acceptable? It's the only way I can imagine some of the effects were created. I also assume that it's important to really pre-plan your finished product and lay out the cane slices in a particular order (i.e. leaf slices below the flowers which are then below the butterflies etc...) to create the proper effects?


----------



## RAdams

I just thought of something. For those of us that have canes. You could compress the back half of a cane, and have two different sizes of the same flower? Or is this too dangerous and risky to the cane?


----------



## jbmauser

Toni, I have had some success, so now I need to work on quality, consistency and canes. My one problem is that I had to glue the clay tubes to the brass tube as they slid free. They were still tight but they could be moved. Do you put a bit of adhesive on the tube when you roll on the PC? I found a razor blade is hard to cut a cane thin as you instructed, so I smashed the slices thinner and applied them bigger and in some case smeared them a bit to get a watercolor kind of look. thanks for the advice, more canes (better I hope) to follow. Thanks again for the Tut.  JB


----------



## Toni

John~I have NEVER had to glue the polymer clay to the tubes.  They dont slid off when they are baked...humm..when you have the clay on your worksurface flat you take the tube and roll it up then you roll some more and remove any excess that is beyond the tubes.  IF there are any air bubbles then it will not adhere to the tube.

What clay are you using? trying to figure out what the problem is..

Razor blades are the WORST!! major distortion and impossible to cut thin.  I have a great blade available in my etsy shop now, got them for members on IAP.  

You are quite welcome John and I love your pens!!!


----------



## jbmauser

I think the clay is Sculpty III and Primo, I think the clay used that slid on the brass tube was the Sculpty III.  

Just for chuckles -  so I decide I need to put a minute drop of CA on the tube and slide the clay wrap back over the CA so that it never moves again.  The first pen worked without a hitch, the second one, I guess I spent a little to much time spreading it super thin and then pulling the clay sleeve down to be flush to the nib.  1/8 in. from the nib. Bam, it set up like concrete.  So now I am looking at a gap of 1/8 in with nothing but air and a brass tube.  I then spend 15 minutes trying to figure out what I can add to the pen to fill the space. a mini rubber seal, wire wrap, epoxy with tint.  Then it hit me.  Duh. you are working with clay dummy..... I added a bit of the same color clay, smoothed it with a spin and some sheet paper sort of like a burnish and baked it off.  I have a pen 1/8 in longer than the others and a man on even a slow horse could not tell what I did.  This stuff is way cool..  JB

Ps.  the pic was taken before the glue incident.


----------



## George Watkins

hello folks after seeing Toni's pen's and reading this thread i have had a go and here's my first attempt

I bought some premo clay to use as the base colour and i also bought some of Toni's brillant cane's
I forgot to take any photo's of the tube's before baking but here they are straight out of the oven




I used a new foil container upside down in the oven and a barbeque skewer to suspend the pen tubes inside it




close up of the design




I found that they were not cylindrical so i mounted them on the lathe to take a light skim of and to do the sanding




unfortunatley the base colour came thru at the tip and clip end-next time i will make the base colour thinner




here's the finished pen





since making this one i have 3 more sets of tubes ready to assemble

thanks for all of your help Toni


----------



## jbmauser

Her canes are just off the wall beautiful!  You did a great job, nice color mix.  How thin did you slice them?  I can't seem to get a consistent slice.  I keep thinking of making a mini deli style slicer to make them paper thin.  When mine a a bit to thick the image grows and smears when it is rolled.  JB


----------



## Toni

> Her canes are just off the wall beautiful!


You are making me blush!! Thank you!!

You need to use a very sharp blade to slice them thin.  What blade are you using? If they are too thick yes they will grow and distort.


----------



## kruzzer

Toni,
your work is amazing... The tut was great but I think I'm gonna have to wait for the Movie..... I just can't quite grasp how it all smooths into a pen.  Do the canes "melt" into the PC when you put it in the oven??????
Rich


----------



## Toni

Rich~the canes themselves are made out of polymer clay.  Once you have applied a base layer of polymer clay and place the sliced canes on it they stick like glue!! When you roll the tube it smoothes out the slices and melds into the base layer.  The oven bakes the clay as it is soft and you need to cure it in the oven to harden the clay..hope that helps... as for the movie..umm...LOL..not going to happen at least in New Zealand that is


----------



## George Watkins

using one of Toni's blades- i can get the cane slices wafer thin-it takes a little pratice and every now and then i slice a wedge shaped one but overall the blade makes a nice even smooth cut


----------



## jbmauser

*distorted slices*

Toni, do you rest your canes or cool them before slicing.  Each time I make up a new can and slice it it always distorts.  Egg shaped slices are not what I am looking for.  Having said that, my canes are getting better, in minute degrees.  I may not ever get near your quality but having fun. JB


----------



## Toni

No I do not rest them.  What brand of clay are you using?


----------



## ColoradoHermit

I just can't quite grasp how it all smooths into a pen. Do the canes "melt" into the PC when you put it in the oven??????
Rich 

Picture the cane as a loaf of bread, (very small loaf) and you use several thin slices to make a patern wrapped around the pen tube. Does that help?


----------



## ColoradoHermit

Toni
   Love your work. It amazes me how you can combine the different clays to make such complicated paterns. How many different canes do you use to make a pen? I would say to make an average pen but there is nothing "average" about them! 
   I hope you didn't mind my suggestion to Rich. I just thought it would help him see better how its done.


----------



## Toni

Thank you for the complements!!



> How many different canes do you use to make a pen? I would say to make an average pen but there is nothing "average" about them!


 
To answer that question I would probably need to count the flowers on the pens, but it varies anywhere from 3-7...depending on my mood


----------



## Harold in CR

This is absolutely an AWESOME thread. I have never seen this quality of hand made items. I have read every word of this thread, and still had no idea how this was done. Started viewing videos, and, 2 hours later, I was just staring at the beauty of this young lady's work.
 NOTHING I could find, on you tube, showed the quality of this work in this thread. 

  Thank You for posting and keeping this thread going.   Harold in CR


----------



## Toni

Thanks Harold...Nope you wont find me on UTUBE might break the camera actually I do not have a video camera so i couldnt even if I wanted to.  A lot of those video's are not done by polymer clay artists that have over 10 years experience because they get paid to teach classes....


----------



## tbroye

Toni

I just purchased a couple of you tubed PC blanks from ED and Dawn.  It is my understanding that they are already the sized for a Sierra pen and all I have to do is either sand or MM them from 600 up to 2000 and then finish in CA or other type of sealer/polish?  They should be here Saturday.  I hope to get some of purple ones when ED get more.  My 6 year old Granddaughter loves them. I may have get some other thing for her to make something with other than pens.


----------



## Toni

You can use CA or floor polish to finish them. You can keep your grandaughter quite busy with her making her own beads and such take her to the craft store to buy clay to play with or buy pre-made canes and let her use them.  I hope you love the tubes!!


----------



## LarryDNJR

Hope you don't mind I post this.  Thought maybe it would give some help and insight.

http://www.jaedworks.com/clayspot/polyclay-faq/caning.html


----------



## Toni

Dont mind at all thank you!!


----------



## Weisgerber

*TONI IS A ROCK STAR!!!!!*

Toni, thanks soooo much for posting this tutorial... you've been VERY helpful in a world of "sorry, that's my trade secret!"

Not sure I'll be able to catch up with your designs... but hopefully I'll be able to work some magic with your canes (and advice)... now, if I can just keep from cutting my fingers off with those dang blades 

Peace!
Jeff


----------



## Toni

Thanks Jeff!!

I wanted to make sure this was clear the canes you are using to put on the tubes are 'RAW CANES" baked canes are used for Nail Art!!! Do NOT bake the canes prior to slicing them


----------



## Willee

Toni, I have been admiring your work with PC since I first seen it back in 2004 (I think) on the Yahoo Group.
You just keep getting better and better and your latest pen designs are simply fantastic.
Thank you for sharing some of your knowledge about working with PC with the rest of us.
You are truly a unique artist with a ton of skill and talent and a heart to match.


----------



## Toni

Willee said:


> Toni, I have been admiring your work with PC since I first seen it back in 2004 (I think) on the Yahoo Group.
> You just keep getting better and better and your latest pen designs are simply fantastic.
> Thank you for sharing some of your knowledge about working with PC with the rest of us.
> You are truly a unique artist with a ton of skill and talent and a heart to match.


 
The Yahoo group seriously?? I thought that was longer than that... Thank you for the complements.  My obsession with pens is getting out of control to say the least!  Thank you so much for the complement very sweet of you to say.  I try my best.


----------



## azamiryou

Wow. I've been thinking about trying polymer clay for pens. Reading this thread, I can't decide whether to be inspired or humbled!

I'll definitely give it a shot when I can find some time.


----------



## rickbw

Toni,

After reading this thread, I have purchased some canes from you off your website, I can't wait to give it a shot.  Thanks for all the help!

Rick


----------



## johnspensandmore

OK...I'm gonna do it! Just kidding - I'll leave it to the master herself!

I did like the tutorial as I was wondering how you did it!


----------



## aggromere

Hey toni do you think you could make a one inch round (no tube needed) poly clay thing that looks like this picture?  It would need to be able to be glued onto wood and stand up to some turning to size and sanding and finishing with CA.  The picture shows a cigar ash and it has some texture to it and is irregular in shape, I am just looking for something round that will look something like that once I turn, sand and finish.

I didn't know how to send you a picture in PM so I'm posting it here.  You can PM me back with if you can, cost, etc.  

I am looking for two to four pieces like this 4 to 6 inches in length.


----------



## TurnTheWorldAround

Toni,
Great job!  When you say "cane" I don't know exactly what you mean.  Can you explain a little more about that.  I did look at the pictures but it shows some of your finished work.
Thanks,
Andy


----------



## Skye

What an insulting tutorial. Oh, you can make a step by step tutorial on how to make these, but I know... OH I KNOW they won't be anywhere close to yours! Don't you patronize me with your not-natural Fimo fingers!


----------



## Toni

rickbw said:


> Toni,
> 
> After reading this thread, I have purchased some canes from you off your website, I can't wait to give it a shot.  Thanks for all the help!
> 
> Rick



Thank you Rick for you order if you need any help please contact me!!



aggromere said:


> Hey toni do you think you could make a one inch round (no tube needed) poly clay thing that looks like this picture?  It would need to be able to be glued onto wood and stand up to some turning to size and sanding and finishing with CA.  The picture shows a cigar ash and it has some texture to it and is irregular in shape, I am just looking for something round that will look something like that once I turn, sand and finish.
> 
> I didn't know how to send you a picture in PM so I'm posting it here.  You can PM me back with if you can, cost, etc.
> 
> I am looking for two to four pieces like this 4 to 6 inches in length.



you can email me at Toni@exclusivedesignz.com and figure out something hopefully:question:.  Why dont you just turn the cigar ash?




foreverturning said:


> Toni,
> Great job!  When you say "cane" I don't know exactly what you mean.  Can you explain a little more about that.  I did look at the pictures but it shows some of your finished work.
> Thanks,
> Andy



Cane is referred to as the long rod of clay with the design running through it.  If you have seen the Pillsbury cookie doh roll in the supermarket that you just cut and bake.  The design runs through the whole tube that would be the equivalent to a cane.  This photo shows you 4 long different sized canes.  You would take slices from the canes and apply them to the tubes.  I hope that helps explain what a cane is.








Skye said:


> What an insulting tutorial. Oh, you can make a step by step tutorial on how to make these, but I know... OH I KNOW they won't be anywhere close to yours! Don't you patronize me with your not-natural Fimo fingers!


I have only been working with polymer clay since the 90's and did pottery over 20 years.  Practice!! Lots of Practice!!:biggrin:


----------



## Skye

Noooooo thank you, I'll let you keep your PC throne!


----------



## hanau

Toni is there a cane with a soccer ball in it?


----------



## Toni

hanau said:


> Toni is there a cane with a soccer ball in it?



I did have one, would need to make it again... Is it soccer season?


----------



## Skye

Well, remember our "soccer" and your "soccer" may not be the same thing, lol


----------



## Toni

yep soccer is football here, I correct them though:biggrin: I am not a Rugby fan at all or net ball ...dont get me started...hockey is the only sport worth watching!! 

Is it soccer season?


----------



## navycop

Just stumpled on this thread. I noticed it says to cut the canes thin. The canes come as round tubes,correct? Do you cut them length wise or slice them like lifesavers? I am trying to get a mental picture as to how they go on the tube.


----------



## Toni

navycop said:


> Just stumpled on this thread. I noticed it says to cut the canes thin. The canes come as round tubes,correct? Do you cut them length wise or slice them like lifesavers? I am trying to get a mental picture as to how they go on the tube.



If you look at the above picture with the snowman you are cutting them like you slice the pillsbury doh cookies, you know with the design all the way through. When you have them sliced you just pick it up and place it on the tube.


----------



## oldcaptainrusty

*Another Question*

Toni,
Great tutorial. Everything makes sense and is easy enough to understand. My question is how do you bring the blanks down to the recommended size so the parts fit with a nice even transition? Are you building the blanks to fit the hardware before you bake them or is there some sanding you have to do after the baking process to make things fit as they should? However you do it is is BEAUTIFUL WORK!!!
Thanks


----------



## Toni

oldcaptainrusty said:


> Toni,
> Are you building the blanks to fit the hardware before you bake them or is there some sanding you have to do after the baking process to make things fit as they should? However you do it is is BEAUTIFUL WORK!!!
> Thanks



Yes to your question, there is some light sanding done, but most of the work is done while I am making them to fit the hardware


----------



## rkimery

Toni said:


> I hope this is posted in the right place:biggrin:
> 
> I would like to explain alittle about how my pens are made, since I dont have the tutorial yet to post. BEWARE I have an interesting way of writing tutorials
> 
> 1. I dont turn.
> 2. I dont use blanks.
> 3. I dont use CA
> 
> Now that you know that I will explain briefly how I make my "TUBES".
> 
> 
> 
> _I promise I will get a better tutorial with step by step photos ASAP_.


 
Toni have you ever written that "better" tuturial? IF you have I cannot find it anywhere. :question:


----------



## Toni

rkimery said:


> Toni said:
> 
> 
> 
> _I promise I will get a better tutorial with step by step photos ASAP_.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Toni have you ever written that "better" tuturial? IF you have I cannot find it anywhere. :question:
Click to expand...


No I have not written another one, I guess you could say my first broken promise...Time has gotten away from me


----------



## Kenessl

Very nice!!
Ken


----------



## mtrobee

Thank you Toni. Very good. I bought a few of your blanks (tubes)...everyone just loves them! You have such great talent!


----------



## kenspens

thank you miss toni for the wonderful insight into your world and expertise as a world class pc artist!! i enjoyed your tutorial and look forward to seeing a pictorial on how you work the magic you do with polymer clay!!

ken brown
kens exotic pen artistry


----------



## LarryE

Toni,
So, I'm online looking at canes and at the bottom of one of the sites it says "you may also be interested in these products" and then show a nose stud and a tongue stud.  What to you "clay" folk do anyway?


----------



## Toni

mtrobee said:


> Thank you Toni. Very good. I bought a few of your blanks (tubes)...everyone just loves them! You have such great talent!



Thank you!!



kenspens said:


> thank you miss toni for the wonderful insight into your world and expertise as a world class pc artist!! i enjoyed your tutorial and look forward to seeing a pictorial on how you work the magic you do with polymer clay!!
> 
> ken brown
> kens exotic pen artistry



Thank you Ken!!



LarryE said:


> Toni,
> So, I'm online looking at canes and at the bottom of one of the sites it says "you may also be interested in these products" and then show a nose stud and a tongue stud.  What to you "clay" folk do anyway?



Larry~I have no clue what those products are I dont know if they are clay or not, interesting let me know if you find out more or a link


----------



## ronin2024

Everytime I see your work I see a piece of Art.  I am always amazed on what you produce. 

I think a video tutorial from you would be awesome!!! :biggrin:


----------



## rkimery

Toni said:


> Thank you, but what did you think of my quick tut?



Toni, it works! Thanks.


----------



## Charlie_W

Toni, It was great seeing your live demo at MAPG! We bought several of your beautiful blanks. Now to get to turning them.


----------



## Lashaby

PC turns quite well on the lathe, you just need to have a light hand.


----------



## Skie_M

Toni said:


> I hope this is posted in the right place:biggrin:
> 
> I would like to explain alittle about how my pens are made, since I dont have the tutorial yet to post. BEWARE I have an interesting way of writing tutorials
> 
> 1. I dont turn.
> 2. I dont use blanks.
> 3. I dont use CA
> 
> Now that you know that I will explain briefly how I make my "TUBES".
> 
> Equipement: Polymer clay for a base layer, pasta machine or roller, pre-made canes or canes you made(this post is not going to teach you how to make a cane!!) a sharp blade, oven, sandpaper and muselin buffing wheel and your choice of gloss/finish
> 
> ***Baking Polymer Clay does give off plasticizer residue/fumes they are not toxic(thats what all the literature says), but it is recommended that you either cover your piece that you are baking in the oven with a tinfoil tent or a large baking dish(you know for making loafs(ask your wives)) OR you can purchase a toaster or convection oven and use that just for polymer clay. sorry i forgot to mention that..i have to use a toaster oven as the ovens in New Zealand are sooo small, no thanksgiving turkeys in there, lucky if a chicken will fit.  For those of you that have baked in your home oven it has not been enough for you to worry about..again my apologizes
> 
> I use a sheet of pc (polymer clay) to cover the tube, pc needs to be conditioned before you use it. To condition the clay you can roll it on a tile to get it soft and pliable or you can run it through the pasta machine till you dont see any cracks. (if this step is not done your clay will crack or worse all the work you have done will crumble off the tube)
> 
> Once conditioned run the clay through the pasta machine, a thin sheet. Wrap this sheet around the tube, cuting it where they join, smooth out the seam.
> 
> I take a cane, you can see photos of them in my etsy shop (http://www.toninz.etsy.com) and cut slices off using a sharpe blade, Thomas Scientific Blade(they can be purchased online,they are as sharp as(kiwi lingo)) I do this with all the canes I am going to use for my design. hint: slice them as thin as possible!!
> 
> Apply these slices onto the tube(which has a pc sheet wrapped around it, this acts like glue!!) if you place a slice on the tube and want to move it good luck it will rip!! so think first before you start putting on the slices.
> 
> After you have put a few on, roll on a large tile,ie..the ones you use to tile your kitchen floor, plain white is perfect you dont want one that has indentations!! APPLY LIGHT PRESSURE when rolling; be gentle guys. Then apply more slices, roll again, continue to add slices and roll till you have covered the tube.
> 
> While rolling the tube clay will begin to move to the ends, use your blade to slice off the clay that is not adhered to the tube.
> 
> When you are done rolling and its smooth. Place the tube on a flat tile standing upright. Bake it in the oven acccording to the manufacturers directions(all pc artist that write tutorials are supposed to say that) for 30-40minutes. The tube will look like the first picture.
> 
> The second picture shows you the inner view of the tube, hopefully this photo explains ALOT!! Clay on the outside, metal tube on the inside.
> 
> Once cooled,start sanding that baby with 600 or 800 grit, be careful you dont want to sand off the millefiori, so sand till you have it nice and smooth, move onto the next grit, same thing as above be careful, keep sanding till you are at 2,000 grit. You are now done sanding. do you still have your fingerprints??
> 
> Buff it on a muselin wheel or your jeans( I dont, but you can) and coat it with CA or whatever gloss you have, I use floor polish to seal in the shine. Should shine like glass before you even apply this coating.
> 
> Assemble your pen and viola you are done!! Now you have some insight on how to make a polymer clay tube ala Toni.
> 
> I promise I will get a better tutorial with step by step photos ASAP.



Looks like a nice basic tutorial, I hope you don't mind if I add a few other modern details provided by another world-class polymer clay artist...


Canes
Click here to learn how to make some basic flower canes.  Once you have the cane, you slice vertically to get a cross section of the end of the cane that has your entire design.  You want the slice to be as thin as possible so that you can layer them over your base coat of polyclay without making your tube so thick that it won't bake properly.

If your polyclay is thicker than about 1/4 of an inch, it can develop cracks when baked.  You can bake your polyclay more than once, but every trip to the oven means that the chances of developing "moonies" which are air bubbles under the surface, increases.

To make it easier to slice, you can refrigerate your canes, as that will make them a little stiffer and less prone to deform.  Also, as you slice them, first, make a scoring cut where you intend to slice, and then rock the blade back and forth in a sawing motion, ROLLING THE CANE AS YOU CUT THROUGH IT.  Use gentle pressure and you should end up with a perfect thin slice.  Lay this on your project in whatever orientation strikes your fancy, and go cut some more...  You will have various canes to work with that include multiple types of flowers, leaves, clouds, insects, ect ...

When rolling out your canes to smaller sizes, if you don't have a large smooth ceramic tile, then a leftover chunk of hard surface countertop material like quartz or granite should suffice .... or a spare piece of window glass with sanded-safe edges.


Clay Mix
Generally, most PC artists use a single type of clay in multiple colors to make their works, and it seems the same is true of Toni's work, but there's just no one perfect clay out there.  Some clays work extremely well, but are brittle when baked ... some clays are harder to work, but become very strong and resilient when baked.  To get to a happy medium, MIX YOUR CLAY.  For example, a nice mix for all-round use is about 1/3 Premo, 1/3 ProSculpt, 1/3 Super Sculpey, and add about 1/12th Cernit to the mix.  If you can't find Cernit, you could try adding Fimo or Kato to the mix.  You don't need a lot, it's one of those clays that are super soft to work, and result in a much stronger resilient clay in the end, and those are properties you want in spades.


Cleanliness
Clay is a very sticky substance - to say, that a LOT of things will stick to clay when you don't want it to.  Keep a spare ball of clay near your work area, and remember that it's your "dirty" clay.  Every so often, you'll want to roll that ball around in your hands to pick up any lint, hair, or stray fibers that you may be picking up from your surroundings.  

Better that it goes into the "dirty" clay than into the top layers of your masterpiece.  Any time that you are going to be making something where you need a base coat layer, you could use the dirty clay for that, as long as it's not visible from the top.  

Remember to wash your hands before returning to your work table, too, and if you see any lint or hair or other foreign object in your clay, take the time to remove it right away while it's still near the surface and you can see it.  Picking it out after you've baked it means you've got a void below the surface and it's much harder to fix.


Dried Out Clay?
If you leave your PC projects laying about in the open air, they will dry out and become brittle.  Keep them in zip-lock bags if you can, or some other sealed storage units.  If they do dry out a bit, spritz a small amount of water into the bag and seal it and leave it for a few hours ... the water will be absorbed into the polyclay.


Baking
With these clays, a good all-round rule of thumb is to bake for 30 minutes, covered, at around 270 degrees (which is fairly close to the median temp for these clays).  You should let it cool SLOWLY.  If it's so hot that you can barely touch it without burning, leave it be ... while it's still hot it's going to be pliable, but cooling too fast will make it brittle.  DO NOT FORCE COOL IT IN WATER OR THE FRIDGE.

Using a rack system that suspends your tubes (or other projects) in the air works good, but you can also "pre-bake" and then do a full bake with your project resting on a more solid surface.  To pre-bake, you will heat your project with a heat gun to give it a tough outer "skin" .... do not assume that this will fully cure your polyclay.  You're only drying the outer layers out and giving it a very thin skin to protect it from deformation.  This layer is brittle and should be handled carefully.


Sanding/Smoothing
Since you put such thin layers on the outside, sanding aggressively will destroy all your hard work .... be careful and only sand where you must.  It may be a better idea to just do a finish sanding and then build up over top your work with CA to your bushing size and then do your final sand/polish.  If you find that sanding seems to result in a rougher appearance than you want, you can sand with a bit of baby oil.  Just a few drops can make a world of difference in smoothing out your sanding job.  DO NOT USE BABY OIL BEFORE YOU HAVE BAKED YOUR CLAY.  It will turn into goop... goop is not pretty.


Finishing
Polyclay, after baking, can still be painted.  If you need to do any kind of touch-up work, you can use special paints, like Genesis Heat-Set Paints.  This can be used to add subtle color shifts and changes and can then be baked into your work. 

To protect all that hard work from everyday life, like spills and stains, you'll want to add something waterproof and clear.  CA finish or some kind of wax finish that adds a hard surface with lustre and shine can really make your work stand out.



I still think we need a polyclay forum, Toni .... 

[edit - forgot to credit that other world-class polyclay artist .....  Her name is Apryl Jensen. She makes Fairies. Click Here For Stunning Works Of Art.]


----------



## edstreet

Hate to say it but you posted a number of wrong things.  


Also for the record I tried to get a clay forum for Toni but that was rejected.   See the drama over the vendor forum for details. The rest of the saga occurred in pm and on the phone.   Long story short and no drama version they wanted to cater to vendors rather than expert craftsman and professionals.


----------



## Skie_M

So, no forum?  Can we get it stickied?

What all did I say that was wrong?


----------



## Carl Fisher

Well that's kinda silly. Under the Blank Making forum there are 2 already for casting/stabilization and segmenting.  Seems to me like that would be a natural place for a clay sub-forum.

Not knowing what went on behind the scenes however, all I can do is shrug.

Someone keeps resurrecting some pretty old threads lately.


----------



## Sabaharr

I have recently become interested in this medium for pen blanks so I turned to my old tried and true source for information, YouTube. There are a multitude of videos on making the canes and even a few dedicated to making these same type of pen blanks with tips on how to turn them. They make them for the resale market and oversized so they can be turned to fit the hardware.


----------



## edstreet

Skie_M said:


> Looks like a nice basic tutorial, I hope you don't mind if I add a few other modern details provided by another world-class polymer clay artist...
> 
> 
> Canes
> Click here to learn how to make some basic flower canes.  Once you have the cane, you slice vertically to get a cross section of the end of the cane that has your entire design.  You want the slice to be as thin as possible so that you can layer them over your base coat of polyclay without making your tube so thick that it won't bake properly.
> 
> If your polyclay is thicker than about 1/4 of an inch, it can develop cracks when baked.  You can bake your polyclay more than once, but every trip to the oven means that the chances of developing "moonies" which are air bubbles under the surface, increases.
> 
> To make it easier to slice, you can refrigerate your canes, as that will make them a little stiffer and less prone to deform.  Also, as you slice them, first, make a scoring cut where you intend to slice, and then rock the blade back and forth in a sawing motion, ROLLING THE CANE AS YOU CUT THROUGH IT.  Use gentle pressure and you should end up with a perfect thin slice.  Lay this on your project in whatever orientation strikes your fancy, and go cut some more...  You will have various canes to work with that include multiple types of flowers, leaves, clouds, insects, ect ...
> 
> When rolling out your canes to smaller sizes, if you don't have a large smooth ceramic tile, then a leftover chunk of hard surface countertop material like quartz or granite should suffice .... or a spare piece of window glass with sanded-safe edges.
> 
> 
> Clay Mix
> Generally, most PC artists use a single type of clay in multiple colors to make their works, and it seems the same is true of Toni's work, but there's just no one perfect clay out there.  Some clays work extremely well, but are brittle when baked ... some clays are harder to work, but become very strong and resilient when baked.  To get to a happy medium, MIX YOUR CLAY.  For example, a nice mix for all-round use is about 1/3 Premo, 1/3 ProSculpt, 1/3 Super Sculpey, and add about 1/12th Cernit to the mix.  If you can't find Cernit, you could try adding Fimo or Kato to the mix.  You don't need a lot, it's one of those clays that are super soft to work, and result in a much stronger resilient clay in the end, and those are properties you want in spades.
> 
> 
> Cleanliness
> Clay is a very sticky substance - to say, that a LOT of things will stick to clay when you don't want it to.  Keep a spare ball of clay near your work area, and remember that it's your "dirty" clay.  Every so often, you'll want to roll that ball around in your hands to pick up any lint, hair, or stray fibers that you may be picking up from your surroundings.
> 
> Better that it goes into the "dirty" clay than into the top layers of your masterpiece.  Any time that you are going to be making something where you need a base coat layer, you could use the dirty clay for that, as long as it's not visible from the top.
> 
> Remember to wash your hands before returning to your work table, too, and if you see any lint or hair or other foreign object in your clay, take the time to remove it right away while it's still near the surface and you can see it.  Picking it out after you've baked it means you've got a void below the surface and it's much harder to fix.
> 
> 
> Dried Out Clay?
> If you leave your PC projects laying about in the open air, they will dry out and become brittle.  Keep them in zip-lock bags if you can, or some other sealed storage units.  If they do dry out a bit, spritz a small amount of water into the bag and seal it and leave it for a few hours ... the water will be absorbed into the polyclay.
> 
> 
> Baking
> With these clays, a good all-round rule of thumb is to bake for 30 minutes, covered, at around 270 degrees (which is fairly close to the median temp for these clays).  You should let it cool SLOWLY.  If it's so hot that you can barely touch it without burning, leave it be ... while it's still hot it's going to be pliable, but cooling too fast will make it brittle.  DO NOT FORCE COOL IT IN WATER OR THE FRIDGE.
> 
> Using a rack system that suspends your tubes (or other projects) in the air works good, but you can also "pre-bake" and then do a full bake with your project resting on a more solid surface.  To pre-bake, you will heat your project with a heat gun to give it a tough outer "skin" .... do not assume that this will fully cure your polyclay.  You're only drying the outer layers out and giving it a very thin skin to protect it from deformation.  This layer is brittle and should be handled carefully.
> 
> 
> Sanding/Smoothing
> Since you put such thin layers on the outside, sanding aggressively will destroy all your hard work .... be careful and only sand where you must.  It may be a better idea to just do a finish sanding and then build up over top your work with CA to your bushing size and then do your final sand/polish.  If you find that sanding seems to result in a rougher appearance than you want, you can sand with a bit of baby oil.  Just a few drops can make a world of difference in smoothing out your sanding job.  DO NOT USE BABY OIL BEFORE YOU HAVE BAKED YOUR CLAY.  It will turn into goop... goop is not pretty.
> 
> 
> Finishing
> Polyclay, after baking, can still be painted.  If you need to do any kind of touch-up work, you can use special paints, like Genesis Heat-Set Paints.  This can be used to add subtle color shifts and changes and can then be baked into your work.
> 
> To protect all that hard work from everyday life, like spills and stains, you'll want to add something waterproof and clear.  CA finish or some kind of wax finish that adds a hard surface with lustre and shine can really make your work stand out.
> 
> 
> 
> I still think we need a polyclay forum, Toni ....
> 
> [edit - forgot to credit that other world-class polyclay artist .....  Her name is Apryl Jensen. She makes Fairies. Click Here For Stunning Works Of Art.]





Lets see here.

clay mix, mixing to that recipe you list will inject more problems than you want to deal with so just stick with a single brand. Unless you know what ingredients are in each.

Dried out clay is a result of leech effects over time, keeping the clay in a bag will not stop or hinder the process at all.  Also clay and water is a big no-no.  The bane of all pen blanks is water.  Clay does *NOT* absorb water at all.

Baking you really should follow the manufactures recomendations on that and I can tell you factually that 30 mins at 270F you can EASILY underbake the clay.  slow cool vs fast cool has no results as for the final product being brittle.

Heat guns are more often used for modelers and large project usage and not pen tubes, don't go there.

No need to use baby oil at all for sanding.  I have proven time and time again there are far superior methods to sanding clay that is safe, rapid and highly efficient.


----------



## edstreet

Sabaharr said:


> I have recently become interested in this medium for pen blanks so I turned to my old tried and true source for information, YouTube. There are a multitude of videos on making the canes and even a few dedicated to making these same type of pen blanks with tips on how to turn them. They make them for the resale market and oversized so they can be turned to fit the hardware.



Far to many bad info out there, esp on youtube.


----------



## alphageek

edstreet said:


> Hate to say it but you posted a number of wrong things.
> 
> 
> Also for the record I tried to get a clay forum for Toni but that was rejected.   See the drama over the vendor forum for details. The rest of the saga occurred in pm and on the phone.   Long story short and no drama version they wanted to cater to vendors rather than expert craftsman and professionals.



Well, Ed - since you love to point out when people are wrong.. let me say here..  You are wrong.   That "long story short" is your very biased and off base view.

The reason for no clay forum is that for pens its far too specialized.   If the forum breaks off too many sub channels things don't get enough attention.  The proof - there was attempts before like a forum for the pen wizard.   You get too specialized and the threads in there get much less attention.  

There is plenty of places to put threads about clay... Penturning, advanced pen making, blank making, SOYP.

As for your bashing the leaders of this forum that they want to cater to vendors vs craftsman.  There is 25 top level forums outside the Marketplace and only 9 top level inside the market place (7 if you ignore the rules and archive).


----------



## jeff

edstreet said:


> Hate to say it but you posted a number of wrong things.
> 
> 
> Also for the record I tried to get a clay forum for Toni but that was rejected.   See the drama over the vendor forum for details. The rest of the saga occurred in pm and on the phone.   Long story short and no drama version they wanted to cater to vendors rather than expert craftsman and professionals.



Ed, can you send me the correspondence we had over a clay forum? I don't have any recollection whatsoever of any discussion. In fact it seems like a good idea to me!


----------



## edstreet

jeff said:


> edstreet said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hate to say it but you posted a number of wrong things.
> 
> 
> Also for the record I tried to get a clay forum for Toni but that was rejected.   See the drama over the vendor forum for details. The rest of the saga occurred in pm and on the phone.   Long story short and no drama version they wanted to cater to vendors rather than expert craftsman and professionals.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ed, can you send me the correspondence we had over a clay forum? I don't have any recollection whatsoever of any discussion. In fact it seems like a good idea to me!
Click to expand...


sure can.




> jeff said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> edstreet said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...snipped
> 
> Having said that many forums that I am on has special areas dedicated to higher skilled specific people, i.e. the master craftsman, not limited to just vendors. So the question is why limit this to vendors only? Why not try to encourage and attract skill, knowledge and talent.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't know what we're not doing not to encourage skill, knowledge, and talent. Clue me in.
> 
> I have seen the craftsman forums elsewhere, it's an interesting approach. I believe it does fracture the discussions somewhat, however. You might make the same argument about vendor forums, but it's supposed to add to our discussion, not move existing discussions to another area.
> 
> I'd be interested in having an in-depth discussion about craftsmen forums, in another thread, please! :biggrin:
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...



Also had two phone calls with you and 5 phone calls with 2 members in management on the topic, the conclusion was "not interested".

As for the  fracturing, to specialized etc I just have to point out this approach would help break up group think problems.  The only down side that I see is those specialist who are in the arena are no longer posting or have been reluctant to post.

I have also ask one member of management if something could be done like sticky post related to clay and that I was undertaking articles on the subject which has been reoccurring topics.


Before this there was a PM to you where I ask what is IAP doing to encourage advanced and expert level skilled members.


Also in the sake of formality this post and the previous 3 should be deleted as it degrades drastically from the topic and strays into a very dark area.


----------



## jeff

edstreet said:


> jeff said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> edstreet said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hate to say it but you posted a number of wrong things.
> 
> 
> Also for the record I tried to get a clay forum for Toni but that was rejected.   See the drama over the vendor forum for details. The rest of the saga occurred in pm and on the phone.   Long story short and no drama version they wanted to cater to vendors rather than expert craftsman and professionals.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ed, can you send me the correspondence we had over a clay forum? I don't have any recollection whatsoever of any discussion. In fact it seems like a good idea to me!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> sure can.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jeff said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> edstreet said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...snipped
> 
> Having said that many forums that I am on has special areas dedicated to higher skilled specific people, i.e. the master craftsman, not limited to just vendors. So the question is why limit this to vendors only? Why not try to encourage and attract skill, knowledge and talent.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I don't know what we're not doing not to encourage skill, knowledge, and talent. Clue me in.
> 
> I have seen the craftsman forums elsewhere, it's an interesting approach. I believe it does fracture the discussions somewhat, however. You might make the same argument about vendor forums, but it's supposed to add to our discussion, not move existing discussions to another area.
> 
> I'd be interested in having an in-depth discussion about craftsmen forums, in another thread, please! :biggrin:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Also had two phone calls with you and 5 phone calls with 2 members in management on the topic, the conclusion was "not interested".
> 
> As for the  fracturing, to specialized etc I just have to point out this approach would help break up group think problems.  The only down side that I see is those specialist who are in the arena are no longer posting or have been reluctant to post.
> 
> I have also ask one member of management if something could be done like sticky post related to clay and that I was undertaking articles on the subject which has been reoccurring topics.
> 
> 
> Before this there was a PM to you where I ask what is IAP doing to encourage advanced and expert level skilled members.
> 
> 
> Also in the sake of formality this post and the previous 3 should be deleted as it degrades drastically from the topic and strays into a very dark area.
Click to expand...


Ed, it's clear to me that you were talking about craftsmen forums. That is, for individual craftsman. That's easy to see because you reference the vendor forums, which are for individual vendors. It's also clear in what you said above; "I tried to get a clay forum for Toni".  I don't believe forums for specific people are warranted here. 

Why would a sticky post be more appropriate than a tutorial? I don't believe we have sticky posts for other techniques or methods. (I could be wrong about that...)

I don't see any reason to delete these posts.


----------



## Skie_M

edstreet said:


> Lets see here.
> 
> clay mix, mixing to that recipe you list will inject more problems than you want to deal with so just stick with a single brand. Unless you know what ingredients are in each.
> 
> Dried out clay is a result of leech effects over time, keeping the clay in a bag will not stop or hinder the process at all.  Also clay and water is a big no-no.  The bane of all pen blanks is water.  Clay does *NOT* absorb water at all.
> 
> Baking you really should follow the manufactures recomendations on that and I can tell you factually that 30 mins at 270F you can EASILY underbake the clay.  slow cool vs fast cool has no results as for the final product being brittle.
> 
> Heat guns are more often used for modelers and large project usage and not pen tubes, don't go there.
> 
> No need to use baby oil at all for sanding.  I have proven time and time again there are far superior methods to sanding clay that is safe, rapid and highly efficient.



Mixing clay has been an established practice for millennia in pottery, in order to balance the weaknesses of clay from one region with the strengths of clay from another region, the clay was mixed.   In polyclay, obviously you are not mixing ordinary potters clay into the mix.  It's all polyclay, just from different vendors, and while some of them have slightly different temperatures, they can all bake at around 270 to 310 degrees Fahrenheit.  The stuff I posted is a guideline, to help people get started.  Obviously, if it's not baking properly at the lower temp, you should try baking it longer or at higher temp.

Sculpey III bakes at 270 degrees.  As it's a major ingredient in the mix I proposed, starting at 270 degrees is a smart idea.  The manufacturer recommends you do NOT exceed 285 degrees.  Yes, it's a good idea to follow the manufacturer's recommendations, but in this case you were not familiar with this specific brand of clay or it's requirements.

Sculpey is very easy to form.  Right out of the package it's pretty much ready to go.  It folds neatly, it blends nicely, but it tends to "moon" when baked.  What I mean by that is, trapped air bubbles just under the surface can gather and form a blister that is visible THROUGH the outer layer of the clay.  This is only really apparent in translucent types of clay, of which the Sculpey brand is the go-to choice.  Ways to deal with this are simple and established .... BLEND YOUR CLAY WITH AN OPAQUE LIKE COLOR OF CLAY.  This reduces the transparency a little, so that moonies are not as visible.

Sculpey is also known as a somewhat brittle clay, when it's formed out into very tiny details, such as the fingers of an art doll.  While the issue is magnified for such details, the reason for it can also be a reason for failure when you attempt to drop a pen made from it ... it doesn't bend or take pressure very well ... it tends to snap and crack instead.  If you blend a clay into it that does bend and still hold it's form after baking, you strengthen the sculpey clay into something better and more useful... something that can last.


In art doll work, yes, the heat gun is used to partially bake the skin of a doll so that it can be laid down on something for the baking process without deforming.  It is also used to set the paints for application of eye colors, makeup, blushing, skin tone, ect ...

I meant to also mention heat guns again towards the end in the finishing stages.  It's more important there, as if you use the genesis heat-setting paints to touch up your work, you will want to bake the paint job into the surface.  The heat gun will do that for you without you having to bake the entire piece over again.


I have no idea where you got the idea that clay and water don't mix.  This stuff is water soluble ... it washes off with water and it can get pretty soupy if you add too much.  Water will help the particles move more freely again.


Baby oil was suggested for making problem areas disappear, where perhaps the clay wasn't blended as well as it should be, and some of it is appearing grainy in texture, like sand.  You end up with tiny little pits in the surface when sanding it, and the baby oil helps to reduce that effect.



Of course, your opinion is yours and mine is mine.  I hope we can agree that we can disagree amicably.

Did you have any other areas of concern that I could answer?



(note for Jeff, while he's here...)

I'm hoping that we can create a tutorial for beginner/advanced polyclay art that can be used for pen blanks and "flatwork" like pen displays and boxes.

I'm also very much hoping we can do the same for beginner/advanced stone work involving soapstone, alabaster, marble, and granite.


----------



## jeff

Skie_M said:


> ... snip...
> (note for Jeff, while he's here...)
> 
> I'm hoping that we can create a tutorial for beginner/advanced polyclay art that can be used for pen blanks and "flatwork" like pen displays and boxes.
> 
> I'm also very much hoping we can do the same for beginner/advanced stone work involving soapstone, alabaster, marble, and granite.



Clay, stone, etc., we'd love to have your contributions to our body of knowledge!


----------



## Johnny D

Toni said:


> I hope this is posted in the right place:biggrin:
> 
> I would like to explain alittle about how my pens are made, since I dont have the tutorial yet to post. BEWARE I have an interesting way of writing tutorials
> 
> 1. I dont turn.
> 2. I dont use blanks.
> 3. I dont use CA
> 
> Now that you know that I will explain briefly how I make my "TUBES".
> 
> Equipement: Polymer clay for a base layer, pasta machine or roller, pre-made canes or canes you made(this post is not going to teach you how to make a cane!!) a sharp blade, oven, sandpaper and muselin buffing wheel and your choice of gloss/finish
> 
> ***Baking Polymer Clay does give off plasticizer residue/fumes they are not toxic(thats what all the literature says), but it is recommended that you either cover your piece that you are baking in the oven with a tinfoil tent or a large baking dish(you know for making loafs(ask your wives)) OR you can purchase a toaster or convection oven and use that just for polymer clay. sorry i forgot to mention that..i have to use a toaster oven as the ovens in New Zealand are sooo small, no thanksgiving turkeys in there, lucky if a chicken will fit.  For those of you that have baked in your home oven it has not been enough for you to worry about..again my apologizes
> 
> I use a sheet of pc (polymer clay) to cover the tube, pc needs to be conditioned before you use it. To condition the clay you can roll it on a tile to get it soft and pliable or you can run it through the pasta machine till you dont see any cracks. (if this step is not done your clay will crack or worse all the work you have done will crumble off the tube)
> 
> Once conditioned run the clay through the pasta machine, a thin sheet. Wrap this sheet around the tube, cuting it where they join, smooth out the seam.
> 
> I take a cane, you can see photos of them in my etsy shop (http://www.toninz.etsy.com) and cut slices off using a sharpe blade, Thomas Scientific Blade(they can be purchased online,they are as sharp as(kiwi lingo)) I do this with all the canes I am going to use for my design. hint: slice them as thin as possible!!
> 
> Apply these slices onto the tube(which has a pc sheet wrapped around it, this acts like glue!!) if you place a slice on the tube and want to move it good luck it will rip!! so think first before you start putting on the slices.
> 
> After you have put a few on, roll on a large tile,ie..the ones you use to tile your kitchen floor, plain white is perfect you dont want one that has indentations!! APPLY LIGHT PRESSURE when rolling; be gentle guys. Then apply more slices, roll again, continue to add slices and roll till you have covered the tube.
> 
> While rolling the tube clay will begin to move to the ends, use your blade to slice off the clay that is not adhered to the tube.
> 
> When you are done rolling and its smooth. Place the tube on a flat tile standing upright. Bake it in the oven acccording to the manufacturers directions(all pc artist that write tutorials are supposed to say that) for 30-40minutes. The tube will look like the first picture.
> 
> The second picture shows you the inner view of the tube, hopefully this photo explains ALOT!! Clay on the outside, metal tube on the inside.
> 
> Once cooled,start sanding that baby with 600 or 800 grit, be careful you dont want to sand off the millefiori, so sand till you have it nice and smooth, move onto the next grit, same thing as above be careful, keep sanding till you are at 2,000 grit. You are now done sanding. do you still have your fingerprints??
> 
> Buff it on a muselin wheel or your jeans( I dont, but you can) and coat it with CA or whatever gloss you have, I use floor polish to seal in the shine. Should shine like glass before you even apply this coating.
> 
> Assemble your pen and viola you are done!! Now you have some insight on how to make a polymer clay tube ala Toni.
> 
> I promise I will get a better tutorial with step by step photos ASAP.


Hi Toni,
     Never worked with clay before so forgive me if this is a
stupid question. Is the finished product like a ceramic clay? If the pen falls
to the floor will it crack? Look forward to your response. Thank you kindly.


----------



## Toni

Johnny D said:


> Toni said:
> 
> 
> 
> I hope this is posted in the right place:biggrin:
> 
> I would like to explain alittle about how my pens are made, since I dont have the tutorial yet to post. BEWARE I have an interesting way of writing tutorials
> 
> 1. I dont turn.
> 2. I dont use blanks.
> 3. I dont use CA
> 
> Now that you know that I will explain briefly how I make my "TUBES".
> 
> Equipement: Polymer clay for a base layer, pasta machine or roller, pre-made canes or canes you made(this post is not going to teach you how to make a cane!!) a sharp blade, oven, sandpaper and muselin buffing wheel and your choice of gloss/finish
> 
> ***Baking Polymer Clay does give off plasticizer residue/fumes they are not toxic(thats what all the literature says), but it is recommended that you either cover your piece that you are baking in the oven with a tinfoil tent or a large baking dish(you know for making loafs(ask your wives)) OR you can purchase a toaster or convection oven and use that just for polymer clay. sorry i forgot to mention that..i have to use a toaster oven as the ovens in New Zealand are sooo small, no thanksgiving turkeys in there, lucky if a chicken will fit.  For those of you that have baked in your home oven it has not been enough for you to worry about..again my apologizes
> 
> I use a sheet of pc (polymer clay) to cover the tube, pc needs to be conditioned before you use it. To condition the clay you can roll it on a tile to get it soft and pliable or you can run it through the pasta machine till you dont see any cracks. (if this step is not done your clay will crack or worse all the work you have done will crumble off the tube)
> 
> Once conditioned run the clay through the pasta machine, a thin sheet. Wrap this sheet around the tube, cuting it where they join, smooth out the seam.
> 
> I take a cane, you can see photos of them in my etsy shop (http://www.toninz.etsy.com) and cut slices off using a sharpe blade, Thomas Scientific Blade(they can be purchased online,they are as sharp as(kiwi lingo)) I do this with all the canes I am going to use for my design. hint: slice them as thin as possible!!
> 
> Apply these slices onto the tube(which has a pc sheet wrapped around it, this acts like glue!!) if you place a slice on the tube and want to move it good luck it will rip!! so think first before you start putting on the slices.
> 
> After you have put a few on, roll on a large tile,ie..the ones you use to tile your kitchen floor, plain white is perfect you dont want one that has indentations!! APPLY LIGHT PRESSURE when rolling; be gentle guys. Then apply more slices, roll again, continue to add slices and roll till you have covered the tube.
> 
> While rolling the tube clay will begin to move to the ends, use your blade to slice off the clay that is not adhered to the tube.
> 
> When you are done rolling and its smooth. Place the tube on a flat tile standing upright. Bake it in the oven acccording to the manufacturers directions(all pc artist that write tutorials are supposed to say that) for 30-40minutes. The tube will look like the first picture.
> 
> The second picture shows you the inner view of the tube, hopefully this photo explains ALOT!! Clay on the outside, metal tube on the inside.
> 
> Once cooled,start sanding that baby with 600 or 800 grit, be careful you dont want to sand off the millefiori, so sand till you have it nice and smooth, move onto the next grit, same thing as above be careful, keep sanding till you are at 2,000 grit. You are now done sanding. do you still have your fingerprints??
> 
> Buff it on a muselin wheel or your jeans( I dont, but you can) and coat it with CA or whatever gloss you have, I use floor polish to seal in the shine. Should shine like glass before you even apply this coating.
> 
> Assemble your pen and viola you are done!! Now you have some insight on how to make a polymer clay tube ala Toni.
> 
> I promise I will get a better tutorial with step by step photos ASAP.
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Toni,
> Never worked with clay before so forgive me if this is a
> stupid question. Is the finished product like a ceramic clay? If the pen falls
> to the floor will it crack? Look forward to your response. Thank you kindly.
Click to expand...


I have dropped so many of my pens and they have never cracked!!! I have some in my purse that have been banged around so much, never cracked. I think CA is like a protective barrier for the clay!!

Regards, 
Toni


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