Removing air bubbles from polymer clay is crucial for achieving a smooth finish in your projects. The best approach often involves proper conditioning and using specific techniques during preparation and smoothing.
Why Bubbles Form
Air bubbles can get trapped in polymer clay during kneading, conditioning, or even storage. They become more noticeable after baking, potentially ruining the piece.
Key Techniques for Bubble Removal
Addressing bubbles effectively requires a combination of preventive measures and targeted techniques.
Proper Conditioning
Thoroughly conditioning your polymer clay is often the first step to prevent and eliminate bubbles. Rolling the clay through a pasta machine on progressively thinner settings helps to both condition the clay and push out trapped air.
Smoothing and Correcting
Once the clay is shaped, you might notice small bubbles or imperfections. It's important to address these carefully. According to the provided reference, rubbing only where the bubbles are can create divots and marks in your clay. Instead, you should consider methods that smooth the surface more evenly.
One technique mentioned in the reference involves using acetone. After dealing with the main imperfections, you can wipe the remaining acetone off, resulting in bubble-free pieces. Acetone can gently dissolve the surface layer of the clay, helping to smooth out minor imperfections and potentially helping to eliminate surface bubbles or the marks left from removing them.
Other Methods
While conditioning and careful smoothing are key, other common methods include:
- Pricking Bubbles: For larger, visible bubbles on the surface of a shaped piece, you can carefully prick them with a sharp needle or pin to release the air, then gently smooth the area.
- Working Clay Evenly: Ensure you condition your clay evenly and avoid folding too much air into it during the process.
By combining thorough conditioning with careful smoothing techniques, including using substances like acetone as demonstrated, you can significantly reduce or eliminate air bubbles from your polymer clay.
