My husband is excellent at sanding all sorts of things: wood, metal and even marble & granite. He says the rule is that you stay with each grit until you can no longer see scratches from the previous grit. Helpful advise, but I still hate sanding, lol.
I just sanded some beads, that I'm going to use for earrings last night. They didn't look that great (you know, the ugly stage, lol) but after I sanded them they looked like glass! I use the micro-mesh pads you recommended a few years ago, and I love them! I bought the 3x4 pads and cut them in half so they'll last longer. They cut my sanding time down significantly and do an amazing job. I highly recommend them, so worth the money in my humble opinion, lol. Happy Valentine's day to you and your family, Cindy.
I use an electric tooth brush that I've attached velcro patches to. Faster than hand sanding, and lighter than the drill. Doesn't bother my hands as much.
@@Naturally336 i have a cheap electric facial cleanser you can change its attachments i am planning to glue a sand. paper to one of the attachments and try it
Exactly the video I was looking for, thank you so much! I'm feeling much more confident/comfortable baking and sanding my clay now. Love your videos!! Thanks again!! :)
This is why I stopped doing polymer clay. The standards got higher and higher, the things I had to buy became more extensive. A machine-like finished product became the standard of achievement and more home-made results became like those "nailed it!" posts of failure. It got discouraging and I quit. But I do still very much like watching these fine videos! They are like candy, only no calories. :) Thank you, PCT.
as I'm fearly new to this hobby, I wonder how you sand and buff tiny pieces and projects, like tiny fingers of small dolls, or projects that have lots of cracks and layers, like flowers or even an entire garden. how do you sand those? any tips for tiny projects?
Thank you Again. I came back for a review! QUESTION: I added some 3-dimensional stripes and dots to my beads. How do I sand - to get the background nice and smooth, working around these "bumps"?
Sanding around dimensional objects can be tricky! If you can, try and do your pieces in two steps. Do the background area first, then sand and smooth your piece to the desired finish. Than add your raw clay dimensional pieces to the nicely finished piece and bake again. (You may need a little liquid clay to get the baked clay and raw clay to adhere solidly.) If this is not possible, then a q-Tip with some acetone can work to smooth come areas, but use caution. Acetone is very strong and unhealthy to breath in and can melt the surface of your clay a little, so use sparingly.
If you sand it do you still have to glaze it after? Also if you have pearl ex powders on a piece and you sand it will the powders come off and would there be a way around that? Thank you !😀
Thanks for the video. I was using wood sanding paper and was disappointed because it scratched my work. Now I know what to use. Thanks! I would like to see a video about translucent clay. Someone told me that it can be clear like resin but every time I use it, it turns out cloudy and milky :(
I just have a few questions. What thickness would you use for dangle earrings or studs, I am a newbie so lots of questions. So next question do you sand and Do you put polyurethane on earrings?
new studio set up nice! also Very funny because I just sanded a bra and tin I made. started at 120 went to 2500 and buffed with a DIY Blue Jean tool I made for my Dremel :)
Thanks for this video! I was able to get my piece super smooth, but it still looked more ashy and dull after. How do I achieve a bit more shine? I went from 600-1,000 grit with automotive clay. Thank you!!!
Try sanding a little longer, using dishsoap. It will keep the sandpaper clean and working better. Then you can see if you can get an even higher grit abrasive. The MicroMesh products are even better at getting a really high shine. Here is my Amazon link, if you want to see what I mean: amzn.to/2XOJhqa
Hello! Love your vídeos! I've been searching but I cant find test Labs about types of pens you can use to Write on polymer clay. Did I skip one? Could you help me? I've been using Sakura permanent pens and posca. Open to other products. Thank you só much for every vídeo!!!!
As a newbe i have decided to jump into this new venture. My first pen turned out what i feel was ok? My second pen not so good, That is as i was sanding i discovered the clay was i describe as being chalky. Took me several grits to sand but i was confused as to why the clay had this feeling? Baked as directed follow all the instructions. Like your opinion.. Love all of your videos Thanks Postalbob
I'm curious, if my polymer clay is painted with acrylic or pearlx mica should I still sand my project? Will the sanding remove the paint or mica? Do you recommend that I just use uv resin to protect it and give it a resin shine instead of sanding and buffing?
Yes, that is pretty much what you have to do. Sanding would remove the paint or mica powders, so a finish is the only thing you can do to make it shiny.
Hello I have a question, I hope you don't mind, cause you are very experienced: I want to make a sculpture or sth and want to paint it afterwards. Now I am worried that if I sand it to much/ smooth, the Paint can't 'grip' on the sculpey and even fall off after some time. Do you know more about that? Best regards
Don't worry about leaving a "tooth" for the paint to stick to. Polymer clay and acrylic paint are "family" and they bond very well to each other... smooth or rough.
@@tierischkreativ557 I have tested several acrylic paints with polymer clay. Most will work with most brands but I do recommend you test, because there are many brands of clays and paints, and an unlimited number of combinations. In general, don't use the crappiest brands because they have few binders in them but there is no need to buy the most expensive either. Make up some test swatches of the brands of paint you have already and see how they do on the brands of clay you use. Also go through my UA-cam Channel for brands that I have tested already. Good luck!
Hi Cindy, I tried sanding few clays but the color of the clay faded after done sanding :( I’m not sure what’s the problem. Can you please help to suggest 😩 P.s. I used 320 and 600 grit as I can only find these two
Hi there, I am so sorry for the slow response, the inbox is very deep! The whitish color from sanding is actually just sanding dust trapped in the tiny scratches in the clay caused by the sand paper. Because you ended at 600 grit and not finer, the dust was not removed by the finer sand papers. If that is the highest grit you can get, then I would rub the surface with some baby oil or clay softener and pop it into the oven for 10 minutes to see if that helps remove/disguise that dust. Hope that helps!
This is an excellent method for sanding polymer clay earrings. Rotary tools spin too fast and tend to melt polymer clay so I don't recommend them for sanding polymer.
@@sydneywhelan9827 Yes you can use a Dremel for buffing (though I think they are too aggressive for sanding). Just use the softest fluffiest buffing wheel you can find and use a light touch. Dremels spin very fast and it is easy to create friction burns and melt the surface of your clay if you are not gentle.
My husband is excellent at sanding all sorts of things: wood, metal and even marble & granite. He says the rule is that you stay with each grit until you can no longer see scratches from the previous grit.
Helpful advise, but I still hate sanding, lol.
hello from 2022! your videos are helping me learn so much so you're still helping people out 5 years after!
Thank you so much for your kind comments! I am happy to hear our content is so helpful for you!
I just sanded some beads, that I'm going to use for earrings last night. They didn't look that great (you know, the ugly stage, lol) but after I sanded them they looked like glass! I use the micro-mesh pads you recommended a few years ago, and I love them! I bought the 3x4 pads and cut them in half so they'll last longer. They cut my sanding time down significantly and do an amazing job. I highly recommend them, so worth the money in my humble opinion, lol. Happy Valentine's day to you and your family, Cindy.
MegaPraiseHim if you have a hand held drill like a dremel our even a reg drill with a mandrel with a screw to attachment you can use that to buff. :)
Yes, I do have one, but I want to get a clamp to hold it because all the vibrations bother my hands. Thanks for the tip. :o)
MegaPraiseHim yes, it bothers mine also. :(
I use an electric tooth brush that I've attached velcro patches to. Faster than hand sanding, and lighter than the drill. Doesn't bother my hands as much.
@@Naturally336 i have a cheap electric facial cleanser you can change its attachments i am planning to glue a sand. paper to one of the attachments and try it
Exactly the video I was looking for, thank you so much! I'm feeling much more confident/comfortable baking and sanding my clay now. Love your videos!! Thanks again!! :)
Thanks so much for taking the time to say that! I really appreciate it! 💖💖💖
Omg thank you so much this was so useful you actually guided me and i was really lost in this sanding thing
Hi, thanks for all the valuable videos. I have a small question, how do we sand or buff clay that has gold foil leaves on them?
This is why I stopped doing polymer clay. The standards got higher and higher, the things I had to buy became more extensive. A machine-like finished product became the standard of achievement and more home-made results became like those "nailed it!" posts of failure. It got discouraging and I quit. But I do still very much like watching these fine videos! They are like candy, only no calories. :) Thank you, PCT.
excellent material to do sculpting projects
as I'm fearly new to this hobby, I wonder how you sand and buff tiny pieces and projects, like tiny fingers of small dolls, or projects that have lots of cracks and layers, like flowers or even an entire garden. how do you sand those? any tips for tiny projects?
Fabulous video
Your tutorial are the best!
Thank you, Gaye, that is a really nice thing to say!
Thank you for explaining about the automotive sand paper. What foam should I use to glue the sand papers to?
Exceptionally helpful, thank you
Thak you😊😊😊
Your AmAzing!😜 I think your a natural born teacher! Thank you for sharing your skills with us and ur time! I wish i had a mom like you!
Thank you Again. I came back for a review! QUESTION: I added some 3-dimensional stripes and dots to my beads. How do I sand - to get the background nice and smooth, working around these "bumps"?
Sanding around dimensional objects can be tricky! If you can, try and do your pieces in two steps. Do the background area first, then sand and smooth your piece to the desired finish. Than add your raw clay dimensional pieces to the nicely finished piece and bake again. (You may need a little liquid clay to get the baked clay and raw clay to adhere solidly.) If this is not possible, then a q-Tip with some acetone can work to smooth come areas, but use caution. Acetone is very strong and unhealthy to breath in and can melt the surface of your clay a little, so use sparingly.
Question, can you use out of date clay and how do you condition it thank you
I love your vídes!!! Can i sand and then baked again??
Thanks, Cindy!
Do you sand paper the front and back
*_♥♥♥ Happy Valentine's Day ♥♥♥ Cindy_*
THANK YOU!
Can u make a video about sanding air dry clay? Or does this also apply to air dry clay
If you sand it do you still have to glaze it after? Also if you have pearl ex powders on a piece and you sand it will the powders come off and would there be a way around that? Thank you !😀
Thanks for the video. I was using wood sanding paper and was disappointed because it scratched my work. Now I know what to use. Thanks!
I would like to see a video about translucent clay. Someone told me that it can be clear like resin but every time I use it, it turns out cloudy and milky :(
Polymer clay tutor already has a translucent clay video. Take a second to type in "how to use translucent clay Polymer clay tutor:" Don't be so lazy.
Linnea Beckman, I just joined, and I'm amazed at how rude you are. I sure hope the rest of this group isn't like you!
How do you adhere the two pieces to form the beads? Thank you.
I find that my darker colors end up with a white residue. What is causing this?
Thank you! So helpful.
I just have a few questions. What thickness would you use for dangle earrings or studs, I am a newbie so lots of questions. So next question do you sand and Do you put polyurethane on earrings?
That was very helpful. Thanks.
If you sand clay with mica powders, won't the powders come off?
we need a buffing video Cindy! I sand and sand and can't get that high gloss shine. I don't know how or what to use for buffing. :)
I use cut up old jeans.
How did you make the sanding pads? How long do they last? Do they wear out quickly? Thanks.
I have a complete video on how to make the sanding pads here: ua-cam.com/video/Kpe8VbQJ2zc/v-deo.html
Fantastic! Do you gloss them with anything after sanding?
Where did you get that stacked storage unit behind you? I’m looking for something like that.
new studio set up nice! also Very funny because I just sanded a bra and tin I made. started at 120 went to 2500 and buffed with a DIY Blue Jean tool I made for my Dremel :)
Did you really sand a bra? lol
lol seems I was typing a little too fast while at work. that's supposed to be bracelet lmao
How did you attach the sandpaper to the craft foam? What does the P mean in P800?
Thank you!
Thanks for this video! I was able to get my piece super smooth, but it still looked more ashy and dull after. How do I achieve a bit more shine? I went from 600-1,000 grit with automotive clay. Thank you!!!
Try sanding a little longer, using dishsoap. It will keep the sandpaper clean and working better. Then you can see if you can get an even higher grit abrasive. The MicroMesh products are even better at getting a really high shine. Here is my Amazon link, if you want to see what I mean: amzn.to/2XOJhqa
So helpful, thank you. 😀. Good timing too as I will be sanding later today. A question: is 800 grit enough to make it ready for buffing?
Hello! Love your vídeos!
I've been searching but I cant find test Labs about types of pens
you can use to Write on polymer clay. Did I skip one? Could you help me? I've been using Sakura permanent pens and posca. Open to other products. Thank you só much for every vídeo!!!!
when im sanding my clay there are like ashy parts left and they don't come out when I buff them. What am I doing wrong 😭?
Have you found the solution to this? I am facing the same problem right now :(
Nice video. Wish I could give that aspect to my creations, but I usually paint them, so...
As a newbe i have decided to jump into this new venture. My first pen turned out what i feel was ok? My second pen not so good, That is as i was sanding i discovered the clay was i describe as being chalky. Took me several grits to sand but i was confused as to why the clay had this feeling? Baked as directed follow all the instructions. Like your opinion.. Love all of your videos Thanks Postalbob
i get water marks and splotches after wet sanding that weren't there before. any idea why this is happening please?
great tips. thanks tfs. 🤗🤗💗
watched it on if you can reuse it again
I'm curious, if my polymer clay is painted with acrylic or pearlx mica should I still sand my project? Will the sanding remove the paint or mica? Do you recommend that I just use uv resin to protect it and give it a resin shine instead of sanding and buffing?
Yes, that is pretty much what you have to do. Sanding would remove the paint or mica powders, so a finish is the only thing you can do to make it shiny.
Does the sanding really get rid of the fingerprints?
Wow. What a wonderful video. May I ask a question? Could you organize your videos into playlists? That would be useful! Thank you. :)
Thank you! That is yet another thing on my ToDo List to get done.
Hello I have a question, I hope you don't mind, cause you are very experienced:
I want to make a sculpture or sth and want to paint it afterwards.
Now I am worried that if I sand it to much/ smooth, the Paint can't 'grip' on the sculpey and even fall off after some time.
Do you know more about that?
Best regards
Don't worry about leaving a "tooth" for the paint to stick to. Polymer clay and acrylic paint are "family" and they bond very well to each other... smooth or rough.
@@PolymerClayTutor thank you so much :) do you have a video about which acrylic paints are good/bad to use too?
@@tierischkreativ557 I have tested several acrylic paints with polymer clay. Most will work with most brands but I do recommend you test, because there are many brands of clays and paints, and an unlimited number of combinations. In general, don't use the crappiest brands because they have few binders in them but there is no need to buy the most expensive either. Make up some test swatches of the brands of paint you have already and see how they do on the brands of clay you use. Also go through my UA-cam Channel for brands that I have tested already. Good luck!
Hi Cindy, I tried sanding few clays but the color of the clay faded after done sanding :( I’m not sure what’s the problem. Can you please help to suggest 😩 P.s. I used 320 and 600 grit as I can only find these two
Hi there, I am so sorry for the slow response, the inbox is very deep! The whitish color from sanding is actually just sanding dust trapped in the tiny scratches in the clay caused by the sand paper. Because you ended at 600 grit and not finer, the dust was not removed by the finer sand papers. If that is the highest grit you can get, then I would rub the surface with some baby oil or clay softener and pop it into the oven for 10 minutes to see if that helps remove/disguise that dust. Hope that helps!
Do you recommend this method of sanding or the one with a hand drill (for polymer Earrings)?
This is an excellent method for sanding polymer clay earrings. Rotary tools spin too fast and tend to melt polymer clay so I don't recommend them for sanding polymer.
PolymerClayTutor are Dremel tools okay for buffing?
@@sydneywhelan9827 Yes you can use a Dremel for buffing (though I think they are too aggressive for sanding). Just use the softest fluffiest buffing wheel you can find and use a light touch. Dremels spin very fast and it is easy to create friction burns and melt the surface of your clay if you are not gentle.
Can you do a how to on a two-finger ring with polymer clay please
I get 2000 from my Rileys. I know about it because i refinished my tire rims. it's fairly cheap also
Cindy, so will I need to start at 400 and go all the way up to 1000?
Yes and even higher to 1200, 200 and 3000 if you can find it.
Thank you! :)
I’m in the uk I have a 60,100,150 sandpaper
did you put soap in the water? looks like bubbles...
Yes I always use cool soapy water when I sand.
buffing video please :)!!! I really want to learn how to do it.
Sand paper - very useful and dirt cheap.
Harbor freight has up to 3000
Hi
Polymer clay recipe pls
whut da... someone gave a dislike m... :I