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Comparing
Sizes Between The Original And The Shrunken Styrofoam
| The original
square size styrofoam was baked at 130ºC for 45 minutes
in the convection oven, it eventually shrunk to the size shown
on the picture. The compressed styrofoam is very hard, toss it
onto the floor and it gives out a "clink" sound. |
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Testing PC Mixture Wrapped Onto The
Styrofoam Ball
| For the
test I use 2 inches ø styrofoam ball wrapped with mixed
polymer clay (1 part Bake and Bend plus three parts Fimo Soft),
was baked at 130ºC for 45 minutes in the convection oven.
After the baking time the ball doesn't expand or reduce its diameter.
If the ball expanded more than its original wrapped diameter
then, there is a possiblity of emission of gases. |
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| The baked
polymer clay ball is flexible and its feels like a PVC ball,
hollow inside as the styrofoam ball shrunk. No cracking on the
surface, measurement is the same. Using a cutter I cut open the
PC ball. No nauseating smell. |
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| Cutting
open the PC ball shows the rough textured pumpkin shape styrofoam
ball. The shrinkage is over 50%. |
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| The picture
shows the flexiblity of the ball after adding the Bake and Bend
Sculpey clay. Adding a little mixture of B&B to PC doesn't
cause any cracking after baking. |
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Test
Number Two: Using Fimo Soft PC Wrapped Onto The Styrofoam Ball
| Using
a textured Fimo Soft PC Clay wrapped onto the styrofoam ball
of about 2 inches ø diameter. |
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And
Using Fimo Soft PC
Mixed With Bake And Bend Wrapped Onto The Square Styrofoam
| Using
the mixed Fimo Soft PC Clay (1 part Bake and Bend plus three
parts Fimo Soft) wrapped onto the square styrofoam of about 1
3/4 inches x 1 3/4 inches x 3/8 inch thk. styrofoam. Covered
all the sides with PC and use a toothpick to release the air
pockets, between the foam and the clay. |
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| Put both
items, as shown, into the convection oven and set the temperature
of the oven to 130ºC, baking time 45 minutes. For any PC
project baking in the oven, always use a ceramic tile as base. |
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| Within
20 to 25 minutes cracks appearing on the surface of the PC ball,
there was no change with the square shape PC box. |
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| Into
the 35 minutes baking cracking and spliting appears on the surface
of the PC ball. The styrofoam ball becomes a pumpkin shape and
anchored onto the base of the PC ball when compressing. The cause
of the crack and split was due to the attachment of the PC onto
the styrofoam ball surface. When the styrofoam compressed, it
soften and fused with the PC. The compressing inward movement
causes tension between the clay and styrofoam, cracking the PC
surface during the softening to hardening stage when baking polymer
clay in the convection oven. |
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| Releasing
the PC due to high tension causes it to split backwards and open
as shown. Without the B&B mixture to the PC, the baking process
will cracked the ball. |
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| Detail
shows the spot where PC attached to the styrofoam. |
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| I removed
the square wrapped PC box from the oven after baking for 45 minutes.
It feels soft, using the cutter I cut open the clay box again,
no nauseating smell. |
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| Picture
shows the shrunk Styrofoam attached onto the inside of the box
base. |
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| Comparison
of using Fimo Soft and Sculpey 3 plus mixture of B&B, shows
the attachment of the shrunken Styrofoam to the PC surface inside
both the box. You can easily remove the shrunken Styrofoam using
a clay tools. |
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Comparing
The Two Polymer Clay Balls
| I am
yielding two different results by using polymer clay and polymer
clay with Bake and Bend mixture. Direct application of the PC
without foils to Styrofoam shows different reaction to two type
of PC composition. |
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Option
For Separator
| Beside
aluminum foils, there is another option to separate the Styrofoam
from the polymer during the shrinking process. Apply baby oil
to all the surface of the Styrofoam and you will find it easier
to remove the Styrofoam inside any type of boxes. |
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