What clay is best?

I had to do some testing recently.  I am sick of my clay crafting cracking and breaking on me.  I did get a whole lot of great clay recently but I was still having trouble!  It was time to research!  Glass Attic was a lot of help but it has a ton of opinions and I have to admit is a little all over the place when it comes in information.  It did help me  find out that temperature is key and it needs to be cooked for at least 15 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for all the kind of clay I have.  Preheating is very important!  If it doesn't cook at 275 degrees (non-fluctuating temp.) for at least 15 minutes then the plasticizers won't cook off.  Plasticizers are what keep the clay soft so if they don't cook off they then begin to make the clay soft again and that is why they crack and break.  Sometimes the temperature and length of time don't seem to matter if the clay is no good to begin with.  I've seen on Polymer Clay Tutor that if you cook it for 1 hour your clay will be stronger but it gets a little darker.  I did that test too but it didn't seem to matter.  What seemed to matter was the type of clay, and the heat, and length of time cooked.

 

Here is the test I did recently.  I have made Dobby into a clay figure multiple times now using many different clay brands and found some cracked and broke right out of the oven and others would bend completely in half without breaking.  I thought it was just my cooking temperatures first but then realized it was the clay.  Test time!  I had to know which ones I could use and which ones I couldn't.  Let's get down to the findings.

 Just a few of the good and the bad.

Super Scupley will be the death of me! The paint job was great, the whole thing had been glazed then the next then I knew it's nose busted off then the ear next.  I was so mad I almost cried!

 

The clay pieces were small pea sized pieces pressed through a pasta press #4. 

1. Unknown.  I have no idea how I even got this one but it had been making the most flexible charms I only have a little left... I will be sad when it's gone.  When it is cooked to long it can get a little too dark.

2. Fimo Soft.  Nice tone but too easy to over work.  Think I might try leaching the clay. 

3. Super Sculpey.  I like the over all color, but there is weird sheet slivers in it.  But, really easy to work with and I think I could still use it for more block like designs.

4. Sculpey III.  The color is really pale and really opac.  I didn't like it at all. Plus it is really too soft.

5. Premo.  The color is a little yellow, nicely transparent, and it doesn't isn't hard to work with.1. Unknown.  Fabulously bendable.  I already new it but it was nice to test it out with other clay too.

2. Fimo Soft.  Surprisingly bendable.  I haven't really liked Fimo lately but now, I might reconsider.

3. Super Sculpey.  Huge disappointment.  I thought this was the clay everyone used for clay figurines, I was wrong.  It breaks at the slightest touch, it has these weird sheeting discoloration.

4. Sculpey III.  I thought this stuff was good, I was wrong.  I have a ton of it so I have to find a way to make it worthy.  Maybe mixing it with a clay that is flexible.  It might just make whatever I add to it weaker. :( We'll see.

5. Premo.  Just straight up prefect!  Keeps it's color, bendable, and really easy to work with.

 

Both ears stick out but as you can see they bend really well, great for a charm that will probably be treated roughly.

 

So, to sum up, Super Sculpey is unforgiving and ugly, Fimo Soft, if leached, could be pretty good, Sculpey III is opac and cracks at the slightest touch, and if I ever figure out what #1 Unknown is I will be buying it in bulk!

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Until then, keep on crafting kiddos.