Clay Blocks
how do you flatten a block of clay?
A purcchased a block of modeling clay for a school project what s the best way to make it flatter
You don't say what *type* of clay you purchased, and that could make a lot of difference. There are earth/pottery clays as well as other air-dry clays (Makins, Creative Paperclay, etc), and polymer clays (Premo, Fimo, Sculpey, Cernit, etc.) and plasticine clays or "modeling clays" (ClayToons, Plastalina, cheap ones like RoseArt, etc).
If you have a polymer clay (and perhaps these techniques will work on any clays), you can either "condition" it first (with stretching and warming) so it's more pliable then flatten it, or you can pound on it with a hammer (in the package or in a ziptop bag/etc) to get it flatter and also to begin conditioning it.
Then you can roll over it with a roller or brayer of some kind depending on how hard it still is... that could be a rolling pin, acrylic rod, glass or metal jar, etc.
You can also use a knife or other long blade to cut a thick slice from the block then flatten it more, or use as that size.
With polymer clay, we often use a pasta machine to make really even sheets, but you probably won't have one of those... so if you need to make an even sheet after your clay is reasonably pliable, put two long pieces of wood (or anything) of the *same height* on both sides of the clay, then roll over clay and wood pieces with a rolling pin or other cylinder.
If the clay is soft enough, you can also roll it into a smooth ball or log, then flatten it all at the same time with something stiff and flat (sheet of acrylic, hardback book (cover clay with plastic wrap first), or anything you can find.
HTH,
Diane B.
| No items matching your keywords were found. |