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Toaster ovens



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 21st 03, 03:14 PM
Peggy McCall
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Default Toaster ovens

I'm just getting started working with polymer clay and have been reading a
LOT of books.

One book recommended that items baked in toaster ovens be tented with
aluminum foil because the rapid heat cycling by these ovens could cause
burning.

Has anyone had this trouble? Is tenting necessary? Is there any other
special handling when using a toaster oven?

TIA for any help -


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  #2  
Old September 21st 03, 04:27 PM
Rasmussen
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I have had trouble with things burning in a toaster oven... the best thing I
ever bought was a digital thermometer that has an alarm if the temp goes too
high (mine is a meat thermometer, which has a meat probe on the end of a
metal cord so I just place the probe on the pan next to my project)... I set
the alarm at about 290 degrees because it could burn past this. Make sure
you let your toaster preheat before putting any clay projects in it. I
don't tent my projects I just place them on a piece of baking parchment on
the metal tray.
Actually, I use the thermometer even when I am using my regular oven because
the warming cycle is so erratic. I haven't burned anything since I started
using it.
Hope this helps,
-Kirsten

"Peggy McCall" wrote in message
...
I'm just getting started working with polymer clay and have been reading a
LOT of books.

One book recommended that items baked in toaster ovens be tented with
aluminum foil because the rapid heat cycling by these ovens could cause
burning.

Has anyone had this trouble? Is tenting necessary? Is there any other
special handling when using a toaster oven?

TIA for any help -




  #3  
Old September 21st 03, 05:57 PM
DianeGlassAttic
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Default

Hi and welcome to polymer clay!

First, there's a difference between darkening and actually burning the clay
while baking. If you burn it, your oven will likely have reached over 385
degrees at some point... you'll KNOW if that happens because smoke will be
billowing out of your oven! (at which time you'll hold your breath, turn off
the oven, and remove yourself and your pets from the house until the fumes are
gone... if you have time and breath, you can remove the clay and take it
outside or to some other ventilated place too).
(see the "Scorching and Burning" sub-category on the page mentioned below for a
few things you can still do with items you've toasted :-) ...)

Most clay colors will darken slightly during baking (the new Kato clays may
not). Depending on the temp reached, white or light colored clays can end up
with anything from a less white look all the way to toasty brown (or even
purplish in the case of original white Sculpey . .. .all Sculpey clays are
particularly bad in this way, their translucent included).

Also, baking in a toaster oven increases the possibility that the temp will be
too high because they're just smaller than regular ovens (therefore some parts
of the piece may be closer to the top coils, or there may be hot spots). Some
ovens will also spike the temp very high as they run through their cycles
trying to keep the temp even; I believe "continuous clean" toaster ovens are
especially bad, but you should always wait for any toaster oven to preheat
before adding items, then do it quickly.

Baking in a toaster oven is perfectly fine for most (not too large) items
though and there are several ways you can avoid the darkening while using one:

--add a bit of white to any color if a tad of darkening would really be a
problem
--watch your oven thermometer like a hawk until you know your particular oven
--some people even add a "heat sink" to their oven (ceramic tile, terra cotta,
rocks, thick sheet of metal, etc..anything that will hold heat and not burn)...
it holds onto the heat and helps keep the temp even
--of course, lay taller things down if possible so that everything is as far
away from the top coils as possible
--tent the items with aluminum foil (being sure not to touch any place you
don't want to create a shiny spot)
--use the completely "enclosed" baking method, or even bake inside a pile of
cornstarch

You can read all about the enclosed method as well as other tips on baking,
ovens and thermometers on this page at my website:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/baking.htm

HTH,





Diane B.
http://glassattic.com --polymer clay "encyclopedia"

E-mail: (don't use AOL address)
  #4  
Old September 23rd 03, 04:07 PM
Helen \Halla\ Fleischer
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Default

| On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 14:14:29 GMT, "Peggy McCall" wrote:

I'm just getting started working with polymer clay and have been reading a
LOT of books.

One book recommended that items baked in toaster ovens be tented with
aluminum foil because the rapid heat cycling by these ovens could cause
burning.

Has anyone had this trouble? Is tenting necessary? Is there any other
special handling when using a toaster oven?

TIA for any help -

I only bake fairly flat items in a toaster oven and tenting still does help
prevent darkening of clays with a lot of translucent in them and others
prone to darkening like Super Sculpey. What I do is line my toaster oven's
tray with cardboard to insulate the bottom from the nearness to that
element. That also holds one edge of a piece of foil tucked under the long
side of the back. Tucked under the edge of the front of the cardboard is
the folded metal foot of an oven thermometer.


Helen "Halla" Fleischer,
Fantasy & Fiber Artist in Fairland, MD USA
http://home.covad.net/~drgandalf/halla/
 




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