Another question about Canes

Sarajane, I know you make square canes, and I am curious about them. In the
recent pictures of your square canes, they looked pretty big. I am curious
if they are really as big as they looked, and if so, how do you work them
down into something smaller? Obviously you can't roll it on the table with
your hands like you can a round cane. I enjoyed making my first cane, and am
interested in making another.

I used my first one to cover a glass ornament ball that you can see if you
follow the link under my sig.

---------------------------
Marissa Undercofler -- Marissa's Creations
To see finished pieces:
http://www.mlux2.com/phpbb2/othercrafts

I am curious
if they are really as big as they looked, and if so, how do you work them
down into something smaller?

Hi Marissa!
The square canes I've been working with lately that you saw were about 1 inch
by 1 inch. The wedge portions go together and are app. 1" x 1" and three inches
long. That gets reduced, chopped into quarters and re-assembled, and reduced
again. When I do square canes, I use an acrylic roller for the smoothing part
of the process and my thumbs and first two fingers of each hand for the
squeezing part. Smooth all four sides down the length of the cane with the
roller. pressing a bit. Then pick it up and "climb" up and down the length of
it with pinchy fingers, one handset doing the left/right faces, one handset
doing the front/back faces of the square cane. Do this several times, then do
the rolling thing again to smooth out and reallign your cane's squareness.
Thats also how I reduce square canes made from round ones (that technique
involves cutting a section into quarters and putting it around another section
thats round---its shown in both books, and may be on the reduction page on my
site--I forget!)
Sarajane

Sarajane's Polymer Clay Gallery
http://www.polyclay.com

Hi Marissa!
The square canes I've been working with lately that you saw were about 1 inch
by 1 inch.

ok, I measured again, they actually start out about 1 1/4" by 1 1/4" and three
inches or so high. I get between 6 and 10 inches of finished cane with this
size--these are small canes for me, practice-sized. Experimentally small, even!
Sarajane

Sarajane's Polymer Clay Gallery
http://www.polyclay.com

Thats a great job you did covering your ornament! How did you get it so
smooth?
Diana

--
Weird people need beads, too
"Marissa Undercofler" wrote in message
...
Sarajane, I know you make square canes, and I am curious about them. In
the
recent pictures of your square canes, they looked pretty big. I am curious
if they are really as big as they looked, and if so, how do you work them
down into something smaller? Obviously you can't roll it on the table with
your hands like you can a round cane. I enjoyed making my first cane, and
am
interested in making another.

I used my first one to cover a glass ornament ball that you can see if you
follow the link under my sig.

---------------------------
Marissa Undercofler -- Marissa's Creations
To see finished pieces:
http://www.mlux2.com/phpbb2/othercrafts

Thank you. It isn't as smooth as you think. I only showed you one side of
it, and it happened to be the smooth side. The other side is a bit lumpy so
to speak where it got pushed a bit too much.

Marissa

"Diana Curtis" wrote in message
...
Thats a great job you did covering your ornament! How did you get it so
smooth?
Diana

--
Weird people need beads, too
"Marissa Undercofler" wrote in message
...
Sarajane, I know you make square canes, and I am curious about them. In
the
recent pictures of your square canes, they looked pretty big. I am
curious
if they are really as big as they looked, and if so, how do you work
them
down into something smaller? Obviously you can't roll it on the table
with
your hands like you can a round cane. I enjoyed making my first cane,
and
am
interested in making another.

I used my first one to cover a glass ornament ball that you can see if
you
follow the link under my sig.

---------------------------
Marissa Undercofler -- Marissa's Creations
To see finished pieces:
http://www.mlux2.com/phpbb2/othercrafts

Thank you Sarajane.

Marissa


"Sjpolyclay" wrote in message
...
I am curious
if they are really as big as they looked, and if so, how do you work them
down into something smaller?

Hi Marissa!
The square canes I've been working with lately that you saw were about 1
inch
by 1 inch. The wedge portions go together and are app. 1" x 1" and three
inches
long. That gets reduced, chopped into quarters and re-assembled, and
reduced
again. When I do square canes, I use an acrylic roller for the smoothing
part
of the process and my thumbs and first two fingers of each hand for the
squeezing part. Smooth all four sides down the length of the cane with the
roller. pressing a bit. Then pick it up and "climb" up and down the length
of
it with pinchy fingers, one handset doing the left/right faces, one
handset
doing the front/back faces of the square cane. Do this several times, then
do
the rolling thing again to smooth out and reallign your cane's squareness.
Thats also how I reduce square canes made from round ones (that technique
involves cutting a section into quarters and putting it around another
section
thats round---its shown in both books, and may be on the reduction page on
my
site--I forget!)
Sarajane

Sarajane's Polymer Clay Gallery
http://www.polyclay.com

Oh.. then.. just like mine! lol..
sanding is a life saver.. but there are designs where sanding is hard to do
... Id rather avoid the lumps to start with. I wonder if in my eagerness to
get my ball perfect I warm the clay to much and make more problems for
myself?
Diana

--
Weird people need beads, too
"Marissa Undercofler" wrote in message
...
Thank you. It isn't as smooth as you think. I only showed you one side of
it, and it happened to be the smooth side. The other side is a bit lumpy
so
to speak where it got pushed a bit too much.

Marissa

"Diana Curtis" wrote in message
...
Thats a great job you did covering your ornament! How did you get it so
smooth?
Diana

--
Weird people need beads, too
"Marissa Undercofler" wrote in message
...
Sarajane, I know you make square canes, and I am curious about them.
In
the
recent pictures of your square canes, they looked pretty big. I am
curious
if they are really as big as they looked, and if so, how do you work
them
down into something smaller? Obviously you can't roll it on the table
with
your hands like you can a round cane. I enjoyed making my first cane,
and
am
interested in making another.

I used my first one to cover a glass ornament ball that you can see if
you
follow the link under my sig.

---------------------------
Marissa Undercofler -- Marissa's Creations
To see finished pieces:
http://www.mlux2.com/phpbb2/othercrafts

Speaking of lumps and fingerprints...have you seen the new bead
roller/piercing system from PolyTools?

http://snipurl.com/b0zo


And Marissa - that ornament is lovely!!

Barbara

I purchased this set right after the first time I saw it mentioned here.
The baking tray and pins definitely get a "thumbs up" from me. I
wasn't overmuch impressed with the rollers, though. The operation
wasn't as smooth as I would've liked, and the rolling area itself is
kind of short.

The tray fits well in my toaster over; the pins are sharp enough that
they go through the clay really easily, and they're a good size for
holding while painting on the polyurethane.

I was super-impressed with the customer service from the site. I wrote
to them on a Sunday night to ask about the size of the tray, and got a
response almost immediately.

Cheers,
Carla

Barbara Forbes-Lyons wrote:
Speaking of lumps and fingerprints...have you seen the new bead
roller/piercing system from PolyTools?

http://snipurl.com/b0zo


And Marissa - that ornament is lovely!!

Barbara