Video #617: If you want your beads to look professional, then it is usually best to drill holes after your polymer has been baked... More Info: http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=19376 Polymer Clay Tutor.
Topics Covered In This Video:
* I'm going to show you the difference between drilling holes in polymer clay when the clay is raw versus when it is baked.
* Often you will see on the internet where someone who is making a polymer clay pendant or flat charm, just take a skewer and make a hole in the clay when it is raw.
* There are several problems that can happen when piercing holes in raw polymer clay.
* First is that the piece will tend to distort... the clay gets pushed to the sides of the hole and can distort the piece out of shape.
* The hole gets uneven and puckered up around the edges.
* A hole made in clay by swirling a pointed tool generally looks very unprofessional.
* A much cleaner and better looking hole can be made after the polymer clay has been baked, using a drill bit.
* Drilling in baked polymer clay is super easy to do.
* By holding off on adding holes to your polymer clay beads until after they are baked... gives you more options.
* You may change your mind on where you want to drill the hole, how many holes you want to add or if you want to add a bail instead. If the hole is already there, you can't do much about it.
* All you need is some inexpensive drill bits made for wood, since polymer clay is soft and easy to drill through.
* You can find drill bits in the hardware store or even the dollar store.
* Purchases the sizes of drill bits that you will need.
* Support your polymer clay piece from behind, using scrap wood or a plastic block.
* I used to make a polymer clay handle for my drill bits but found that the bits they came loose if the bit was not bent on the end (which is very difficult to do).
* So now I just use a pin vise to hold my drill bits.
* You can find single and double ended pin vises, which screw apart for adding any size of drill bit that is required.
* Most Exacto Blade handles will accommodate small drill bits as well.
* Press a small dent in the clay where you want to drill the hole, so the bit doesn't slide around on the surface.
* Using light pressure, drill into the polymer clay with a piece of wood behind it as a back stop, and you should get a pretty clean hole.
* Drill from the back as well as the front, to clear any burrs along the edges of the hole.
* Resin coated polymer clay pendants can also be drilled after baking. You will notice that thhey need a little more pressure and time, but it is easily done by hand.
* I also like to use a tapered drill bit or a tapered burr bit (made for Dremel Tools), for getting holes started or cleaning burrs around the edge of holes.
* Drilling your polymer clay after it is baked will give you a nice clean professional looking hole... much better than the dorky, puckered up, uneven holes that you squish in when the clay was raw! :)
* Related Video: Drilling Holes In Your Polymer Clay Beads... http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=17074#video
* Related Article: Polymer Clay Bead Holes... http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=5413
* Related Article: How To Make Pretty Handles for Your Drill Bits... http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=3304
* Related Video: Applying Ultradome UV Epoxy Resin To Polymer Clay... http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=19269#video
And... more info about today's video is at my blog... http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=19376
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Polymer Clay Tutor... "Make what you love... Love what you make."
