Cores for doll making?

[Beckykins]

So I made the torso for a BJD as an experiment before the actual project, and I used tin foil wrapped in saran wrap for the core. Though this worked, I had to cut the torso in half to remove the core, add more clay to put it back together, and bake it again. (I used polymer clay, so I got away with re-baking) Maybe I just squished my tinfoil too tightly to pull it apart from the doll, but I was just wondering if any of you used anything that is easily removable and doesn't make a huge mess. (I'm apprehensive about styrofoam) I'm also welcoming to any tips about using Sculpey. I've realized that it's easier to work with if I make a general shape, bake it, then add on top of it, but I'm not sure if that's a bad thing to do.... o.0 Have I angered the clay gods?

[DollyKim]

Do not use styrofoam it will make toxic fumes when it bakes. I've used a paper clay or paper mache paste and toilet paper tubes for cores. Baking the paper clay dries it out and makes it hard but you can soak the parts in water to soften the paper clay then scrape it out.

If your seams are thin enough you can use liquid clay as a "glue" to bake pieces together.

[famedglory]

In the past I've used balled up newspaper/paper towels as cores for sculpey. It's a little tricky at first since the paper doesn't hold it's shape on its own, but once you have the base layer of clay on it works okay.

[Beckykins]

Do not use styrofoam it will make toxic fumes when it bakes.

Oh gosh. 0.o Good to know. It's odd that so many people use it then...

[Beckykins]

In the past I've used balled up newspaper/paper towels as cores for sculpey. It's a little tricky at first since the paper doesn't hold it's shape on its own, but once you have the base layer of clay on it works okay.

Do you wrap it in saran wrap as well? Also, perhaps masking tape could make it stay in shape better... But I'm not sure if that could emit any toxic fumes... Haha I feel like I know nothing about these things.

[TasiaChiba]

Styrofoam cores are good if you are working with paperclay. Then you can scrape it out or dissolve it. With Sculpey, though, it's really not a good idea since it has to be baked. (On a side note, you can also boil your clay to cook it~ ^_^) I've been using tin foil for years to bulk up and whatnot. Just try not to let the center-most part get too tight (you can put a thin layer of clay down and bake it before really getting to work so the center doesn't get more compressed) so that it will pull out easier. For tiny dolls it can definitely be a pain, lol! >_<; I probably would stay away from the saranwrap, though. It's plastic and I would think it would bond with the polymer clay. Just try to add a straighter piece of tinfoil on top of your bulk before you add the clay to help smooth it out a bit. ^_^

I always start with the torso when I do a sculpt. For BJDs I've added pre-cut joint lines to get it ready to take apart after baking, cutting it apart does make it easier getting that foil out~ (It's also a good idea to cut your sculpt apart while still warm. The clay is softer then and makes the work quite easy, just be careful not to burn yourself! In the same respect, if it's cold, you can re-heat it at any time and it will become pliable again.) Some tinfoil pieces may stay stuck in the clay, but don't worry too much about them. You can either sand/dremel them out or smooth them over with some clay on the insides if necessary.

And it's perfectly fine to add some clay, bake, and add more~ Unless you're going for a single piece of clay that needs to stay flesh tone permanently without repainting... Then, I might suggest boiling, though it too has it's draw-backs~

You should totally add photos of your progress! Which reminds me that I should do that too, lol! ^_^;

[DollyKim]

A core of polymer clay with a layer of foil over that then the body you're sculpting might work. I got as far as baking polymer cores on wooden chopsticks that I was going to wrap in plastic to use with air dry clay. No reason they couldn't work with other polymer but with foil as plastic wrap shouldn't be baked.

As for baking tape *I have since learned a doll maker bakes masking tape. Generally wood and paper based products bake well without expanding. There's some craft wire, like Wild Wire, that says it can be baked with polymer clay. Maybe a frame could be made out of that?

Most of my large doll making has been with air dry. I've used polymer for the 1/6 dolls. My best success has been with heads but Pete and Sid have held up to abuse.

[TasiaChiba]

Ah yes, armatures! I should probably add I do use a wooden dowel for wrapping the foil on first, bulk up, then build the body off that. The nether regions are usually finished last due to the dowel sticking out, so I add some clay, pre-bake for structure/stability, remove the dowel, and keep going~ ^_^

[Beckykins]

Ah :} You people are all so helpful. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post.

[DollyKim]

To update I have learned that a polymer clay doll maker wraps his metal armatures in masking tape then bakes them. This is for solid figures that aren't hollowed out. Florist tape has also been mentioned by another doll maker.

I will do experiments to see if my Active Mesh and tape necks can be baked under polymer clay.