Need help.

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lifesabeachbabyKim
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Need help.

Post by lifesabeachbabyKim »

I am having a huge problem with my OOAK sculpting. Every time I bake one larger than say, 6" baby the head cracks in between the eyes and at the outter corners of the eyes. I have tried everything. (under baking, over baking, recommended baking, lower slower baking temp, higher temp, flash cooling, slow cooling, different ovens, different armatures, solid clay, applying TLS between layers, ...everything) This used to only happen when I used Prosculpt or Sculpey but now it seems to be happening with Cernit too. I am utterly at a loss because I have asked this question several times on here and on FB and the suggestions I got I tried them all and nothing has helped. Pretty much now when I make a sculpt I have to make sure I can use it to make a sili or resin baby cause with the horrible cracks it is unsuitable for OOAK. It also seemed to be much worse when I did an open eyed sculpt so I thought it might be the glass eyes expanding during baking but it happens with closed eyed babies too. I am getting very frustrated cause I take the time to make a cutie just to have it be ruined. I just baked 2 more approx 10" babies a couple days ago and I have to use both of them for silis or resin now cause they will have to be repaired. I love the faces too much to just 'round file' them. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Anyone else having cracking issues like this?

Can anyone give me a new suggestion that I might not have tried yet? I know this has to be possible because I have seen the work others have done and I never hear anyone else complaining of this happening to their sculpts so it must be something I am doing wrong. Help!!!!
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sherrys little pipsqueaks
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Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:01 am
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Re: Need help.

Post by sherrys little pipsqueaks »

Hi Kim, I don't have that problem with minis but it happened once with a full size ooak. I think it was because I weakened it by putting a whole in the neck area so a chest piece would fit into it and then I put it back on my dowel (which is what I use to sculpt my babies. The weakness in the neck and the pressure from the dowel holding up the head forced the whole bottom of the face to crack all the way around. But the minis I put the eyes in after I almost finish the head. (the full size also). I see most people put the eyes in right after they put some clay around the armature. I've never tried that probably because I'm self taught and stubborn . Someday maybe. Sorry I don't really know what's happening with your minis but maybe a different outlook can help a little. Good luck Sherry
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lifesabeachbabyKim
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Re: Need help.

Post by lifesabeachbabyKim »

sherrys little pipsqueaks wrote:Hi Kim, I don't have that problem with minis but it happened once with a full size ooak. I think it was because I weakened it by putting a whole in the neck area so a chest piece would fit into it and then I put it back on my dowel (which is what I use to sculpt my babies. The weakness in the neck and the pressure from the dowel holding up the head forced the whole bottom of the face to crack all the way around. But the minis I put the eyes in after I almost finish the head. (the full size also). I see most people put the eyes in right after they put some clay around the armature. I've never tried that probably because I'm self taught and stubborn . Someday maybe. Sorry I don't really know what's happening with your minis but maybe a different outlook can help a little. Good luck Sherry

Thank you so much Sherry! This is almost exactly what I was told on FB this morning by Julie C who copied/pasted from a post by her husband who added to a comment originally by Jack Johnston. I have been baking the eyes in or making a foundation for the face on the sleepers and then just adding most of it at once then baking a super thick piece. They think that is my problem cause it is putting too much stress on the eye area and recommended I do the cheeks and thicker parts first then add the eyes last. I am going to try that today and see if it makes any difference cause all of my dolls above 6" have been cracking all the way up to full sized babies. Very frustrating!

Thanks again for the reply! :)
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