Sanding & Buffing

Once the clay is properly cured, it is not necessary to do another thing to it. For some projects, you may desire the texture of the "just-baked" clay. (That texture will vary slightly among the different brands of clay, with some being smoother or more rubbery than others.) However, there will probably be times when you need to take things a step or two further. Sanding removes unwanted fingerprints. Buffing can bring out anything from a soft sheen to a high shine in your clay pieces, depending on how it's done. Extensive sanding and buffing is usually necessary if you want to achieve glasslike appearances from translucent clay.

Sanding

If you find yourself doing a lot of sanding, you may wish to move beyond the traditional sanding equipment (i.e. your hands). Polymer clay artists have proven to be ingenious at finding ways to adapt tools to their needs. People have used everything from rock tumblers to electric toothbrushes to sand polymer clay. You can read more about these devices elsewhere on this site.

Buffing

Once your polymer clay piece has been sanded, you'll want to buff it to give it some shine. (Unsanded clay can also be buffed, but for the very highest shine, sanding is preferable.)

Polymer clay can be buffed by hand with a piece of old, soft denim (white is best, as it can't possibly leave behind a trace of color), muslin, or other soft fabric. Vigorously rub the polymer clay against the fabric (or the fabric against the clay, whichever you prefer) until you achieve the desired results.

Hand-buffing produces a soft sheen. For the highest shine, power tools fitted with buffing wheels are your best option. You can use anything from a hand-held rotary tool (such as the Dremel tool), a bench grinder, or a jeweler's buffer. Some people even use rock tumblers to buff large numbers of beads with a minimum of effort. For more information on buffing with power tools, visit our page about Buffing Wheels.

Related Links:

Tools: Power Tools: Sanding Tools, Buffing Wheel, Dremel Tool, Rock Tumbler
Tools: Supplies: Sandpaper

For more information about sanding and buffing, visit the following websites:

Glass Attic: Sanding and Tumbling
Compiled by Diane Black
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/sanding_tumbling.htm

Glass Attic: Buffing
Compiled by Diane Black
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/buffing.htm