If You Need Information On Oven Bake Clay Then This is The Best Untapped Resource On The Web
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Can I use an easy Bake Oven for polymer clay?
I read somewhere that those shrinky dink ovens work wonderfully for baking polymer clay beads. I was wondering if perhaps the easy bake ovens might achieve the same effect? I don't want to keep using our oven as thats not recommended for long term use. I am trying to find cheap alternatives. I know they makea special oven but its 60 bucks and i'm trying to find a cheaper alternative lol. Thanks for all answers in advance!
There are various ways (and types of equipment) that can be used to cure polymer clay, though regular ovens and Toaster Ovens are the most common perhaps (with Convection Ovens being preferred if one can afford it).
There are ways of curing polymer clay in home ovens though that can be used as often as you want because they prevent anything from coming out of the clay into the cavity of the oven (or out of the clay and into the air where you could even smell it)... those are called "enclosed" baking methods (there are also "partly-enclosed" baking methods).
You can find instructions and info on those techniques on the Baking page of my polymer clay "encyclopedia" site, under the *Darkening, Scorching, Burning* category:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/baking.htm
You can also find other ways and equipment for curing polymer clay on that page, as well as lots of info on testing your particular oven (no matter which you have, they'll often have hot spots and may not even heat to the temp you see on the dial) so you can see how well it would work for polymer clay, and also see where you might have to put the clay to minimize hot spots, etc.
There's also info about thermometers, and all kinds of other clay-baking-related stuff on that page.
P.S. I wouldn't ever spend the money for one of the "special polymer clay ovens" since they're no different from any other Toaster Oven that's made in the Far East --they've just been rebranded "for polymer clay." Actually, getting a "good" toaster oven sometimes requires trying several and being willing to take back any that don't hold their temperature well, etc (returning fairly quickly, with receipt, isn't a problem).
The best toaster oven I ever had turned out to be a $20 from Target, though I notice the ones on the market nowadays are less wonderful than the older ones used to be! (I've gone through a few trying to find a new one for food, at all kinds of prices, and have been really frustrated by how well most actually work.)
HTH,
Diane B.