Need help with polymer clay gramophone and vinyls

Thinking of making my boyfriend a small polymer clay gramophone with a needle that you can remove from the vinyls, and a tiny set of vinyls to go with it. (I'd estimate it to be 4 inches tall over all.)
Problem: I know as much about gramophones as the average teenager, and I'm a newbie with polymer clay. Before, I made do with homemade cold porcelain.
If you can drop me a few pointers on gramophones, polymer clay, or both, I'd be very thankful.
Additional info:
1. The clay I have is Premo Sculpey Accents, White Granite.
2. The oven we have is an old grody toaster oven that has seen some of my crafts before (mostly of the paper variety) and a decidedly nicer stove oven that intimidates the crap out of me. (Mostly because my sister will kill me if I harm her domain.)
3. I've tackled polymer clay briefly before. The first piece burnt, the succeeding ones melted after smelling like they've begun to burn. I think this is because I used a cheap local kind, though. I made one small rose with Premo and it turned out great. (I watched it like a hawk lol)
If you can drop me any info on gramophones, polymer clay, or both, I'd really appreciate it.

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5 replies since 28th December 2012 • Last reply 28th December 2012

Reply #1:

Make sure you have your oven set to the correct temperature to bake the clay - it should have instruction on the packaging. For the vinyls, it would be easiest to use a cookie cutter, if you have one, or something circular to ensure that they're all the same shape. If you want a movable needle, don't be afraid to use wire, pins and jewellery findings with your clay - this should be easier than making it just from polymer clay.

Hope this helps. Happy

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Reply #2:

The packages say toaster oven but depending on the heat sorce and where it is compared to the clay I would be careful about using one

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Reply #3:

I always bake my clay at a lower temp then the package says. You can always re-bake your sculpture, but burning it can't be fixed. =^_^=

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Reply #4:

I do my polymer clay for EXACTLY what the package says, but when you make it line the pan with parchment paper if you don't have it go for the shiniest pan you have. Just once you use it for clay keep it to purely polymer clay and nothing else. The vinyls of course cookie cutter but same thing can't use it ever again for food. There is a chicky on youtube who has a tutorial about how to make them though. I don't suggest the traditional scalloped edge I'd go with a solid bell like on a trumpet.

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Reply #5:

There's so much information on polymer clay on the web. You can google pics of gramophones too. But as for the clay I have been working with it for about 8 yrs. If you are going to work a lot with it then invest in 2 oven thermometers' I bake my Premo and Fimo @ 250 degrees and I can always do multiple baking's if I need too .If you have to bake in your sisters oven take aluminum foil and make a tent and place your items to bake on a small square ceramic tile or a thick piece of glass, never use a cooking pan. Also you want to make sure you condition your clay very well and make sure their are no air bubbles in your piece or that could ruin your final piece.

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