Steps |
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1. Place the light switch cover, face-up, smack dab in the middle of a sheet
of wax paper. The sheet needs to be large enough to allow a 2-3 inch margin
around each side of the switch plate. |
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2. With the dull needle, press
hard enough and trace a outline around the edges of the switch cover, then
trace the switch and screw hole openings without significantly tearing the
paper. Set the switch cover aside. needs to be large enough to allow a 2-3
inch margin around each side of the switch cover. |
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3. Use the straight edge or ruler
to make a vertical line (from the middle of the top to bottom) that equally
bisects the left and right halves of the outline on the wax paper sheet.
Make a horizontal line that equally bisects the lower and upper halves of
the outline. You should now have four rectangular quadrants; upper left
and right, lower left and right. |
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4a. Begin by placing the larger
slices, arranging them on evenly the sheet of wax paper to that cane placement
is mirrored in upper and lower and/or left and right. |
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4b. Continue placing more slices,
generally working from largest to smallest slices. You may need more of
certain sized slices, to fill in gaps. Be not afraid to generously sprawl
beyond the outline edges. |
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5a. After filling all possible
openings with cane slices, there will still be many small gaps between slices.
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5b. Pinch off a tiny piece of
the filler cane. Roll the piece into a tiny ball. Then roll, putting pressure
on one side until you've formed a kind of tear drop shape with a fine point
at one end. With the pointy end pointing down, push the teardrop into a
gap to plug up the gap. Continue pushing until the gap is filled. Use another
teardrop if necessary. |
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5c. Continue forming these "plugs"
and pushing them into gaps until all the gaps are filled. You now clearly
have a "wrong" side and a "right" side. You've been, correctly, working
on the wrong side. |
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6. Once all the gaps are filled,
completely cover the polymer clay sheet (cover) with another sheet of waxpaper,
sandwiching the polymer clay cover between the two sheets. Use your roller
to even the varying thicknesses as much as possible without causing too
much distortion. If you have drastic thickness differences, use a tissue
blade to shave. Just be careful. Pick up the polymer clay sheet, hold it
upright in front of a strong light to reveal any tiny gaps. Press gently
to force the filler clay and the slices to fuse together. |
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7. Place the polymer clay sheet,
wrong side up, back onto your work surface. Remove the wax paper sheet covering
the "wrong" side and place the switch plate, wrong (or back side) up, centering
the switch plate on the cover. With even pressure, press firmly. |
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8. Carefully pick up your workpiece
(clay sheet and switch cover), flip it over, so you can see the rightside
(still covered with the other sheet of wax paper). Remove the final wax
paper sheet. While holding your workpiece flat with one hand (right side
up), grab the roller with your other hand and roll over the polymer clay
sheet until it fully contacts the top surface of the switch plate. The cover
should be large enough to drape and extend well beyond the edges of the
switch cover. |
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Note:
Whenever you put the workpiece down, make sure to place it on a sheet
of wax paper. This will allow you to pick it up or move it easily.
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9. Put down the roller and pick up the X-acto blade. While still holding
your workpiece, from the backside, use the X-acto blade to poke through
the screw holes to mark their placement on the right side. Also mark some
point inside the rectangular switch opening so you can see the mark on
the right side.
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10. Now, working from the right side, carefully bevel cut out the screw
openings with the X-acto. Cut out the switch opening. Smooth over the
surface to remove fingerprints, etc.
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11. Bake the entire workpiece at 250 - 265 degrees for an hour or so.
Let cool inside oven. When cool. paint the surface with a sealer (Future
or Flecto Varathane). Reheat at 150 degrees for about 20 minutes. Let
cool.
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12. If using the rigid plastic cover, gently pry the clay cover from
the switch cover, dot the cover with some little blobs of the E6000 glue.
Replace the polymer clay cover. Press firmly. If you're using the more
flexible nylon covers, the clay should adhere to the cover quite nicely;
you don't need any glue. You be done.
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