How do I strengthen clay?

[HornsNwings]

I like to make pendants but they are sort of thin so I am worried about them braking. I also want to sculpt bat like wings and I am worried they will snap.
Thank you in advance.

[ThisLittleKittenShop]

when I have some small pieces I try to use some wire to help re-inforce the clay, but some things are too small.

Ive heard you can dunk your pieces in ice water to strengthen it but youd need to do more research on that.

Other than that Idk what else you can do.

[IsolaArt]

I heard from Cindy Lietz on YouTube that baking the pieces for 1 whole hour makes them so much stronger and I agree.
They don't burn just because they bake that long, as long as the temperature is not higher than recommended. When I bake for 1 hour I usually drop the temps a little. I also cover them with a tiny foil form or bury them in corn starch.

[Former_Member]

Wire framing helps a lot with wings. I use wire inside all my wings and have yet to have one break.

Quenching, which is where you put your clay in ice water after baking, is also a good idea. I started using the method a year ago and the amount of figures breaking has decreased significantly.

A link on how to quench: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV_OYc9oAYY

[Former_Member]

I create animals sculptures, and I use an aluminum core and then a couple thin layers of clay. Keeping the layers thin helps them bake better.
What I've found that has strengthened my pieces is to bake my clay (regardless of brand, usually I mix them) at 275 for 30-40 minutes.
I also quench some of my work.

[Former_Member]

To strengthen my charms I submerge them in ice water (literally a bowl of water filled with ice cubes) IMMEDIATELY after I take them out of the oven and let them sit in the water for around 30 seconds. This method is called quenching and doesn't make the charms as strong as steel but I found it helps a little. If my instructions weren't clear I suggest that you look up "how to quench my polymer clay charms" on YouTube and I can guarantee a few useful videos will pop up. It's really quite a simple procedure. I hope I helped!