Used toaster oven

Jewelry Discussion
1

I have in my possession a perfectly good used toaster oven which
I would like to use for purposes other than cooking food. Are
there any ways it could be useful in making jewelry or other
kinds of art?

2

It’s perfect for shrinky-dinks.

3

some craftsmen use them for drying metal clays, keeping warmed metal
at x temperature for Keum-boo technique, and otherwise drying
plaster based moulds, fixturing for soldering and one student I know
has a fancy convection type toaster-offen that has temperature
controls and uses it for age-hardening reclaimed scrap metal (holding
it for a period of time at a given temperature relative to the
metal). It can also be used to melt a small pot of dop wax, beeswax
for tool maintenance, setters cement and melting and holding
liquefied various gums (that do not require solvents) for various
lapidary and masqueing before designing for etching. It is Also handy
for encaustic art. I use it when every other heating thing is in use
to keep hide glue or mucilage warm for book and woodwork conservation
and/ or restoration and the occasional foray into cobbling.- So, yes
it does have many uses, but they do draw a lot of power if that’s a
concern. rer

4

I have an old toaster over in my studio which I use it to patina my
copper. Works beautifully. Alma

5

Absolutely useful. I got one for polymer clay when I was trying to
decide on the materials I would be using to make master molds of
sculptures. I use several carving waxes (not for jewelry) One is
castilene and it can be kept at a perfect working temperature for me
just by putting it in the insulated little oven(I preheat it on low
then turn it off and put the wax container I am using inside) for an
entire day. I was careful to use permanent marker to mark it NOT FOR
FOOD. So no future harm comes to someone once it leaves my
possession. I am sure others have a million other ways to use a
toaster oven. Should be interesting to read.

Teri

6

You can use a toaster oven to heat patina metal for jewelry. It can
also be used in making colored pencil on copper pieces. Hope this
helps.

Roxan O’Brien

7

polymer clay comes immediately to mind

8

Alan, it can be used for baking polymer clay (but be sure to buy
another oven thermometer to use with it, as a double-check on the
accuracy of the oven’s own thermostat). I have also heard that
toaster ovens can be used to patina copper, etc.

Judy Bjorkman

9

Use a toaster oven to:

  1. dry hollow fabricated forms
  2. bake polymer clay
  3. dry cores for metal clay support forms
  4. heat LOS solution

Use an oven thermometer, especially for curing polymer clay.

Linda Kaye-Moses

10 
You can use a toaster oven to heat patina metal for jewelry. It
can also be used in making colored pencil on copper pieces.

Can someone explain these processes to me?

thank you,
brenda

11 
You can use a toaster oven to heat patina metal for jewelry. It can
also be used in making colored pencil on copper pieces.

Brenda, try the following references for using colored pencil on
copper pieces. Try the Orchid Archives for using a toaster oven for a
heat patina on jewelry.

–Melissa Manley, Jewelry Lab [book], pp. 100-101
–Art Jewelry_ [magazine] Nov. 2008 p. 30ff.
–Art Jewelry_, July 2010, pp. 42-48
–Go to /ehow.com/
–Try the Orchid Archives

Have fun!
Judy Bjorkman