Precious Metal Clay

Today I took the first half of a 'Precious Metal Clay' class at Abeille in Brookline Village (MA) and it was great!  I've been wanting to try this medium for a while now but I was kind of scared it would be hard (I kept having images of using a mini butane torch in my cluttered apartment, and my cats stepping in my clay or something).  But it was easy! 

If you're not familiar, metal clay is a clay-like medium consisting of very tiny particles of metal (ex. sterling silver, gold, copper, bronze) AND an organic binder and water.  You can mold it just like any clay to make beads, pendants, charms, rings, earrings, and so on.  You can use stamps and molds, or any type of item to create designs and texture.  Very fine detail is possible as well.  After the clay is dry, it can be fired in several ways, including a kiln or a hand-held gas torch (however I don't think a torch is best for larger or thicker pieces).  In this class we used a coffee cup warmer to dry the pieces, and then they will be fired in a kiln for us before we return for the second part of the class.  The result is the binder melts away, while the metal particles basically fuse together leaving you with your metal creation (sintering is the proper term for this process). 

There are different brands of metal clay to choose from (always check the instructions for that brand to know the correct firing temperature).  The most popular are Precious Metal Clay (PMC) or Art Clay Silver (ACS).  There is also BRONZclay, COPPRclay, and Art Clay Copper.  In class we specifically used "PMC+" - it's fast-firing and has a low percentage of shrinkage.  

The clay is very easy to manipulate, just make sure to keep what you're not using wrapped up tight so it doesn't dry out (also clean hands and clean area - you don't want impurities ruining your work in the end).  The class taught us some ways to save money in supplies.  For instance, you can purchase a fancy clay roller with special rubber bands (the bands have varying thickness, and as wrapped around the roller they help determine the thickness of the piece of clay you're rolling out) OR you can get a piece of PVC pipe cut for you, and use pure olive oil to make it non-sticky.  Instead of the rubber bands we used regular playing cards that were glued together 3 or 4 at a time to create varying thickness.  You can probably find other items around your house that could work, or you can purchase plastic "clay thickness guides" that are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 cards thick. 

After rolling out the clay, designing the piece, cutting it out, and drying it, we filed the edges using regular emery nail filers.  You can try filing it after it's fired but you need metal filers at that point.  So after firing in the kiln, in the next class we will work on polishing and finishing.  We'll be taught how to use 'liver of sulfur' to create patina (a darkening of the metal depending on the heat, time and concentration used - people are usually familiar with patina as the changing of the surface on metal that comes with wear and age).   

The designs you can make are endless.  And you can add plenty of embellishments aside from textures and stamps.  I own the book "Magical Metal Clay Jewelry" by Sue Heaser.  It has great explanations, designs, and photos so I recommend it.  

I no longer think I'm so afraid to try this at home now.  I can bring my items to Abeille to be fired in their kiln, or maybe get a mini-kiln (although, I know my apartment can't handle the electricity needed!).  There's also gas burner firing and blowtorch firing. 

It's hard to think this class was actually work for me since it was so fun. 

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