Silver Clay FAQs Frequently asked questions about using silver clay to make silver jewellery
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- čas přidán 3. 12. 2023
- www.cooksongold.com/Precious-...
1. What is silver clay?
Silver clay is a soft pliable clay that can be shaped with your fingers that is made up of silver particles, water and an organic binder.
The silver clay is shaped using your fingers or tools, dried out and then fired with a blowtorch or kiln.
The firing process burns off the binder and what is left are sintered particles of silver
2. Is silver clay real silver?
Yes, silver clay is real silver.
When it has be fired the piece of clay is solid silver.
999 silver clay can be hallmarked as ‘fine silver’.
Silver clay comes in different varieties and forms such as paste, in syringes and as a lump.
3. How does silver clay work?
Silver clay looks and feels like ordinary sculpting or porcelain clay.
The clay is made with fine particles of pure silver mixed with a non-toxic organic binder.
When the clay is dry and free from moisture the binder can be burned away using a high temperature heat source.
As there are only 3 components to silver clay:
Silver particles
Moister/water
Organic binder
When the moisture and organic binder are gone only silver remains.
After firing the silver particles have essentially sintered together resulting in a solid silver piece.
4. How do I use silver clay?
Silver clay can be used and shaped as you would any other clay. It can be shaped using your fingers or with tools such as these silicone tools.
It’s important to work quickly as the clay can dry out pretty quickly.
You can cut and carve the clay.
When dry you can file and smooth the clay
When fired you can smooth and polish the clay.
You can add stones, enamel on the clay as well as solder it after firing.
5. How do I shape silver clay?
Shape clay on a smooth waterproof surface.
Roll metal clay using an acrylic rolling pin and covering any surface it comes into contact with balm (or olive oil)
Roll a snake shape using 2 smooth blocks such as these acrylic blocks.
Attach smaller pieces to larger clay shapes using silver paste.
Add details using metal clay syringe paste.
Smooth the clay using your fingers or silicone tools.
Add texture everyday utensils and found objects.
6. How can I stop my metal clay from drying out?
Handle quickly
Cover up when not in use
Work on waterproof surfaces such as plastic rather than wood or paper
Use balm to stop it sticking
Rehydrate using fluid
7. How do I dry silver clay?
Silver clay needs to be fully dry before firing. If there is any trapped moisture in the clay it may expand as it heats and create blisters.
Air drying is the best way to dry your clay, leaving it overnight.
To accelerate the drying time you could leave the clay on a sunny windowsill.
You could use a mug warmer or hot plate to dry your clay, this could cause the clay to distort. For plate pieces of clay you could turn the piece soft clay over every now and then or place them between a couple of pieces of card.
8. How do I file or smooth silver clay?
You file and smooth silver clay before and after firing.
It is easier to file and smooth the silver clay before firing
when the silver clay is ‘leather hard’ you can cut or carve the clay as well as add texture.
When the silver clay is ‘bone dry’ or ‘greenware’ you can file the clay using metal needle files and smooth using emery paper/boards working from the coarsest to the finest.
Remember to support your work and be gentle as the clay is brittle at this stage.
9. Can I mend my unfired silver clay?
You can repair a simple break with silver clay slip as well as fill in any cracks. Once repaired leave to dry and smooth over again.
10. How can I smooth my silver clay flat before firing?
You smooth the back of a silver clay piece flat before firing by placing it on a flat piece of emery paper and moving it in a figure of 8 motion until smooth.
Work down the emery papers from coarsest to smoothest.
11. Can I bake or fire silver clay in the oven?
You cannot fire silver clay in an oven as it simply does not get hot enough.
You can fire your silver clay on a gas hob ring. Page 54 of the book ‘Silver clay workshop’ has instructions on how to do this.
12. How do I bake or fire silver clay at home?
You can fire silver clay at home using a hand held blow torch on a heat proof block. Additionally the space and surface around the block must be protected and stable.
Follow the instructions provided for your specific brand of silver clay on how to fire the silver clay with a blow torch.
When firing your silver clay you will notice that the silver clay will smoke and burn as the organic binder burns away.
You may also notice your piece of silver clay shrink, this is because the organic binder burns away and only the silver particles are left.
You can also fire your dry silver clay pieces using a kiln.
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Wow Im impressed, I have never heard of this, I do have some more questions? Does a completed piece have a measurable weight? And what type of silver is in the binders? ie, raw silver ore particles, reclaimed process silver scraps, or chemical made silver material? Thanks
Sian says: " Most of the packs of silver clay have a weight and then a silver weight on them. Packs of silver clay are available in 925 sterling silver and 999 fine silver (there are a few other combinations too). There are different brands of silver clay and most use recycled silver particles but the exact 'recipes' are not usually disclosed." A great book to read to understand more is:
www.cooksongold.com/Books/Silver-Clay-Workshop:-Getting-------Started-In-Silver-Clay-Jewellery-By-Melanie-Blaikie-prcode-999-A191&query=silver%20clay%20book&channel=uk
Thank you so much for sharing, I think I found a new hobby. 🙏
Great video.very informative however i have one question. After the clay is heated and finished does the silver have any difference in strength and durability to normal cast silver ?
Thanks
Sian says: " I think the internal structure of the silver is different from for example cast silver that has be melted and lost wax cast. The silver particles in silver clay sinter together when heated. I've made a lot of long wire like shapes from silver clay and bent them using pliers and was surprised to see they bent like wire. That being said I can imagine if any of the silver clay had been underfired it could be brittle as the silver would not have sintered fully. If you were going to be making a large piece from silver that needed forming with hammers I'd choose sheet silver in the first instance."
Is the fired clay silver more brittle than the regular melted and beaten into shape silver ?
Is it more prone to breaking ?
Sian says: " I think the internal structure of the silver is different from for example cast silver that has be melted and lost wax cast. The silver particles in silver clay sinter together when heated. I've made a lot of long wire like shapes from silver clay and bent them using pliers and was surprised to see they bent like wire. That being said I can imagine if any of the silver clay had been underfired it could be brittle as the silver would not have sintered fully. If you were going to be making a large piece from silver that needed forming with hammers I'd choose sheet silver in the first instance."
Is using this clay and firing it with a blow torch safe to do indoors in an unventilated room or does it have to have good ventilation as you would with certain paints and oils and such?
In the first instance it would be worth looking at the instructions for the specific silver clay you choose as each clay is a bit different. As a general rule you do need a well ventilated room or some form of extraction.
Hello! What brand of rotary tumbler do you use?
We use this one:
www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Gold-Pro-Max-Barrel-Tumbling-------Machine-With-Free-Starter-Kit-prcode-999-6025
Hello I have a question, can I solder my silver clay piece with any stone on it? I mean, the stone doesn't break or does it come out of place or loose color when hiting ? Or does it only work with zircons? thank you, sorry for my english, Im not native speaker!
Thanks so much for your question :) No, you can only use stones such as CZ that can withstand high heat.
would moissanite withstand the heat? thank you!
The short answer is yes, however it could change colour during the process but should return to it's normal colour. Moissanite is very durable but as with heating anything there is always a risk!
@@cooksongold thank you so much for taking the time to reply!! I can’t wait to try🤗🤗
Is there such thing as silver clay based 3d printer filament?
Sian says: "Not that I know of in the jewellery section but perhaps in an industrial sector. The closest thing Cooksongold have is laser sintering, so similar to printing a cad design in wax and casting you have a cad design you then 3d sinter using powdered silver."