What
is Art Clay Silver?
Art Clay Silver is a pure metal powder mixed with non-toxic binders
and water. When kiln or torch fired, the binders
burn away, leaving pure, 99.9% fine silver.
Art Clay Silver can be combined
a variety of media, like glass, ceramics, stones, porcelain and polymer
clay. It can be
rolled, sculpted, stamped, sanded, filed, engraved, drilled and pre-polished,
all prior to firing. Once fired it is pure silver
and can treated like any other pure silver.
Art Clay Silver includes a broad
range of products, like Oil Paste and Overlay Paste, Slow Dry, Art
Clay Silver Paper and 22k
Gold Clay. There is also the new Accent Gold for Silver, which easily
lets you add pure 24k gold accents to your silver.
How
is Art Clay manufactured?
Art Clay is a recycled product manufactured by Aida Industries in
Japan. Aida recycles and reclaims a variety of
different metals, and the silver comes from many different sources,
like film stock and negatives.
What
are the basic steps in working with Art Clay?
Six basic steps are all it takes as shown here....
How
do I fire Art Clay Silver?
With a kiln, a torch, or even a gas stove. Temperature is critical
as over-firing can cause the silver to melt. The firing
burns out the binder, lets the water evaporate, and causes the silver
particles to fuse together. A kiln is the safest
method, as this ensures the right temperature has been held for the
right time, but the other methods work very well.
What
type of kiln is best for firing Art Clay?
We recommend and sell the SC series kilns from Paragon Industries.
The SC-2 is the most popular kiln for firing Art
Clay, while the SC-3 is essentially a larger version. The SC kilns
are digital and very easy to program, please contact us for details
of prices and delivery.
Can
you add more to a piece once it is fired?
Yes, you can add more clay and re-fire it. It's amazing to see the
new clay parts bond to the previously fired piece and
become one solid piece. All along the way in the process you can repair,
add and change your piece. Ensure the metal
is clean before adding additional materials. If you want to repair
a crack in a fired piece, or ‘glue’ two fired pieces
together, use Art Clay Oil Paste for a much stronger bond.
Can
I solder findings onto my piece after I have fired it?
Yes, Just burnish the area carefully with a metal burnisher before
soldering.
How
can I get started with Art Clay?
There are some great books available which give clear step by step
instructions on many easy and more advanced projects, they are also
full of great ideas that you can try as your skills improve.
We will be running classes in the near future, where you will learn
the correct techniques for how to work, handle, shape
and fire the clay, and we can also come to you and do an' at home'
class for you and your friends.
If you need any more information
please email us at silverexchange@aanet.com.au
