Getting Started With Silver Clay

[@LilacKoi]

I loved clay making when i was a kid. and loved ceramics in highschool. I am near tears finding out this exists and head spinning with ideas. Like this is career changing news for me lol. Or at last a new hobby

[@cooksongold]

We can't wait to see what you make with it

[@_fleur]

“career changing news or at least a new hobby” I don’t think I’ve ever read anything more relatable

[@-NewDay-]

I’m going down a rabbit hole ❤

[@johnchrysostomou9417]

Same !😂

[@hattiefats5955]

Excellent guide - cheers. I loved that you showed it the entire way through heating - so helpful to see those subtle colour changes.

[@cooksongold]

Glad it was helpful!

[@BM-qi7li]

OMG you made that look Soo easy..I never knew there was such a thing. Thank you

[@cooksongold]

You are so welcome!

[@chizdoesthings]

thanks so much! best video on pmc i’ve seen so far!

[@cooksongold]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SDMusic_]

Wow this helps. I am learning about how to use pmc at school (in Design Technology) and this video really helped explain.

[@cooksongold]

Great to hear! Let us know you get on!

[@helenlanger88]

Would love to see how you would make rings with Silver clay, as this is something that I am struggling with.

[@cooksongold]

Its funny you say that Helen, that video is being edited as we speak. Stay tuned

[@SetGozo]

Love it

[@cooksongold]

Thank you!

[@timmo5192]

Can you dry the clay then add additional clay?

[@cooksongold]

Yes, you could use: www.cooksongold.com/Precious-Metal-Clay/Art-Clay-Silver-10g-Paste-prcode-855-208 or make your own paste using water and unfired silver clay

[@alexskai9197]

Thanks for sharing! would you mind doing a tutorial on setting gem stones in metal clay.. possibly copper metal clay?

[@cooksongold]

Try this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKa0mqyur9xoq9U

[@sarandahofstra7632]

Do you have to flip it and fire the other side? Or is it fine doing it from one side?

[@cooksongold]

Sian says: " This is fine to fire from one side because it is quite small and when firing with a blow torch you need to heat the whole piece evenly and keep it at this temperature. When a silver clay is larger this is when you might struggle to get the whole piece hot enough with a small blow torch and need to use kiln."

[@Umezr]

What other ways can we heat the clay besides a torch?

[@SEHjewellery]

You can use a kiln (the sort of kiln used for enamelling)

[@AK8524]

Is it safe to torch the clay indoors, like in a small apartment? Do you need a lot of ventilation?

[@cooksongold]

Sian says: 'Some silverclays produce a lot more smoke than others, the larger the piece of clay you are torch firing the more organic binder there is to burn off. We use: www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Fume-Extraction-Unit-prcode-998-AX10 When filming however I appreciate this isn't cost effective!

[@Rosepetalblunt]

Can I fire my clay with any gemstone set inside it?

[@cooksongold]

Sian says: "Yes you can but the stone must be able to with stand the high heat. CZs for example will be ok, we have a video on this in the silver clay playlist where we set a cz stone in a ring."

[@jeannelovrin]

Fabulous video! Please ask your viewers to always use safety glasses when using a torch.

[@cooksongold]

Yes! We have lots of safety equipment including glasses: www.cooksongold.com/category_select.jsp?channel=uk&query=glasses

[@alinafomin4909]

Hey @cooksongold, can you tell me why my silver clay crumbles like sand after firing? What could be the reason for this?

[@cooksongold]

Sian says: "This sounds like the silver hasn't sintered. Different silver clays have different firing temperatures. To fire the clay you should follow the instructions for that specific clay and make sure you fire it at that temperature for as long as the instructions say. Art clay silver should be fired in a kiln for 30 minutes at 650°C for example."

[@juliaclarke9633]

can you fire the clay with an eye pin in it? like to make it into a charm?

[@cooksongold]

Yes you can, there are a few options on our website: www.cooksongold.com/Precious-Metal-Clay/Silver-Embeddable-Pendant-Bail,----6x4mm-prcode-855-500&query=silver%20clay%20findings&channel=uk

[@avaschwarz9790]

is there a way to rehydrate the clay?

[@cooksongold]

Certainly, we've done a video on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJzYaZSca69qibMsi=YeopUxrNGV4dV8xX

[@timmo5192]

wow I didn't actually know u can just use a hard flame I thought I had to do more, might dip my hand into trying this out myself then.

[@cooksongold]

Great, just check that the silver clay you purchase can be torch fired such as Art Clay Silver

[@maudale]

Thank you for sharing! I wanted to make a cuff bracelet, heat it while still flat (I thought it was actually placed in some kind of oven or kiln) and shape it afterwrads, drill into it to add precious stones, and engrave it, however I'm not sure whether this type of silver clay, even after heated, would be too fragile for this sort of manipulation...

[@SEHjewellery]

I think you’d need to really bear in mind that the structure of silver clay when fired is sintered particles. The surface of the clay when fired can be made smooth but it’s not the same as forming sheet silver for example. I’d be inclined to do some experiment in copper first.

[@maudale]

@@SEHjewellery Thank you so much! I had a feeling it would be different indeed :)

[@papercuts500]

Where can I buy this

[@cooksongold]

Everything you need is here: www.cooksongold.com/Precious-Metal-Clay/

[@annierosehodson]

I have bronze metal clay and I have been letting my clay dry for 24h. But every time I blow torch my ring, it turns black and brittle. Do you have any advice? I am blow torching it on a metal dish, for about 7 minutes at cherry red Color ( it has stones set into it and is quite thick, hence the 7 minutes as per instructions!) any advice would be greatly appreciated because I’m loosing my marbles! ( and wasting materials)

[@SEHjewellery]

Hi Annie, I think that torch firing the bronze/copper clay is a little more tricky! I’ve only torch fired the copper clay but I can say that I also struggled! I ended up firing the copper really hot for a long time. Solid objects seemed to work better but anything long and thin seemed to crumble as you have found.

[@karlalizethcruz7323]

Como puedo comprar ?

[@cooksongold]

www.cooksongold.com/Precious-Metal-Clay/

[@ludmilarodrigues3241]

if I burn a final piece until it melt, the piece will become liquid silver or anything else?

[@cooksongold]

Take a look at this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/omPWgHprrLyqntU

[@savvynyx7156]

Can you make slip from this clay? (Edit) I've worked with Cone 6 porcelain and greystone) could it be used in conjunction with greenware, or on top of fired pieces?

[@SEHjewellery]

Yes you can! You can add water or a special liquid that Cooksongold sell that is free from impurities. If you save all the spare filings and dry bits you can rehydrate these. There is also a paste which I live as it’s really smooth and a great consistency www.cooksongold.com/Precious-Metal-Clay/Precious-Metal-Clay-PMC3-Paste-----Silver-Clay-18.6g-prcode-855-030&query=Pmc%20clay%20slip&channel=uk

[@strelasart]

Really weird question. Is the brick a special kind of brick? If you don’t have one can you use something else?

[@cooksongold]

Sian says: "In theory you could use something else but just be aware that it should be able to withstand heat and not produce any toxic chemical etc when heated. Jewellers often use a charcoal block as it absorbs/reflects the heat back to the metal. I've linked the products below:" www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Soldering-Block-150-X-100-X-25mm-prcode-999-968 You could also use: www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Natural-Charcoal-Block-140mm-X-70mm-X-30mm-prcode-999-970

[@strelasart]

@@cooksongold thank you!!!

[@tishsmiddy71]

Don’t they make a clay that can be cured by torch not a kill ?

[@SEHjewellery]

The pmc clay can be torch fired or kiln fired in both instances they need to be completely dry. I hope this answers sorry if I’ve not understood 🙈

[@Eadeatyoutube]

This may be a silly question, but I saw that you fired up the clay piece without turning it over, did you fire up the whole piece or just the top?

[@SEHjewellery]

Not a silly question at all! So I kept moving the blowtorch around over the top of the piece, this meant the piece as a whole was evenly heated so I didn’t turn it over. The size of the piece was relatively small so heated quickly.

[@m0wshunliss275]

Oh so I don't need to have special oven for this? 😃

[@cooksongold]

You can kiln fire silver clay or you can use a handblow torch on some varieties of silver clay.

[@7andearth76]

Who knew…