Metal Clay

[finch]

I've had a devil of a time finding a specific pendant design I want and so I'm thinking about doing it myself with metal clay, most likely silver. I've done a little sculpting before and I've read a couple of articles on it online, but I'm a not sure about the firing process as Some Guy Doing This At Home.

Has anyone here worked with this stuff casually? Is there a brand that's easier to use at home than others? Do I want to suck it up and buy a hot pot? Any and all advice from experience is welcome.

Comments

[shadow9]

I've been really interested in trying metal clay as well, but I haven't worked up the nerve to do it. Partly, it's kind of expensive, and partly I'm a little nervous about the firing process. I did find this:

http://www.metalclayacademy.com/resources/beginners.html

which looks like it has some good advice at the bottom about using metal clay without spending a ton. It also has instructions on firing the clay with a butane torch instead of a gas ring, which is good since my apartment is all-electric.

Have you started working with it yet?

And have you ever worked with polymer clay? That's something else I've been interested in, but was kind of O_O when I saw something about how you shouldn't fire it in the same oven you cook food in. So I thought about getting a little toaster oven but have been dithering. All the books have a list of tools as long as my arm that you're supposed to get, so I'm still trying to figure out what's actually necessary for experimentation and what's a nice-to-have.

[finch]

I've only used fimo and sculpey occasionally, but I have a friend who makes earrings and things to sell with it and as far as I know he uses the same oven. At least, they don't have any secondary ones hanging around.

But if you are looking for a toaster oven, I see them at thrift stores all the time so it wouldn't cost much to try it. XD

[darkdanc3r]

I know my former roommate fires all of the polymer clay beads she makes me in the oven. Just don't cook fimo and food at the same time.

As for tools, all you really need at first is your hands, some toothpicks, a craft knife, and a cuticle stick that's free of splinters or seams. All that other stuff can be useful later on, but if you're just getting started it's best to start easy making cane beads, round beads, and small shapes. Once you're used to the way the clay shrinks and acts as it fires, you can branch out into the fancy molds, presses, and all that other stuff.

Actually, a lot of that applies to the metal clay as well, though I'm not all that familiar with it.