An even heat distribution is important when firing your silver clay especially at kiln firing temperatures and times come down.
Safely kiln fire your PMC pieces on this 178 x 178 x 12.7mm kiln shelf. Made of durable coated hard fibre these are long lasting use. Ideally suited for Evenheat and Paragon kilns. Recommended use: place on kiln posts when using a single shelf to fire. To fire a larger number of items; place one shelf on the floor of the kiln and place a kiln post in each corner of the shelf. Place the second shelf on top of the kiln posts making sure that the pyrometer (at the back of the kiln) remains clear. This will enable you to fire up to 50 small items at once! Use kiln tongs to safely insert/remove your kiln shelf.
Please remember to run the shelf through the kiln prior to using it with PMC to burn off any of the chemical residue used to coat the shelf. Any of the higher temperature programmes will work. There may be a faint chemical smell during firing.
by Helen PMC
You know the first thing we all do is turn a piece over to check the back! You want the back of your piece to look as pretty as the front. By using a brass texture plate you can add interest to the back of your work and save on sanding.
To use rub a little badger balm on the plate before each use. Place your spacers either side of you clay on the brass plate and use a roller to roll your clay. To add another texture to the front of your piece press a second texture on top whilst the clay is on the brass plate. Remove the clay from the plate and cut to size. This way you will get a lovely crisp texture from your brass plate every time.
by Bold Apps
10 great metal clay deals for you! Between 28th March and 6th you will be able to pick up a new bargain every day. Stock up on limited edition items at great prices. Our postage rates are the same for the first 1kg so you can stock up without worrying about extra postal charges.
Terms: available whilst stocks last. On-line orders only. Can not be combined with any other promotion or offer.
by Bold Apps
Moulds are a great way to create 3D components to create your own compositions. Add a little badger balm when you first use to mould. Simply press in the clay - PMC Flex is our favourite - and push out. Moulding with silver clay isn't about replicating the ready made mould but using sections to combine with your other textures. They can also be used to create prongs, add interest to bails and much more. Take a look at our new range now.
by Bold Apps
Brighten up your winter jumpers with a precious metal clay brooch. Brooches are now even easier to make with The PMC Studio's fine silver brooch backs. Made in the UK from solid fine silver and marked 999 for you, these handy brooch backs can be fired with any type of PMC silver clay. The brooch bars feature a deep ridge so you can press your wet clay straight onto it. Once you have created your design, ;eave the finished brooch to dry and fire with a torch or in a kiln (see our Firing Page for details.) Once fired, polish your brooch and press the pin in place. You will see that the pin fits neatly between two little cups. Press together with a pair of pliers and you are ready to wear your brooch.
by Bold Apps
It is not uncommon for someone to be allergic to sterling silver. Sterling silver is made up of 92.5% silver and a mixture of alloys to give it extra strength. The allergic reaction is generally down to a reaction to the alloys rather than the silver itself.
A solution here would be to use one of the fine silver clays such as PMC3 or the revolutionary PMC Flex. These silver clay consists of pure silver particles with an organic binder and water. Although there may be a small trace of alloys in the binder these will be minuscule. In the past 20 years no person with an allergy to sterling silver has been known to react to PMC+ (discontinued), PMC3 or PMC Flex. Just remember to use fine silver findings! If you have any questions about this article please contact info@thepmcstudio.com
by Bold Apps
Add a bit of festive spirit to your silver clay with Aura Gold Paste. Here is how:
Aura 22 - A new concept in gold embellishment…..
Aura consists of small particles of pure gold (91.6%) and pure silver (8.4%). This precious metal is able to fuse to silver at low temperatures resulting in a layer of gold considerably thicker than that achieved by electroplating. The result is a deep golden colour that is hardwearing.
Aura 22 can be used on any type of Precious Metal Clay, other types of silver metal clay, fine silver sheet and depletion gilded sterling silver sheet* (see instructions below.)
Aura 22 is ideally suited for highly textured surfaces. A little goes a long way, with 1g typically sufficient to decorate 20-30 items.
Aura 22K Liquid
Each pack comes with a bottle of liquid carrier which can be added if the Aura 22 becomes dry. Simply add 1 or 2 drops, stir and leave to stand for several minutes. (Do not use too much as it affect the intensity of the colour.)
Application
Aura 22 is a creamy paste that can be painted on.
1 - Fire the metal clay as usual. Leave in its white state. Do not polish/tumble or burnish. (If your item has already been fired reheat it for a short period so it returns to the white state.)
2 - Apply 2-3 even layers of Aura 22 with a paintbrush. Allow each layer to dry naturally for 20-30 minutes before applying the next one.
Firing
Kiln – preheat the kiln to 850C and fire for 10 minutes.
Keum Boo – Place the item on the hot plate and set to a medium/high heat. Once it has reached the correct temperature (where a wooden skewer starts to char) turn the heat down and burnish the gold with a burniseher.
Torch – Place the item on a torch block and heat until it starts to glow orange. Hold this for a few minutes to allow the Aura 22 to fuse.
Polishing
Polish by hand using a stainless steel brush and burnisher or place in a tumbler with stainless steel shot and tumbler soap.
How to depletion gild sterling silver
Sterling silver needs to be prepared to create a fine silver surface for Aura 22 to adhere to. Heat the item using a torch or in a kiln until it turns a dark grey/black (This is fire scale). Quench in hot safety pickle or Picklean to remove the firescale. Repeat this process about 6 times until it no longer attracts fire scale and the surface remains white.
For best results, paint on layer of PMC3 silver paste before applying several layers of Aura 22 as described above.
Safety
Aura 22 contains a binder that burns off during the fusing process. The gasses released are not toxic but we recommend that you do not inhale them. Should you get Aura 22 on your skin or in your eyes rinse well with water.
Available now at www.thepmcstudio.com
by Bold Apps
New vintage style packaging - you may have noticed some of the PMC packs are changing. However, the clay remains the same and nothing has been changed to the formula. Confused by the new look? The most unusual one is PMC Onefire Sterling which has been renamed PMC 950 Sterling. This has been done for those who choose to hallmark (fired items over 7.78g). However, as no PMC is marked as Britannia (950) silver ignore the 950 and mark as 925 sterling silver as per usual. If you are making to sell, or create items that will be worn on a regular basis fire at 900C for one hour in a temperature controlled kiln. Full details can be found on our product section website www.thepmcstudio.com.
Making rings is not difficult, it just takes a bit of practise and the right tools for the job.
What clay to use: The easiest clay to start with is PMC Flex. It will give you plenty of time to perfect your design, is easy to join and gives accurate finished sizing. As PMC Flex can be torch or kiln fired this means you can torch fire simple wedding band style rings.
PMC Onefire will be a bit stronger once fired but requires a kiln and is a little bit more difficult to size accurately. However, it may be something to consider once you have mastered making rings and are looking to make on a regular basis.
You will need: Ring mandrel with stand (getting one without is not worth the small saving), ring strips, US ring sizer, snake roller, texture mat, clay shaper, safety cutter, paintbrush, cup of water and some paste.
Ring sizing: We recommend using US ring sizing as this makes it much easier to get an accurate finished size.If you are making a ring with PMC Flex only or with synthetic gemstones make the ring 3 US sizes larger than the finished size. The firing schedule for this will be 800C for 30 minutes.
If you are using glass, ceramics or natural gemstones which can not withstand the 800C temperature you will need to make the ring 2 US sizes larger. The firing schedule in this case will be 600C for 45 minutes.
Small and rings can be fired with a torch. In this case make the ring 3 US sizes larger than the finished size.
Method:
Use a US plastic ring sizer to measure the finished ring size. Make sure it fits comfortably over the knuckle.
Extend the ring sizer 2/3 sizes (depending on the firing programme you are going to use).
Place a ring strip on the mandrel and use the ring strip to find the place to build your ring. Make sure it is in the middle of the strip. Use a piece of cellotape to tape the ring strip onto itself (not the mandrel).
Use a snake roller to roll a coil and texture it with a rubber mat/brass plate. Flatten the coil using roller and spacers making sure the core of the piece is at least 1mm thick plus the depth of the texture on top. If in doubt, make it a little thicker so you can easily sand it on the inside later.
Unfold the ring sizer and use the length of the strip to measure the size of the coil and locate the textured area you wish to use. Use the safety cutter to cut a clean edge.
Press one end of the coil securely onto the ring strip on the mandrel.Rotate the mandrel so the coil wraps around the mandrel. That way you will ensure the correct tension of the coil on the mandrel.
Cut away the excess clay using the safety cutter. Secure the ends of the coil using plenty of paste. Use a clay shaper to smooth and integrate both ends of the clay.
Leave the ring to dry on the stand. If you have a dehydrator you can remove the ring strip with the ring from the mandrel once it is leather hard to speed up the drying process.
Once refine your ring on the in and outside to ensure the joint is no longer viseable. Fire are recommend above.
by Bold Apps
Be inspired by the new PMC Calendar for 2019. This edition is packed full of wonderful pieces made by some of our talented students and teachers. Receive your free copy from your local PMC Accredited Training Centre or with every order from The PMC Studio.
by Bold Apps
