Try & Try Again

While still on my Galaxy Ring high I decided I would try my hand at making a men’s copper clay ring. My first challenge, at least so I thought, was the design. I’ve never designed or made anything for a guy. So, I sat down and sketched out a few very cool rings. After getting Mr. Sahm’s input (because he’s a guy, hahaha) I picked one and off I went to create my copper ring. Oh my goodness…it looked so cool. The texture came out exactly the way I wanted it. Check it out below.

Canyon Ring - Copper Clay (unfired)

Challenge number two…(which really should have been challenge number one!) firing my wonderful little design. Yea…not my smartest move. I really should have test fired a piece of copper clay first because it was a complete disaster. It looked good at first glance. I dropped it on a metal bench block and it clinked like metal so I continued to burnish the ring and it starts shining like a new penny. Unfortunately, the copper clay shrank a little more than I expected it to so, I decided to put it on a ring mandrel and tap it down to expand it a little. This is something that I have done with silver a dozen times before. Well, on tap number three…CRACK! UGH! I can’t believe it…it snapped…and when I look inside its powdered. What a disappointment. But I should not have been surprised.

Seriously, what did I do wrong? Well, my first mistake was I didn’t test fire the copper. That really is something that I should have done. Inexcusable; I can’t believe I didn’t do it, but I figured, I was following the manufacturers directions so what could go wrong. Obviously, everything could go wrong. Maybe its because I was using a firing foil box instead of a stainless steel firing pan and the piece heated too quickly. Maybe I should have put the piece more towards the center or front to compensate for this. Maybe I used an incorrect firing schedule!?

I referred to my new friend the special edition of Art Jewelry Magazine: Metal Clay Jewelry. There is a complete guide to firing bronze & copper clays. So, I have adjusted my firing schedule using the tips discussed in the article and have since done two successful test strips. Unfortunately, my second ring attempt did not fire correctly. So, I may need to readjust my schedule again! I could stick to firing thin strips or maybe I should get a stainless steel pan. Will let you know what happens…

Galaxy Swirled

Over this past weekend I designed a really cool metal clay ring using a new mold I bought from one of my favorite online stores. I rolled out a bit of clay on a texture template and cut out a strip to form the ring shank. Then I fitted the clay around a ring mandrel and let it set. I then used a small ball of clay and fit that into my new mold. Once those two pieces were dry I was able to attach them pieces together.

Once the piece was fully dried, I fired it and added a patina to highlight all the little details.
I must confess that I was afraid of the shrinkage factor but it looks fantastic and it fits.

Galaxy Swirl Ring

New Equipment

I was surprised this past holiday season with a new piece of studio equipment…a kiln. Surprised is probably putting it mildly but I am extremely excited to have it. I know virtually nothing about kilns so this will be a huge learning curve for me. But I do love working with metal clay and I welcome the opportunity to fire larger silver pieces as well as try copper and bronze clays. There is lots to do before I attempt the new metals but first let me tell you about my first kiln firing experience.

My first silver clay firing went well. I was able to create an oval setting using fine silver bezel wire with a metal clay base. I rolled out the clay on a texture template and cut out the base shape using my handy clay pick. After I fired and cooled the piece; I used patina gel to darken it. This process gave the piece real vintage character. I used my Dremel to polish before I set a Tiger Eye cabochon. It looks good.

I did realize that I made a few mistakes like:
1) Didn’t use enough base clay. The base should have been about two cards thicker. I used 3 cards.
2) The bezel wire was not evenly pressed down. Some places it almost went through to the other side and caused the clay to crack, separate and buckle slightly. Hardly noticeable.

Overall, I’m proud of my little pendant. It’s a great starting off point.
More to come…

First kiln fired metal clay project