Some of you have heard of silver metal clay, but may not know much about it. Manufactured in Japan, it has been available in the U.S. since the mid 1990's. Silver metal clay consists of .999 pure fine silver microscopic particles mixed with a binder in clay form which somewhat resembles Silly Putty. A versatile material, it can be formed in moulds, rolled flat and cut out, manipulated by hand, put through extruders...you name it. Similar to the process of working with pottery clay, the finished design must be left to dry to a "green ware" state. At this stage it can be carved, filed, sanded, and built upon. The photo here shows pieces I have ready to fire in my kiln. To achieve a durable finished silver product, I fire my metal clay at 1560 degrees for a full two hours. Metal clay shrinks anywhere from nine to twenty-five percent depending on the brand and type of metal clay product used. Once fired, each piece of metal clay will be white which is the true color of silver before it is finished by hand burnishing, polishing, or tumbling. Patina solutions may be applied to achieve an antique finish.
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