making stripsthickness for clay

[peanutsmum]

hi all.
new to the forum,so please bear with me...here goes
I want to make a bangle bracelet using a band about a quarter inch wide of patterned flat wire.My problem is that I can't find a supplier of the stuff in Canada,so I bought some art clay silver,want to roll it out to the appropriate thickness,press my pattern in it with an oiled rubber stamp,trim it up and fire it. My question is,how thick should it be? It will have different shapes(square and round) sterling and gold filled wire on either side,and wraps of wire for binding at each end and at two points along the middle so I figure this should give some stability to the silver "band" part,right?
also,if the shrinkage factor is approx.8-10 %,how big should it be before firing to get a 6" finished piece?

thanks

Earleen '>

[Metalman]

Okay, if I am reading correctly you plan to make a bracelet of Art Clay with wire bond along the outer edges.  GREAT DESIGN PLAN!. The wire will give durability with the ornamentation of the Art Clay.
For sizing -- make a 6 " drawing and blow it up 9% with a copy machine. that will give you the rough target.
I suggest that you design in several sections that then get wired in. This will allow some areas in the bracelet that are only wire = thus good and flexible.
Thickness should be bout 1.5 mm. 6 or more playing cards