ACS & ASC650 w/wire, settings+

[Metalman]

Wires in Art Clay Silver    [re-edit 1/17/06]
I have done a lot of work with Fine silver wire in the ACS - this works great.  You will want to use the fine silver wire at the stress locations [ie: on a pendant, use wire in the bail]
I also work with glass a fair amount. ACS and the fine silver wire have worked very well with the glass. There has been occasional cracking problems which are due to expansion/contraction compatibility problems. What I have done to avoid this, is limit the area of ‘glass to silver’ contact. This takes a few test runs to work out the kinks  [This is an area of trial and error that I call the experimentiverse - you will have to do some tests and trials to find where the fine line is]
I have also had good success using nickel silver findings in the ACS.  Make sure they are nickel silver and not plated.
As of yet, I have not used the stainless in the ACS.  The first thing I would do is fire a stainless finding or some wire to temperature range of you ACS product. This is to find out how the stainless responds to the firing temperatures, etc.  Then I would make up a small piece with the stainless built into the Clay as a test, fire it, inspect it, and wear it to test it.
If you are using soda-lime base glass, you may find fairly good compatibility with the stainless. There is a new option.  Art Clay Silver has a new product called ACS 650 - these fires at 1200F for 30 min. and allows one to use sterling findings.  At 1200F, your glass doesn't move nearly as much either so this is a product you will want to experiment with.

[Deana]

Which wires can be fired with Art Clay Silver?  I do glass and would like to use stainless steel.  

[Metalman]

Hey Great Question!!
Okay, I am going to assume that these are round and gemstone-like in the diameters you mentioned. There are 3 main methods of mounting; and then the design variations.
1]  Use a bezel setting.  Start your piece in Art Clay, rub a little olive oil on the stone and press it in to the clay where you want it located. Then pull it out.  Set a bezel of fine silver bezel wire around the site and off you go.
2]  Prong setting.  Again start your piece and determine the site of your stone.  Your will develop prongs in the art clay which will end in pieces of fine silver wire.  After you finish your piece you will set the stone just like you would a regular prong setting. The only consideration here is that the silver wire will be soft from the firing. A solution is to use white gold wire or paladium - both being stiffer after firing
3]  Modified channels  This requires more design invention on your part but is probably the best for the size of your stones.  Locate the site of the stone and develop ledges for the stone to sit on.  Then using wire prongs, bezel wire or a combination, develop a way of holding the stone in place.
The considerations – Art Clay doesn’t bend very well and lacks the strength to hold your stones in on a long-term basis. This is why you need the fine silver wire or bezel material. {Argentium works great here as well as white gold or palladium}
The temperatures that you fire Art Clay at are hot enough that your glass ‘stones’ will probably be altered by the heat.  If you have a lot of them and are willing to risk one, fire it to 1200 F for half an hour and see if it changes under the heat.  If it doesn’t, then you can use the new ART CLAY 650 which fires at these lower temperatures.

Feather asks
Hi Metalman,
I am not sure if I understood the prong setting method. Would you be able to elaborate on 'develop prongs in art clay which will end in pieces of fine silver wire'.
I have just recently started on art clay and am not too familiar with a lot of terms and techniques. I would appreciate any advice you can give.
Thanks so much.
Metalman answers
Regarding Prong Settings[revised 7/11/06]:
In this instance we are adapting a metalsmithing or jewelrysmithing term and technique to Art Clay Silver. A prong setting is the kind of setting most diamonds and 'cut' stones are mounted in.  The 'prongs' are small posts of metal which go around the stone. Usually there is minimum of 4 prongs.  The prongs take a lot of abuse so they have to be strong.  
Art Clay Silver is not strong enough to be the prong, this is why you need to use some type of milled wire to make up the the prong. This could be Sterling silver, Argentium® sterling, White gold or Palladium. Fine Silver would be too soft, the sterlings just barely are hard enough and the golds are expensive. You can find some silver crown settings which can be fired into the ACS - these work fine.
To get more of an idea how this looks, look at some jewelry with prong settings as well looking at some of the jewelry technique books that are around [The Complete Metalsmith by  Tim McCreight, R&T cat # 62-010 is a great resource]
If this raises more questions, keep asking. It is difficult to describe these methods without being able to say "Here, look at this" and just show you.  -But that just means that I will keep trying to answer as long as you keep asking!!
Hope this helps,

[Cielcreations]

Hi there!
   I have a collection of beautiful glass pointed-back jewels (11mm and 18mm) that I'd like to make pendant mountings for using ACS.  I'd appreciate any advice about how to best accomplish this.  Thanks!

[Metalman]

Revised 4/21/05
The sterling will be okay  to torch fire but it will have a greater tendency to firescale when you use the torch.  This is because when you torch fire you usually end up using a hotter temperature for the firing then the 1200°F that ACS 650 fires at. This higher temperature is not a problem for the Art Clay but it can be for the sterling. The firescale can disrupt the bonding between the ACS and the sterling wire or sheet that you are using.  I don't think using flux with unfired clay will work well but I have not done the experiment.
You can solder fired Silver Clay parts to your sterling after firing if you want - the clay absorbs a fair amount of solder so take that into account.
If you use fine silver elements, there are none of these concerns.

[Sue]

I understand that you can use sterling silver findings with ACS 650.  However, is this also the case if you are firing using a torch or do you have to use fine silver findings?  

[Sammy]

Can I use Art Clay Silver to make a belt buckle?

Sammy,
Sorry it took a while for me to get back.  Yes you can use Art Clay for a belt buckle but you will want to make up a substucture  of brass or silver  that is heavy enough to handle the work load of a buckle.  You might find it more expedient to design your ornamentation to go over a ready made buckle like the Rings and Things 'Buckle Back' {R&T#30-193} Then rivet or cold fasten designwork to the buckle structure
Metalman

[masaru]

i just picked up an art clay silver 650 starter pack from japan
im new to the jewellry world so forgive me if i dont use the correct terms.
Anyway i would like to know how much pressure needs to be applied to join to parts together? is mere contact enough to let them fuse or do they have to be pressed together? will contacting parts fuse together at the contact upon firing?
Also will moist art clay stick to air dried art clay, ie can u shape a ring, dry it, sand it, then apply more fresh clay to add detail? will it stick or do u need to use that silver paste as adhesive?
Can extra wet clay act as an adhesive?
Metalman answers:
If there is a reasonable amount of surface contact, the clay should stay together after firing.   Best to think of it as clay and use joining methods similar to when you work with ceramic clay.  A lot of 'pressure' is not necessary, but good joining methods.  Just contact will probably not be strong enough.
When I join wet clay to dry clay I usually brush some water on before I add the new pieces.  Using the paste form of Silver Clay is a good method.  As you work more, you can make up your own paste from dried scraps of clay that you add water to again.  
The wet clay will stick with some attention.  I wouldn't think of it as an adhesive but it will stick pieces together if you apply the paste and let the pieces dry before you move them.  If you have a dehydrator for fruit, you can use that to dry your pieces faster.

I hope all of this is clear.  Make sure you send me further questions when you have them.

[Cielcreations]

Hi there!
   I've been having trouble rolling out my ACS evenly between plastic wrap, and even if I succeed at that, I have trouble removing it from the wrap.  I have a pasta machine that works great for rolling out polymer clay, and I'm wondering if I can use it for ACS.  Thanks!
Metalman answers:
Because of the cost of Art Clay, I would think that a pasta roller would be an expensive way to work the clay.
You would want a light film of olive oil on the parts so the Art Clay doesn't stick.
For hand rolling, the best surface we have found is teflon sheet, in our catalog - #87-051, we also have this by the foot, #87-051-FT.  This works great for rolling out on and keeping your work on.  I keep about 10 pcs around the studio when I am working.
The other practice to get going in your studio is to use a light film of olive oil on your hands and tools and work surfaces.  You can buy olive oil based hand balms, or like I do, use a small container with a sponge soaked in olive oil.  I just press on the sponge with my fingures to get a little oil and then rub down my roller/tool/surface, and rub the rest goes on my hands.
Hope this helps.

[ardenb]

'> When making a pair of earrings with the clay and your design will only allow for a post with no pre-assembled back attached to it, what kind of post/wire material do you use, how do you attach it to your piece, and when do you attach it, after piece has been fired or in a second round of firing?

[cwolf]

Double headed ear post are made that you cast base metal around for making base metal earrings. I looked in several catalogs and did not find them. Maybe Russ can tell you where to get them. They should work with Art Clay.

[ardenb]

Thank-you. I'll take a look on the web. Any suggestions on how to attach? I was thinking that I could attach using silver clay paste but if it is not silver I am attaching it may not work. Also, my thought is that I would do it on a second fire??

[Metalman]

I have built lapel pins and earrings using silver posts, nickel silver posts, and nickel silver pins fired direct into the Art Clay Silver.  The silver posts get softened when fired so that may be a problem.  
I start my piece and get the frontal design mostly done and dried [but not fired] Then I turn it over and dig/cut/drill an shallow hole the size of head of my post/pin. I usually trim some of the head so it is not round but a little bit irregular [this keeps it from rotating in the Art clay after firing]. Once iI have it all fitted up, I use Art Clay Syringe/Paste/Clay to attach and fill the area.  Get it good and dry then fire.
Usually the shrinkage is just enough to tighten it all up- works great.  If you get any small splits - just fill then with Art Clay and fire again.  You do want enough metal clay over the top of the head to form a mechanical  hold on the post/pin. Hope this enough. Ask more if you need.

[ardenb]

o.k. I'm so excited... now one more question for tonight, what are silver nickel posts. Is that the material that you might buy at a craft store... as a head pin or bead tip? obviously I am looking for some way to get material immediately. I live in no man's land and usually have to order most supplies but we do have a craft store in town '>

[Metalman]

Various jewelry finding are listed as base metal or white metal.
Nickel silver is one of these.  For your usage you do not want to have plated posts - these will not stand up to the firing with the Art Clay. Other posts which will work  with an experiment or two would be stainless steel, titanium, niobium. If you need to order, these are on pages 4 & 5 of our new catalog.
The thing to do with materials you might be picking up, if you can not get solid information about the product is to take one and fire it to the temperatures you plan on firing at & See What Happens.  Then do a small piece with the Art Clay & See What Happens.  
IF there is a problem, try to fix it and send me a question or two, being specific about your experiment and I will try to give you a hand.