I took a PMC (precious metal clay) workshop with Meredith Arnold last weekend.
It took about 8 hours to make these four pieces in a class room. They are construction samples so finish quality is low.
PMC is nice to work with. The tools can be very simple and it really does work like modeling clay. (Though I’ve never been so careful to corral all the scraps of modeling clay.) A good quality finish takes work from the beginning and probably would have doubled the time taken for each piece. Maybe tripled for the embedded glass one.
You can fire pieces made only of the silver using a torch or propane firing cone but to fire pieces with glass (or synthetic stones, or forms) in them you have to have a kiln.
The material is expensive and the firing is a problem because i don’t want to spend $400 on a kiln just yet.
I’ll do more of this but not right now.
A simple die stamped piece:
I made this using the rubber stamp that provided the original version of the Black Dog Farm logo.
It was fired, wire brushed, and given a short tumble with shot. At this magnification (about 3X) and in the glaring sunlight the rough finish shows. (and i think that’s cat hair…)
A layered charm:
Cut with canape cutters. Attached with slip. The holes are hard to get smooth on both sides.
There’s a lump on the back that is result of getting air trapped in the clay while rolling it out. I was in too much of a hurry.
Filigree wrapped glass bead
This is a 3⁄8″ blue glass bead that I wrapped in silver paste squeezed from a syringe.
Working with this fine a tip is hard but with practice the results could be quite pretty. You can also make hollow beads by using a form material that will burn out.
Glass beads and cabochon embedded in silver
There are three green glass beads and a diachronic glass cabochon.
I think the silver is too built up. I did some carving to get better relief but not nearly enough. As the clay dries it hits a sweet spot where carving is easy and enjoyable. So this could be really nice.
