Characteristics of Art Clay Silver 950

• Art Clay Silver 950 is a material that you can mold just like clay.
• The silver powder in the clay fuses together/sinters during firing and turns into silver alloy after firing.
• Art Clay Silver 950 is composed of metal powder, organic binder and water.
• After firing, Art Clay Silver 950 is stronger and has higher hardness (SV 950) when compared to our regular products (Art Clay Silver
  Series )

Silver purity after firing is 95%, as often used in professional jewelry products.

• Art Clay Silver 950 can be open fired in a kiln just like regular Art Clay Silver Series.

Instructions

• Since Art Clay Silver 950 is a water based clay, cracks may appear while working with the clay. In this case, either add a few drops of water to your working surface and rub with your finger or remix your clay well by adding a small amount of water to your clay, then wrapping and kneading it again in a plastic wrap.
• Since Art Clay Silver 950 will naturally dry out during use, please only take out the required amount to work. Please keep the rest wrapped in plastic wrap and then put it inside a sealed container.
• Please do not use rubber bands to wrap around your stored clay as there is a risk of discoloration.
• If the piece is not dried properly before firing, there is a possibility of cracks or breakages appearing in the fired piece.
• Please do not bend your fired piece excessively.
• After opening the packet, please use the clay immediately or store appropriately.
• Please store your clay away from direct sunlight.
• If you want to keep the clay for a long period of time, seal it in plastic wrap and put it inside the refrigerator. This will reduce the chance of oxidation as compared to keeping it at room temperature. (Please do not freeze). Please make sure that there is no gaps/air bubbles between the clay and the plastic wrap.
• If Art Clay Silver 950 is mixed with other clay types in the Art Clay Series, the unique properties of 950 will be changed or lessened. Steps for drying and firing condition will be changed, and the piece may break during firing. The manufacturer and seller will not be held liable for any issues that may occur after mixing 950 with other clay types in the Art Clay Series.
• If you feel the clay is stiff when you open the package, you can easily adjust the softness by kneading the clay.

Directions

Preparation

• Take out only the amount necessary for molding, and store the rest appropriately.
• Art Clay Silver 950 will shrink during firing. With the shrinkage rate approximately at 10 to 13%,please create your piece while taking into consideration the desired size of the fired item.
• After working on your piece, it should be completely dry before firing.
• Molding and Drying

Molding & Drying

How to tell when the piece is dry enough

• Place the piece on a sheet of stainless steel, glass or mirror and pick up the piece after 10-20 seconds.
• If there is no cloud of water vapor, it is dry.
• After drying, the piece will become hard like plaster, and you can then easily drill holes using a drill bit and file the piece using a Handy Micro motor or a File.
• Note: Recommended drying time is for a piece that is roughly 5g in weight and is 1mm thick.
• Depending on the piece’s thickness or weight, drying time may be higher or lower than the specified time below.
  • Hair Dryer (hot) 10 minutes or more
  • Hot plate at 150 ℃/300°F, more than 10 minutes.
  • Kiln at 150 ℃/300°F, more than 10 minutes.
  • Natural drying at room temperature, more than 24 hours.
  • *Keep your pieces close to the nozzle of the hair dryer to ensure proper drying, but also ensure that the pieces will not be blown away by the hot air from the dryer.
  • *Please make sure that the temperature does not go above 250 ℃/480°F. If it goes beyond 250 ℃/480°F, the binder may be damaged and the piece may become deformed.
  • Please use a kiln that has temperature management controls.\
• Always fire in a ventilated room as smoke and soot may occur during firing.
• Firing

Firing

1. Start with the kiln at room temperature.
2. Place your piece inside the kiln and then slowly ramp up the temperature to 500 ℃/932°F.
3. Hold the temperature at 500 ℃/932°F for 30 minutes.
4. Keep yourpiece inside the kiln and raise the temperature to 870 ℃/1598°F.
5. Please hold at 870 ℃/1598°F for 60 minutes.
6. Turn off the kiln and gradually cool down the kiln to 200℃/392°F or lower. Letting it cool down all the way to room temperature is also appropriate.

Completion

• The surface of the fired piece will be pale gray due to crystallization of silver during firing, but a luster can be obtained by polishing. (i.e. Stainless brush, sandpaper, burnisher, a handy micro motor, etc.)
• Silver composition of the piece after firing will be 95%
• When firing Art clay Silver 950, always use an electric kiln that is capable of temperature control.
• If you fire the piece using a firing schedule other than the recommended method, there is a possibility that problems will occur with the Silver Clay Piece.
• We recommend to test fire a small piece in your own kiln beforehand to check the firing result due to possibility of variances with some kiln types.