BenjaminPonce
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- Aug 16, 2018
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Silver Metal Clay (PMC)
- Thread starter 4metals
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MEC is good. Regular Elmer's school glue will work! Use only what you need. It's PVA and will burn away.
Add just a drop of Glycerin to keep it from drying out to quick while you work it. It also helps with any oxidation if you're doing sterling mixes.
Add just a drop of Glycerin to keep it from drying out to quick while you work it. It also helps with any oxidation if you're doing sterling mixes.
Apparently a lot of stuff in these.
The stuff I would see painted onto glass or ceramic surfaces that was Au/Pt based were more piney smelling.
The PMCs seem to be mixtures of carboxymethylcellulose, butylated celluloses, polyvinyl alcohols etc.
One of our customers make a paste for brazing that is basically that.
Anyway, Ralph, have you ever tried to take the formate silver product, dry it real well, and use that for making these pastes?
I think something like a small sand muller type deal would work really well for getting the material really bound well.
http://mifco.com/sand-mulling-equipment/batch-mullers/
The stuff I would see painted onto glass or ceramic surfaces that was Au/Pt based were more piney smelling.
The PMCs seem to be mixtures of carboxymethylcellulose, butylated celluloses, polyvinyl alcohols etc.
One of our customers make a paste for brazing that is basically that.
Anyway, Ralph, have you ever tried to take the formate silver product, dry it real well, and use that for making these pastes?
I think something like a small sand muller type deal would work really well for getting the material really bound well.
http://mifco.com/sand-mulling-equipment/batch-mullers/
When i first started i tried silver from the formate reduction, but it was to course and that lead to shrinkage issues. The best tick i found was silver nitrate reduction with NaOh to silver oxide. It's a fine powder that washes well and after washing you can put it in a regular oven to dry it and convert it to metallic silver. Then mix with your choice of bonding polymers.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10HoroBaXUI[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10HoroBaXUI[/youtube]
You may also try converted silver chloride.
Or even your Naoh added to silver nitrate under high shear. The shape of the silver particles will be very important for the workability. Traditional clay is often arranged in sheet like particles, held together by electromotive forces. These create a certain "springiness" to the clay...but most of all, it's how the clay stays together once dried.
Also, a mixture of particle sizes helps influence workability. It's like building a gravel driveway....the particles lock together.
On a small scale, mixing clay is difficult. I've mixed pottery clay in everything from gram size lots to 1000 lb lots....it's hard to get the same plasticity you get in a large paddle mixer on small lots. There is a gentleman named Paul soldner. He built a pilot size mixer for studio potters to recycle their clay, and make custom blends.
If I were trying to do this on precious metal pilot size batches, I'd use a kitchenaid mixer but make a plaster or concrete bowl. You start with a clay slip with extra water, then add small amounts of dry materials to get it closer to a workable stage. Then just stop and let it mix. The porous bowl will continue to wick water from the clay, giving a uniform product....past the point where you could add dry material and get a uniform mix.
After removal from the bowl, placing your ball of clay on to a similar porous slab will help bring it to a perfect workable point. You just pick up the ball occasionally and wedge it (process of working clay by hand).
The most important aspect of making a workable clay was the use of recycled aged slip. It was loaded with bacteria. The chemical transformation from the bacteria had great influence on the workability of the final product. Some porcelains are almost unworkable without an aging period.
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Or even your Naoh added to silver nitrate under high shear. The shape of the silver particles will be very important for the workability. Traditional clay is often arranged in sheet like particles, held together by electromotive forces. These create a certain "springiness" to the clay...but most of all, it's how the clay stays together once dried.
Also, a mixture of particle sizes helps influence workability. It's like building a gravel driveway....the particles lock together.
On a small scale, mixing clay is difficult. I've mixed pottery clay in everything from gram size lots to 1000 lb lots....it's hard to get the same plasticity you get in a large paddle mixer on small lots. There is a gentleman named Paul soldner. He built a pilot size mixer for studio potters to recycle their clay, and make custom blends.
If I were trying to do this on precious metal pilot size batches, I'd use a kitchenaid mixer but make a plaster or concrete bowl. You start with a clay slip with extra water, then add small amounts of dry materials to get it closer to a workable stage. Then just stop and let it mix. The porous bowl will continue to wick water from the clay, giving a uniform product....past the point where you could add dry material and get a uniform mix.
After removal from the bowl, placing your ball of clay on to a similar porous slab will help bring it to a perfect workable point. You just pick up the ball occasionally and wedge it (process of working clay by hand).
The most important aspect of making a workable clay was the use of recycled aged slip. It was loaded with bacteria. The chemical transformation from the bacteria had great influence on the workability of the final product. Some porcelains are almost unworkable without an aging period.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That's exactly how i made mine. Except i made a semi wet slurry and instead of adding dry powder i evaporated it down until i got the right moisture content by test with a meter. I used a dough mixer.
I put the clay between two wax sheets of paper and rolled it out. Then take an exact o knife and cut out squares.
I though about using a cookie cutter and stamping some out! :lol: :lol: :lol:
I put the clay between two wax sheets of paper and rolled it out. Then take an exact o knife and cut out squares.
I though about using a cookie cutter and stamping some out! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Drdixiecup
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- Joined
- May 24, 2019
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I’m a metal clay user. Things important to me are the working character and shrinkage rate. Workability is better with a little stickier clay. I roll small coils and shape them. Some processes are much better in a low shrinkage clay - like setting faceted stones or embedding wire or other metal pieces.
I’d be happy to test your trials if you want to send some.
I was interested to see a fine silver/ palladium combination which should add strength and hardness while preserving the bright white luster.
Bill Struve was known to me, he marketed his proprietary brands of metal clay and was a great resource.
I’d be happy to test your trials if you want to send some.
I was interested to see a fine silver/ palladium combination which should add strength and hardness while preserving the bright white luster.
Bill Struve was known to me, he marketed his proprietary brands of metal clay and was a great resource.
Welcome to the forum!
Can you provide any insight into the make up of the clays, e.g., binders used, percentages, etc.? It's a subject that has always interested me, but there aren't a lot of details available.
Dave
Can you provide any insight into the make up of the clays, e.g., binders used, percentages, etc.? It's a subject that has always interested me, but there aren't a lot of details available.
Dave
