fuming with silver clay

**Johan** · 12-26-2008, 09:27 PM

So i had some pmc 3 left over and i decided to try and fume with it. It works great...heats up really fast and fumes almost instantly. maybe i've just been using crappy pure silver wire for the past couple years...anywho...has anyone else tryed this? and if so did it work out for ya?

**Udai Hussien** · 12-26-2008, 09:50 PM

what exactly is silver clay? what is the silver purity? Do you have pics? I know using sterling has tin in it, and it has a "muddy" look to the fume.

**menty666** · 12-26-2008, 10:04 PM

silver clay is .999 silver impregnated in an organic binder. You mold it, let it dry, clean up the edges a bit, then fire it, burning out the binder leaving the silver behind.

rg....did you use it before or after? I'd assume the binder would leave some crap behind on your glass, no?

**VOORHEES** · 12-26-2008, 10:33 PM

Interesting...I've been wanting to know how PMC works.

**menty666** · 12-26-2008, 10:37 PM

That was the nutshell version

There are different firing temps for different types of silver clay (PMC2 vs PMC3 vs ArtClay, etc), then there is also a gold version, and there's a bronze version that just recently hit the market I haven't had a chance to play with yet. I haven't used the gold one either, that shizzle's expensive.

It's neat stuff though.

**Johan** · 12-26-2008, 10:51 PM

Of course i used it after it was fired. I fired a small chunk real quick with the hand torch. PMC 3 has a real low firing temp so it can be done with a small hand torch within a min or two.

I wish i had more. i was thinking of embedding a glass cab into somesilver clay to make a pendant.

**Johan** · 12-26-2008, 10:58 PM

heres a link of a pic i just posted of three pendants with silver clay fume in em'

http://www.thegldg.com/forum/showthr...212#post387212

**Cosmo** · 12-27-2008, 08:35 AM

It's the same as fuming with any other silver. Once the PMC gets hot the binder burns away and leaves pure silver behind. We teach PMC classes, so we always have a lot of scrap left over to fume with.

**Udai Hussien** · 12-27-2008, 09:10 AM

It looks really cool. you have any spare clay for sale chad? I'd like to play around with some.

**Cosmo** · 12-27-2008, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by Udai Hussien

It looks really cool. you have any spare clay for sale chad? I'd like to play around with some.

I'll have to ask. I'm not sure what we have right now...

**Johan** · 12-27-2008, 11:48 PM

you can buy small amounts online ...try this website: www.metalliferous.com

**J Howard** · 01-04-2009, 02:03 PM

i've seen someone use the leftover scraps like frit. he got some josh simpson looking effects from it. just roll it work it and sleeve it.

you can paint leaves with it and then fire out the leaf. thought that was pretty cool... looked so real. apparently it takes like 10-12 coats

**Johan** · 01-04-2009, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by cravyn moorehead

i've seen someone use the leftover scraps like frit. he got some josh simpson looking effects from it. just roll it work it and sleeve it.

you can paint leaves with it and then fire out the leaf. thought that was pretty cool... looked so real. apparently it takes like 10-12 coats

I don't understand?

**menty666** · 07-15-2009, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by rg9403

I don't understand?

You can make a slip (thin clay/water paste) to paint over a leaf. You let it dry between coats, and when you fire it, the leaf within burns away along with the PMC binder leaving a dead on impression of the leaf, veins and all.

And..just so you don't think I'm only resurrecting an old thread...

If you have some PMC dust, is there a way to fire it to get rid of the binder so you can use it as silver powder? I filed some silver off of a PMC piece gone bad yesterday to make powder, and that worked well, but I may have some left over filings from making a PMC piece that I could use for outside decoration, if I can get rid of the binder. I suppose I could just sprinkle it on some kiln paper, send it through then rinse the whole mess in a coffee filter, but I figured I'd ask if anyone else had a better idea.

**Johan** · 07-15-2009, 01:23 PM

I just use the clay powder as is and when it hits the molten glass and heats up the binder burns away instantly...Sometimes I will sprinkle some clay powder into a really hot cup. then shoot a small flame into it and the silver jumps around.