intermediate metal clay/resin Personalize CAPTURE A MOMENT Metal Clay and Resin Make your own texture molds, use your own photo. by Elaine D. Luther FCT-CR-050718-02 Making your own molds is one way to add custom tactile surfaces to your metal clay work. Impressed from a handmade mold, the distinctive texture on this pendant draws attention to the double-paned resin window that holds a favorite photograph. We ll show you how to make your own texture molds and sheets, using a two-part 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. silicone molding compound. Then, you can use your molds to give your pendant and its bail a custom texture. You ll also learn how to incorporate a photocopy of a personal photograph or image within your pendant by encasing the image between layers of quick-curing adhesive epoxy resin. The 1 7 16 x 1 15 16-in. (7 x 49 mm) metal clay pendant captures a wink of time in a permanent keepsake. facetjewelry.com
1 2 4 5 materials Metal clay: 20 g Metal clay paste Photocopy of photograph or copyrightfree image: 8 x 8 in. (10 x 10 mm) Two-part epoxy resin adhesive: quickcure formula Necklace cord or chain tools & supplies Olive oil or natural hand balm Acrylic roller Flexible Teflon sheet Texture sheet; or two-part silicone molding compound: room-temperature-vulcanizing formula Drinking straw Playing cards Tissue blade Paintbrushes: fine tip, flat tip Distilled water Blending tool Mug warmer Emery board or 400-grit sandpaper Cutters: Oval: 1½ x 2 in. (8 x 51 mm) Square: 8 x 8 in. (10 x 10 mm) Carving tool (optional) Craft sticks, toothpicks Cosmetic foam-tip applicator Kiln, kiln shelf Pipe cleaner Tumbler, steel shot, burnishing compound Clear packing tape Duct tape (optional) Cardstock Tweezers Part 1 Pendant frame Roll out clay for the bail. Lightly oil your hands, an acrylic roller, a flexible Teflon sheet, a mold or texture sheet, and a drinking straw. For instructions on how to make your own mold or texture sheet, see Make a Mold or Texture Sheet, below. Roll about 4 g of metal clay to playing cards thick. Use a tissue blade to trim the clay into a rectangle that s approximately 7 16 in. (11 mm) wide and long enough to wrap around the drinking straw with some overlap [1]. Texturize and shape the clay strip. Press the clay strip into your mold or texture sheet, and then wrap the clay strip (texture-side out) around the straw. Use the tissue blade to cut the clay strip where it overlaps. Remove the excess clay. Form the bail. With a fine-tip paintbrush, apply a line of distilled water along the clay strip s seam. Use a blending tool to smooth the seam and to make sure that the edges have bonded. Place the straw with the clay strip on a flexible Teflon sheet, and put the sheet on a mug warmer [2]. Let the bail dry completely. Refine the bail. When the bail is completely dry, smooth and refine each end on an emery board [] or piece of 400grit sandpaper. Make the panel. Roll about 15 g of metal clay to 4 playing cards thick to make a clay sheet that s slightly larger than a 11 2 x 2-in. (8 x 51 mm) oval cutter. Place the clay sheet on your texture sheet. Roll over the clay with the acrylic roller. Carefully peel the clay from the texture sheet [4], and set the clay textureside up on the flexible Teflon sheet. Oil the cutting edge of your oval cutter. Cut out the oval panel and remove the excess clay [5].
6 Cut a window into the panel. Staying at least 1 8 in. ( mm) in from the edges of the panel, use a 8 x 8 -in. (10 x 10 mm) square cutter to cut a window from the oval panel [6]. Remove the excess clay, and allow the panel to dry completely. 7 8 Attach the bail. Use a flat-tip paintbrush or carving tool to apply a line of metal clay paste to the bail [7]. Press the pasted portion of the bail against the top center edge of the panel [8]. Remove any excess slip, using a dry, flat-tip paintbrush. Set the assembly aside to dry completely. I like to place a craft stick under the bail to support it while the paste dries. Refine the frame. Moisten a foam-tip applicator with distilled water and use it mold texture sheet make a Textures are all around us, and with the help of a two-part, silicone, roomtemperature-vulcanizing (RTV) molding compound, you can make molds or texture sheets of just about any texture. Later you can use the molds or sheets to transfer the textures to your metal clay. RTV molding compounds are packaged as two putty formulations in separate containers. The putties are color-tinted to help you tell the formulations apart and determine when you ve mixed them completely. Before you mix the putty formulations together, read the manufacturer s instructions. Note the amount of time it takes the product to cure (you ll start timing as soon as you completely mix the putty formulations together). Mix the putty formulations together. Measure equal amounts of each putty formulation [A]. I use plastic spoons to scoop out equal amounts from each container. Then, knead the putty until the compound is a uniform color. or Make a mold. Working quickly, and keeping in mind the cure time for your compound, press the compound against your chosen texture [B]. NOTE: If you are taking an impression from organic materials, it s helpful to cover the object with a light coating of olive oil so that the molding compound doesn t stick to the surface of the organic material. Remove the compound and allow it to cure at room temperature according to the manufacturer s instructions. A The cured silicone mold is now ready to use for texturizing your metal clay. There is no need to use a release agent with the mold; the silicone will not stick to your clay. Make a texture sheet. To make a texture sheet, use an acrylic roller to roll out the kneaded compound, then place the compound on a flat, textured surface and roll over it again with the acrylic roller. Carefully peel the compound from the textured surface, and allow it to cure. B
9 10 Metal Clay Dryness Wet Clay contains a lot of moisture and is very pliable Semi-dry Clay contains some moisture, but is firm and holds its shape Mostly dry Clay is nearly devoid of all moisture and is rigid Completely dry Clay contains absolutely no moisture and can be fired 11 to smooth any rough edges on the frame [9 and 10]. Then use the moistened foam tip to smooth the seam that connects the bail to the frame [11]. To avoid marring your texture, use a minimal amount of pressure and water. Set the assembly aside to dry completely. Fire the frame. Fire the assembly in a kiln according to the manufacturer s instructions. Then allow the piece to cool completely. Finish the frame. Insert a pipe cleaner through the bail and twist to secure it. This prevents shot from getting lodged in the bail during tumbling. Polish the assembly for at least 0 minutes, using a tumbler with steel shot and burnishing compound. Remove the pipe cleaner and then rinse and dry the assembly.
Process photos by Ralph Romero. 1 Part 2 Resin and photo Prepare the photo. Select a photocopy of a photograph or copyright-free image, and cut it to an exact fit for your frame s window [1]. NOTE: To prevent toner ink from coming in direct contact with the epoxy and potentially bleeding, use clear packing tape to laminate the front and back of your image. Smooth the tape to remove any trapped air bubbles, and then trim the excess tape. Seal the back of the frame. Use two layers of clear packing tape or a strip of duct tape to seal the back of the frame s opening [2]. NOTE: I learned that duct tape can leave a texture on cured resin. I found that packing tape s smooth surface works better. Apply the first layer of epoxy resin. Mix two-part epoxy resin according to the manufacturer s instructions. I used a two-part formula that is mixed in equal amounts and begins to cure within about 5 minutes []. I like to use a piece of cardstock as a support for the epoxy resin. Use a craft stick or toothpick to spread a level, thin layer of epoxy resin over the tape, within the panel s opening [4]. Be sure to spread the epoxy resin so that it reaches all four edges of the square. Allow 2 this layer to cure completely according to the manufacturer s instructions. Insert the photo. Use tweezers to place your photo on top of the layer of dry epoxy resin. Trim the photo if necessary. Add a topcoat of epoxy resin. Mix another batch of two-part epoxy resin and fill the window, covering the photo completely [5]. Place a box over the pendant to prevent dust from settling on the epoxy resin while it cures. 4 Finish the pendant. After the epoxy resin is fully cured, peel the tape from the back of the pendant. If necessary, place the pendant in a container of water and use 400-grit wet/dry sandpaper to remove any texture left on the epoxy resin from the tape. Slide a necklace cord or chain through the bail. 5