Art Clay Copper instruction

Safety

- Do not place the heated object on a highly flammable or combustible surface;

- Keep out of reach of children;

- If the object comes into contact with eyes or mouth, rinse immediately with running water. In case of complaints, contact the doctor;

- Wash hands thoroughly after contact with copper clay;

- Be aware that you may be allergic to copper, an allergic reaction can occur in various degrees. Ask your doctor for medical advice if necessary;

- Follow the instructions carefully and do not use this product for purposes other than those described in the instructions.

Use

Art Clay Copper and Art Clay Silver have different properties that can affect each other when they come into contact with each other. This happens, for example, when using the same tools for each type of clay. It is strongly recommended to use separate tools for each type of clay. If this is not possible, ensure that the tools are cleaned after each use to minimize damage to the clay.

After heating in the oven, the surface of the workpiece will oxidize, just like soldered sterling silver. This oxidized layer must be removed with the aid of (for example) a safe acid bath so that the pure copper color becomes visible again.

Save

Use the copper clay as soon as possible after opening the package. After opening the package, the copper clay surface will oxidize and become darker in color. If you see a dark discoloration, scrape this part away and use the remaining clay to make a workpiece. To prevent oxidation of opened packets of copper clay, it is advisable to pack the clay in several layers of plastic and then use a plastic closing bag that can be vacuumed completely. Think in advance how much copper clay you want to use to prevent you from opening packaging unnecessarily. Store the clay indoors at room temperature and out of the sunlight.

Instructions

- kneading, shaping / modeling

Art Clay Copper is a water-based clay that dries out when exposed to the air. To prevent the clay from drying out, it is advised to only take the required amount of clay and to carefully store the rest according to the instructions above. The shrinking percentage of Art Clay Copper during heating is 10%, take this into account if you are going to make a piece of jewelry or other work.

- making pasta

Add a small amount of water to soft clay and knead it carefully. Use this substance to fill in any cracks or to attach multiple parts together.

- to dry

Allow the clay to dry well after modeling. The drying of copper clay takes a little longer compared to silver clay. The dried clay becomes hard, similar to plaster and you can easily drill into the clay or use other hand tools. Follow the drying instructions and control methods as described below.

Place the dried workpiece on a metal surface or mirror when it is still hot. Leave the workpiece for a few seconds; after removal of the workpiece, no fogged-up part or condensation on the surface should be visible where the workpiece was located. If this is the case, then the workpiece is thoroughly dry.

Dry instructions for workpieces up to 1 mm thick, 5 grams:

* a workpiece larger than this format takes longer to dry

* Place the workpiece as close as possible to the nozzle, but it is still safe

** Do not dry the workpiece at temperatures above 250 ° C / 482 ° F, this way the binder will be affected and the shape of the workpiece may be lost during the heating process.

- heating

Make sure the kiln is in a well-ventilated area. Place the workpiece in an kiln at 970 ° C / 1778 ° F and keep this temperature for 30 minutes. Observe the safety guidelines during heating.

After heating, remove the workpiece from the kiln with the help of a pair of pliers or other equipment and extinguish with water, so that the oxidation layer formed during heating is largely released. The heated workpiece is extremely hot when it comes out of the kiln, so be extra careful.

! warning!

When a heated workpiece is exposed to the air, the oxidized layer bursts and even small pieces can fly off the workpiece! To guarantee safety, it is advisable to immediately lay a fiber cloth over the workpiece.

You can also let the workpiece cool down in the kiln, but the oxidized layer must be processed outside the kiln.

Copper clay and silver clay cannot be fired together because copper has a higher melting point than silver.

- remove oxidation layer

Place the heated workpiece in a hot safe acid bath until the surface is completely clean (15-30 minutes). It can then be ionized in a bath with baking soda (15-30 minutes). Then rinse the workpiece clean with water.

- finish

After heating, the workpiece consists of pure copper and can be polished in the same way as with silver clay, ie with a steel brush and sanding cloths.

To minimize further oxidation, a matt acrylic lacquer or beeswax can be applied to the workpiece.