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About

What is Metal Clay? Metal clay is a jewelry making material that can be used by just about anyone to create jewelry and small decorative objects. Metal clay is made from powdered metal mixed with water and a substance called "methyl cellulose." Methyl cellulose may sound like a nasty chemical, but it's actually made from the cell walls of green plants. It's an organic ingredient used in food additives and is non-allergic, non-toxic and perfectly safe to work with. Metal clay handles similar to traditional modeling clays, and, when dried, it is transformed into a solid object through a firing process. During firing, the methyl cellulose, typically called "binder", is burned away and the metal particles "sinter" into a solid form. Sintering is the process of making a powdered material (in this case, metal clay) coalesce into a solid mass by heating it to a very high temperature, just below the point of liquefaction. There are several types of metal clay available: fine silver, sterling silver, gold, copper, bronze and steel. Each type of metal clay has unique firing requirements because each metal has a different melting point. For the beginner, fine silver clay is the easiest and quickest way to experience metal clay because there are so many options for firing, including low cost hand held butane torches. All metal clays are optimally fired in a jewelry kiln and some require special firing methods. The overview below will give you the basics on the different types of metal clay and their firing requirements to help you decide which clay to begin your adventures with. Types of Metal Clay & Firing Requirements Types of Metal Clay & Firing Requirements Cool Tools carries almost every brand of fine silver clay that is available. FS999 ™, Aussie Metal Clay, PMC and Art Clay Silver. All of these fine silver clays are made from powdered fine silver that is .999 in purity and considered pure silver or "fine" silver. Fine silver clay is the easiest and fastest of all