Crazy Copper
Create these bronze and copper autumnal bangles influenced by steampunk and sci-fi! By Petra Cameron, Metal Clay
Petra Cameron is the owner of Metal Clay Ltd. Now a very busy lady, she really enjoys her time when she gets it to make jewellery... resulting in stunning pieces.
With the cost of silver going up, it is tempting to only use metal clay for small designs. Using the new affordable bronze and copper clays you can really splash out and make larger pieces without breaking the bank. Due to its strength it is perfect for bangles. The bangles made in this project were influenced by steampunk designs, but with a sci-fi feel to them. You can imagine these being dug up, somewhere on Planet Corsiumis, by the first space travellers to reach that far, relics of a long gone space tribe...
- Before you start you need to massage your base metal clay. Put it in doubled over cling film and press, fold and squeeze away. This helps to soften it, make it pliable, and distribute the moisture throughout the clay. Make sure you don’t create air pockets in the clay
- If you have added stones, don’t quench your piece as you will shock the stones and they will crack
- If you have drilled holes use the back end of a paintbrush or other small tool to smooth out the edge and remove and clay 'burs'. Press it in gently and twist
MATERIALS
- Art Clay Copper
- FastFIRE BRONZClay
- Roller
- 180 sanding sponge pad
- File
- Cool Slip anti-stick spray
- Swivel pin vice and drill bits
- Paint brush
- Stainless steel pan
- Activated carbon
- Kiln
- Any gems, textures or creative components you fancy
Step 1
Roll out your clay about 2.5-3mm thick. Cut out the bangle. We used a small vase for the outside and a stencil for the inside. Make it at least 1cm wide. Don’t worry if it isn’t a perfect circle, we stretched ours gently to make them slightly oval. The inside of your bangle with only shrink minimally (mm rather than cm!) so make it almost to size.
Step 2
Dry your piece, a de-hydrator is ideal. Sand your pieces to smooth any rough edges. Now is the time to jazz up the edges if you wish. Use a file to shape and sandpaper to refine. FastFIRE BRONZclay is very flexible when dry, so always support it with care when working - too much flexing can create breaks in the firing. Try smoothing the surface with a baby wipe - ideal!
Step 3
Use left over clay to make little creative components. We went for some plain and textured circles, from the Deco Circles Mini texture tile. Once they’re dry, apply them to your bangle. Make some thick paste by mixing the clay with a little water. Apply the paste to the creative component, dampen the bangle a little, and press the two firmly together for at least 10 seconds.
Step 4
Once dry, drill some holes in the bangle for decoration (these will often stretch in the firing, so might not stay perfect circles). If you want to add stones, drill a hole the width and depth of the stone, put a little bit of paste in, and drop your stone in. Make sure your hole is deep enough so the top of the stone is flush with the bangle surface.
Step 5
You are now ready to fire! You have to fire the bronze clay in carbon at 810-850C for 1-2 hours (depending on the kiln). Art Clay Copper can be fired in a kiln without carbon, similar to silver clay. Contact info@metalclay,co.uk for detailed firing information.
Step 6
Once fired leave the pieces to cool in the carbon, or quench the copper as soon as you take it out of the kiln. The great thing about the steampunk look is that they don't need much finishing. You can tumble them if you want a high shine, but we just brushed them with a steel and brass brush to give a satin finish.
Extra Projects
You can apply this technique to other accessories. You could make a 'mini-bangle' to use as a creative ring on a necklace and hang lots of smaller bronze, copper, silver and bead charms on it. Loop a leather cord through it for a gorgeous rustic look.
Resources:
Metal Clay Ltd www.metalclay.co.uk | info@metalclay.co.uk | 01929 481541
