Art Clay water-based silver clay, sometimes called metal clay or precious-metal clay, is made by Aida Chemical Industries in Japan: it's a composite clay-like material, made of 92% fine silver powder and 8% harmless organic binder. It comes in regular, slow-dry, and slow-tarnish.

New clay looks and feels like dull grey plasticene or polymer clay, as shown in the photo, and can be shaped easily using familiar modelling tools and similar techniques.

The slow dry silver clay stays malleable for about four times longer than regular clay: so it's ideal for beginners, people with learning difficulties or poor manipulative skills, or anyone making thin, delicate, or intricate shapes.

The slow tarnish silver clay is slower to tarnish. However, remember that all silver, not just Art Clay silver, tarnishes due to environmental oxidants and pollutants.

As silver clay is fired, the binder vapourises and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid silver which can be hallmarked as pure 999 silver: real metal, not something that just looks like metal. The chemical symbol for silver is Ag, an abbreviation for the Latin argentum.

Silver clay can be combined with a wide range of materials, before firing: beads, copper, dichroic glass, pearls, porcelain, polymer clay, semiprecious gems, and fine silver findings.
It can also be combined with sterling silver findings, provided that the firing temperature is 650°C: much higher, and the sterling silver discolours and becomes brittle.
Its easy-to-use flexibility makes it a versatile material, ideal for art colleges, home and business jewellers, ceramic cafes, craftworkers, glass studios, metalsmiths, modelmakers, and potteries.

The clay comes in a cellophane wrapper, inside a foil packet, inside a retail foil packet, with an instruction leaflet. Tear open the retail foil packet using the markers. Be careful, as the retail foil packet is a press-to-seal and can be re-used.

Unwrap the clay and cut off a piece to work with. At this stage, silver clay is a dull grey. Knead it until it feels soft and malleable, but don't knead it for too long: it will begin to dry out and you'll get dry clay all over your fingers.

Some people use hand-cream. However, any oils kneaded into the clay won't evaporate like water when the clay is dried: they'll remain, and burn away during firing, possibly leaving tiny holes or fine cracks.

If you work regularly with Art Clay, write on the part-used packets how many grammes are left so that, in future, you only need to open the appropriate one.

Clay left in the open air will begin to dry, so keep any scraps in a small airtight pot: later, you can knead them back into re-useable clay or make a paste with a little water that you can use to shape, fill, or stick. Be careful to only re-cycle clay scraps: don't accidentally pick up metal filings, dried clay, abrasive grit, or work-area dust.

New clay is just moist enough to work with. However, if you're using clay from an old packet and it feels dry, brush on a little water before kneading. If you over-wet the clay, dab it drier with lint-free cloth before kneading.

To store the remainder: rewrap it in cling film, put it back in the retail foil packet, seal it with tape, and keep it with a small piece of just-damp tissue or cloth in an airtight container, away from heat or direct sunlight. It's better to use a small container as there's less air inside. Don't keep it in a fridge.

You can use almost anything to shape the clay: a modelling knife, a scriber, a texture tool, a rubber stamp, a shaped cutter, or a soft moist brush. As you shape the clay, or add more, you can use a little water to smooth the surface and optimise adhesion.

Modelling knives use surgical blades which are sharper and thinner than DIY knife blades. Keep the blade clean, and replace it the moment that cutting begins to look like tearing.

If you use a roller, check that it's clean before you start. Roll gently, in several directions, rather than trying to do it in one pass. If you've improvised and used something like a marker pen as a roller, make sure it doesn't have a moulding seam that will press into the clay.

Don't use a matchstick, as tiny slivers of wood may become part of your piece: these will burn away during firing leaving a tiny hole or a fine crack.

Whilst you're working, keep syringes and sable brushes in water, removing excess water on lint-free cloth just before use. If you leave syringes for a few days, check that the water hasn't evaporated. Don't use a pot of water as a permanent home for brushes: it will soon ruin them.
Don't let clay dry on your work area or tools: wipe them with a damp cloth or wash them. Drill bits, files, and abrasives will clog up, so tap them occasionally, or rinse and dry them.

If you're a complete beginner, try making your piece from plasticene or polymer clay first. You'll learn a lot about shaping, and how much clay you need. To learn more about shaping, go to start using the link below the menu bar, then tools, then shaping.

Art Clay can be rolled out and then cut to shape: often the starting point for a ring or a pendant. Roll the clay gently, several times: don't try and do it in one pass or the edges will spread too quickly and separate.

In Kitiki courses, we use a clear acrylic work sheet. Put a piece of baking paper on the acrylic, then the clay, then the two thickness guides, then some more baking paper, then use the roller.

It's important to use a good roller and spacer strips to make a piece of even thickness. The roller in the photo is actually a dummy, made of paper, as the acrylic one didn't show up very well. The spacers comes in 1.5mm, 2.0mm, and 3.0mm thicknesses. You can use one 1.5mm and one 3.0mm to create a wedge shape. Below 1.5mm you can use bits of cardboard, but the rolled clay will be quite thin.

I don't usually use the baking paper, but it's useful if you've made the clay too wet whilst kneading it. I sometimes draw the final shape on a piece of paper under the acrylic to make sure that i've made a large enough shape. If you make a mistake, knead the clay and roll it again; however, if you do this too much the clay will begin to dry out and will need a little water and more kneading.

When your clay has been shaped, it needs to be dried to evaporate the water in the binder. If you don't dry it completely, the water will turn to steam during firing and the pressure increase may create surface craters, crack it, or shatter it: it's unlikely, but it could explode as you remove it from the kiln, so always wear safety glasses when opening your kiln door.

The simplest and most reliable way to dry clay is in a kiln programmed from cool to 150°C, then held for at least 10 minutes. However, you can let it dry naturally in a warm place for 24 hours, use a hair drier or a hobby hot-air gun, put it in a kitchen oven, or leave it on a central-heating radiator.
With a hair drier or a hobby hot-air gun, the outside can look deceptively dry quite quickly: so don't be impatient. And remember to dry both sides.

In a kiln, rest the piece on a kiln shelf or a ceramic fibre block: never on the floor of the firing chamber. Complex or fragile shapes can be supported on vermiculite chips or a ceramic fibre cloth.
With any blow drying method, put it on a metal mesh: vermiculite will blow everywhere. In a kitchen oven, be careful as, at about 250°C, the binder starts to burn away and your piece will begin to shrink or change shape. Whichever method you use, don't support your work on your acrylic work sheet: acrylics will buckle.

Although you can dry lots of pieces at the same time, on one shelf or on stacked shelves, make sure that they don't touch each other or roll about as you put the shelf in: if they're round or cylindrical, put them on a ceramic fibre cloth.

After drying, silver clay looks and feel like matte grey plaster. It's strong enough for you to be able to refine the shape using a knife, a scriber, a file, a drill, and abrasives. However, at this stage, thin pieces are brittle, so may snap. To learn more about drying, go to start using the link below the menu bar, then tools, then drying

Whilst shaping, there will be tiny scraps and powder to clean up. Instead of blowing them everywhere or brushing them on the floor, use a hand-held battery-powered mini-vac.

When your piece is dry, it needs to be fired to become solid metal. If you don't dry it completely, the water will turn to steam during firing and the pressure increase may crack the clay, or shatter it: it's unlikely, but it could explode as you remove it from the kiln, so always wear safety glasses when opening your kiln door.

There are four ways to fire silver clay: in a kiln, on your kitchen gas hob, on a gamping gaz ring, or with a butane gas torch. The first is controlled by the kiln programmer. The others need your full attention, so that you don't underfire it and break it, or overfire it and melt it.

The simplest and most reliable way to fire silver clay is in a kiln programmed from cool to 650°C, then held for 30 minutes. However, most metal clay artists recommend that you use the highest possible temperature and time combination, for maximum strength.

As it's fired, the binder vapourises and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid silver which can be hallmarked as pure 999 silver: real metal, not something that just looks like metal. The chemical symbol for gold is Ag, an abbreviation for the Latin argentum.
There's an important difference between sintering and fusing. During sintering, metal powders bond to produce solid metal, but they don't melt. During fusing, metals melt and lose their shape. Silver powder sinters at 650°C, but melts at 961°C so, if you experiment, keep below about 900°C.
The binder is an organic cellulose derivative, made from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. As it burns away, it releases small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water vapour: so it's safe to use at home.

In a kiln, rest your piece on a kiln shelf, a ceramic fibre block, or a ceramic fibre cloth: never on the floor of the firing chamber. Complex or fragile shapes can be supported on vermiculite chips or a ceramic fibre cloth. On a kitchen gas hob or a camping gaz ring, put it on a metal mesh. If you're using a butane torch, put it on a ceramic fibre block.

If your piece doesn't include anything that will crack or melt at a higher temperature, it can be fired from cool to 780°C then held for 5 minutes.

Although you can fire lots of pieces at the same time, on one shelf or on stacked shelves, make sure that they don't touch each other or roll about as you put the shelf in: if they're round or cylindrical, put them on a ceramic fibre cloth.

Once firing is over, let the kiln cool naturally, especially if you've combined your Art Clay with glass or stones. If you've just fired Art Clay, you can open the kiln door slightly to shorten the cooling time. If you're going to fire some more pieces, don't put them in a kiln hotter than 500°C.

To learn more about firing, look at the start page, then tools, then firing, and read the instructions that come in the Art Clay packet.

During firing, all metal clays shrink as the binder vaporises. Aida says that Art Clay silver only shrinks by about 8%-9% in volume, less than other brands.

However, as a laboratory-controlled test, I fired a 30mm long strip at 650°C in a kiln. It appeared to sinter fully, but didn't shrink at all, even when re-fired at 780°C. In theory, I expected a length reduction of about 3%, because:

a piece whose length has been reduced by 3%, to 97% of it's original length, would now have a volume of 0.97 x 0.97 x 0.97 of its original volume: a reduction in volume of nearly 9%.

To check this surprising result, I made two buttons, 15mm in diameter, and fired one at 650°C in a kiln and the other on a kitchen gas hob. Both appeared to sinter fully, but didn't shrink at all.

So, when making anything size-critical, like a ring, take this into account. I suggest you make a simple plain ring using about 5gms of clay and let experience become your true guide. It may be that larger pieces, particularly if they're fired at over 800°C, shrink by the published figure.

After firing, the clay looks dull beige, but brushing off the powdery coating with a brass or stainless steel brush reveals bright metal. To learn more about finishing, go to start using the link below the menu bar, then tools, then finishing.

Your piece is now ready to refine, file, drill, stain, polish, or burnish: and wear, give, or sell. Remember, it is silver: it doesn't just look like silver. And, if you break it, you can repair it with oil paste.

Immersing the finished silver piece in liver of sulphur produces a range of colours: gold to amber to blue to magenta to black, depending on the dilution, the temperature, and the time. Liver of sulphur, chemically potassium sulphide, has a strong smell and is poisonous.

At Kitiki, and during courses, we work on two acrylic sheets: a transparent general work sheet and a black finishing sheet. We also use acrylic rollers, blocks, and thickness guides. They're smooth to work on, the clay releases without tearing the edges, and they're easy to clean. Also, if you're working at home, you can easily move an acrylic work sheet with your pieces.

It's a good idea to cut and shape on one sheet, and finish on another, to avoid picking up tiny offcuts of clay that may have begun to dry.

Don't use wooden work sheets: they're absorbent, contain oils, and cutting may release tiny slivers of wood. Although these will burn away during firing, they'll leave holes and may cause cracks during firing.

Whilst kneading the clay, make sure it doesn't pick up dust and absorb oil from your hands. Whilst shaping the clay, any tiny offcuts will air-dry quite quickly and, once they become embedded in your clay, will be difficult to remove. So, keep your work area clean, wash your hands, and don't use a skin moisturiser.

Using appropriate tools helps you enjoy your work, removes many technical difficulties, and liberates your imagination. To learn more about tools, go to start using the link below the menu bar, then tools.

Acrylics have a number of trade names, such as: Perspex, Setacryl, or Iridis. To learn more about setting up your work area, go to start using the link below the menu bar, then tools, then work area.

Kitiki Tool Kit 1 consists of a clear acrylic work sheet, a clear acrylic roller, and one pair of 1.5mm clear acrylic thickness guides.

Kitiki Tool Kit 2 consists of a clear acrylic work sheet, a teflon non-stick sheet, four pieces of non-stick paper, a clear acrylic roller, three different pairs of clear acrylic thickness guides, a clear acrylic rolling block, a black rubber work block, and a black acrylic finishing sheet.

Art Clay, before it's dried, is too soft to file. Art Clay, dried but not fired, files easily, so you can refine the shape, clean up the edges, and smooth the surface. Art Clay, fired, files like solid metal.

Support your piece on a rubber block and be careful not to let the file slip as you start. File in the same direction, gently and smoothly, and remember that file teeth are made so that they cut on the push. Fine-cut files will clog up, so tap them occasionally, or rinse and dry them.

Until you're confident, be careful, as it's easy to break a small piece or make marks that then need repairing. If you make a mistake, you can use water-based paste on dried clay or oil-based paste on fired clay.

Most files you can buy in the high street or from a catalogue are cheap Asian imports, made of inadequately hardened steel, with uneven surfaces, irregular teeth, and sharp handles. They leave scratches, which may be hard to remove. To learn more about files, go to start using the link below the menu bar, then tools, then shaping.

Art Clay, before it's dried, is too soft to drill. Art Clay, dried but not fired, drills easily, so you can refine the shape, clean up the edges, and smooth the surface. Art Clay, fired, files like solid metal.

Support your piece on a rubber block, make a pin-mark with a scriber, and be careful not to let the drill slip as you start. For holes larger than 2.0mm in diameter, make a 1.0mm hole first. A selection of drill sizes allows you to work optimally.

Drilling large or deep holes is a waste of clay, so make an initial hole with something like a scriber before drying whilst the clay still works easily. If you make a mistake, you can use water-based paste on dried clay or oil-based paste on fired clay.

For Art Clay, dried but not fired, a low-voltage mini-drill is ideal. Unless you can hold the piece firmly without breaking it, and you have very steady hands, a rechargeable or mains DIY drill will probably crack the clay.
Alternatively, you can use a drill bit held in a pin vice and just roll it between your fingers. Drill bits are made so that they cut when turned clockwise.

At Kitiki, and during courses, we use a hand-held low-voltage mini-drill, with continuous electronic speed control, that accepts a wide range of drill bits and other international-standard rotary accessories. To learn more about drills, go to start using the link below the menu bar, then tools, then drills.

Art Clay, before it's dried, is too soft to abrade. Art Clay, dried but not fired, looks and feels like matte grey plaster, so it's still easy to refine the shape, clean up the edges, and smooth the surface. Don't use wet abrasive cloths and papers as the water will soften the clay and pull up the surface. Art Clay, fired, files like solid metal.

Art Clay, once fired, is solid metal. A selection of abrasive grades, such as 600, 1000, 1200, and 2000, allow you to semi-polish the surface. Until you know how effective they are, start with 1200 to minimise the risk of scratches. Soak wet+dry papers for 10 minutes before starting: they last longer and give a better finish when wet.

Use a soft clean brush to make sure that no grit particles are left on your work before using a finer abrasive, and use a hand-held battery-powered mini-vac to clean up the grit and dust around your work area. Don't blow the dust, especially as some will probably get on your tools and any unwrapped clay, and inevitably go in your eyes.

There's no universal all-purpose abrasive. Some do some jobs better than others, so you need a selection to get a good finish and optimise your time. To learn more about abrasives, go to start using the link below the menu bar, then tools, then finishing.