Bronze Clay Products

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Collection: Bronze Clay Products

BRONZclay Products

Bronze clay is available in 3 formulations: BRONZclay Original and FASTfire BRONZclay by Metal Clay adventures, and powdered Bronze clay by Hadar Jacobson. BRONZclay original has a short and a long firing schedule, which is dependent upon the size and thickness of your piece, with a minimum firing time of 3 hours. FASTfire has a maximum firing time of 3 hours.

The Basic Form: Lump

Lump Form

The basic clay material is called "lump form". It comes in a sealed foil packet and is ready to use. Lump form is used to roll slabs, snakes and to mold or sculpt objects. Both versions of bronze clay, BRONZclay Original and FASTfire BRONZclay are currently available only in lump form, but can be thinned with water and used as a paste or loaded into a syringe for extruding.

BRONZclay Original


BRONZclay Original

This product is a mixture (not an alloy) of 89% copper and 11% tin. The bronze alloy is formed during sintering when the copper and tin metals melt into each other. This version has a reddish color to the finished metal. BRONZclay Original shrinks about 20% of its original size during sintering. The density of BRONZclay is about 90% of cast bronze. When properly sintered, BRONZclay can be bent and formed. Keep in mind that bronze is a very hard metal and is much more difficult to form and drill than fine silver. Holes should be pre-drilled in advance and as much finishing work as possible should be done prior to firing. BRONZclay Original must be fired in activated carbon in a kiln. The wattage and size of the kiln is used to determine the firing temperature. The duration and rate of heat for the firing program is determined by the thickness of the pieces being fired. Thicker pieces require a longer firing schedule. Pieces that are 3mm or less in thickness can generally be fired in 3 hours. Each additional millimeter in thickness adds additional time to the firing schedule.

Uses BRONZclay can be used to create jewelry and decorative items. Bronze is a very strong alloy and is perfect for bracelets, findings and other delicate items. BRONZclay can be made very thin because of its excellent strength.
Workability BRONZclay Original is somewhat heat-sensitive when working. The clay should be kept cold when not in use and it may stiffen from the warmth of hands. Care should be taken to keep this clay wrapped. It tends to stain dry hands. Add only small amounts of water to create paste. Paste should be made very thick. A thin paste will not be effective. BRONZclay Original is excellent for carving.
Embedded
Objects
Bronze wire can be embedded and fired in place. Some gemstones, lab gems and cubic zirconia can be embedded and fired in place.
Firing
Options
Carbon Firing/Kiln Temperature: 1500-1550°F
Hold Time: 3 hours minimum, according to thickness
Open-Air Firing Option: Original testing done by Martha Biggar
BRONZclay can be fired openly on a kiln shelf and quenched afterward. Firing time is significantly reduced, and quenching removes much of the firescale that may form.
Please note: This optional technique has been tested on pieces about four cards thick and 2" in diameter. To start, it is recommended that you fire on piece at a time to gauge how your kiln performs and adjust the time and temperature settings needed for the pieces you fire. Also note that multiple pieces require more time to quench; this can increase the formation of firescale during the process.
Kiln Temperature: 1540°F
Hold Time: 30 minutes

FASTfire BRONZclay


FASTfire BRONZclay

This product is an alloy of 89% copper and 11% tin. Instead of using copper and tin powders mixed together, this version starts with powdered bronze (the copper and tin have already been alloyed). This version has a golden color to the finished metal. FASTfire BRONZclay shrinks less than 10% of its original size during sintering. The density of BRONZclay is about 90% of cast bronze. When properly sintered, FASTfire BRONZclay can be bent and formed. Keep in mind that bronze is a very hard metal and is much more difficult to form and drill than fine silver. Holes should be pre-drilled in advance and as much finishing work as possible should be done prior to firing. FASTfire BRONZclay must be fired in activated carbon in a kiln. For most firings, the kiln can be fast ramped to target temperature and held for 2 hours. For high powered kilns, the heating is slowed. For pieces that are to be formed, the firing schedule is extended by one hour.

Uses FASTfire BRONZclay can be used to create jewelry and decorative items. Bronze is a very strong alloy and is perfect for bracelets, findings and other delicate items. FASTfire BRONZclay can be made very thin because of it's excellent strength.
Workability FASTfire BRONZclay is very smooth and has a velvety texture. It does not stain hands like the BRONZclay original. FASTfire BRONZclay is very flexible after drying, so jump rings are easy to form and components can be hooked together before firing. FASTfire BRONZclay is very easy to carve.
Embedded
Objects
Bronze wire can be embedded and fired in place. Some gemstones, lab gems and cubic zirconia can be embedded and fired in place.
Firing
Options
Carbon Firing/Kiln Temperature: 14750F - 1550°F
Hold Time: 2 Hours