Basic Tools for Metal Clay Jewelry Making

We've divided the basic metal clay tools into the 3 main stages of work: wet, dry, and finishing.

Wet Clay Working Tools

In the wet stage, metal clay feels a lot like traditional ceramic clay - soft, moist, and easy to manipulate. This is the stage where you shape, roll, cut emboss, texture, sculpt, and join pieces.

Key characteristics:

Highly workable; can be reshaped or rehydrated
Susceptible to fingerprints, distortion, and cracking if it dries too fast
Keeps its finest detail at this stage, so texturing happens now

This stage ends once the clay loses moisture and becomes leather-hard.

Ball Burnishers
CoolSlip
Rolling Frames
Clay Shaper - Taper Point
Ultra Clay Pick
Paint Brush
Roller & Spacers
Slik
Claymate
Snake Maker
Tissue Blade
Tweezers
Work Surface
Clay Hydrator

Dry Clay Working Tools

In the dry stage, the clay has dried completely. This is where you refine the piece before committing to firing.Typical work during the dry stage includes sanding seams, edges and surfaces, carving, drilling or engraving. You can also fix mistakes with paste or fresh clay or assembles parts during this time.

Key characteristics:

Bone-dry and brittle - can snap if handled roughly
Can be altered much more easily than fired metal
Imperfections are easiest to correct here

Once the design is exactly how you want it, the piece is ready to be fired.

Bench Block - Rubber
Diamond Needle Files
Sanding Sticks
Sponge Sanding Pads

Finishing & Polishing Tools

After firing, by kiln or torch, the binder burns away and the piece becomes real metal (silver, bronze, copper, steel, or gold, depending on the clay).

At the fired stage, you can burnish, polish or brush to bring out shine and treat the fired metal similar to traditional metal. Hammer, form, patina, drill, file and solder.

Key characteristics: