I'm working on my metal clay pieces from my gravestone rubbings. They'll both be made of a combination of copper and white bronze clay. As copper fires at a higher temperature than white bronze, I fired the copper pieces first and will then attach them to the white bronze pieces and fire again. Of course I'm having kiln problems, so I don't know when that will be!
My copper pieces I had in the kiln at 7 AM for their second phase of firing. First firing was yesterday. I figured it (2nd phase) should've taken about six hours or so. About 1 o'clock my kiln was somewhere around 1600 degrees--firing temp for copper clay, but I got an error message. I kept it going for awhile longer then decided to use a firing schedule for mixed metal clays, which is at a lower temperature. I turned the kiln off at about 3:00 and decided that the copper would be at least mostly scintered and that I could attach it to the white bronze and refire at the lower temperature.
The twigs and leaves of copper seem to be scintered, but appear to be more bronze than copper. Why? I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!! All's well, though, as the color can be corrected with enamels or prismacolors. I've had issues with white bronze clay in the past, too, but that's another story.
Anyway...this is what I have so far. The copper portions are fired but not polished and the white bronze is not yet fired:
The bird I'm seeing as a pendant and the cala lily as a pin.
My copper pieces I had in the kiln at 7 AM for their second phase of firing. First firing was yesterday. I figured it (2nd phase) should've taken about six hours or so. About 1 o'clock my kiln was somewhere around 1600 degrees--firing temp for copper clay, but I got an error message. I kept it going for awhile longer then decided to use a firing schedule for mixed metal clays, which is at a lower temperature. I turned the kiln off at about 3:00 and decided that the copper would be at least mostly scintered and that I could attach it to the white bronze and refire at the lower temperature.
The twigs and leaves of copper seem to be scintered, but appear to be more bronze than copper. Why? I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!! All's well, though, as the color can be corrected with enamels or prismacolors. I've had issues with white bronze clay in the past, too, but that's another story.
Anyway...this is what I have so far. The copper portions are fired but not polished and the white bronze is not yet fired:
The bird I'm seeing as a pendant and the cala lily as a pin.
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