COPPRclay Basics
- Copper clay is made from pure copper. Copper
is a very strong metal and makes a wonderful
medium for jewelry. Some people have a
sensitivity
to copper, and it may react with your skin
oils to create a green patina on your skin,
but most people have no trouble wearing
copper
jewelry.
We offer 2 brands of copper clay, COPPRclay
by Metal Adventures, Inc and Art Clay Copper
by Aida Chemical Company. Both brands can
be fired with a torch, but require a special
process to clean them since copper oxidizes
during firing. Copper is a metal that is
highly reactive to heat and oxygen. In
a
normal atmosphere, copper creates a thin
oxide layer that protects it from corrosion,
which is why it was once considered a noble
metal. But as copper is heated in an oxygen
atmosphere (such as in a kiln or by a torch),
it oxidizes rapidly and a thick surface
of
cupric oxide is formed. For those firing
by torch, the red hot metal is quenched
(dunked)
in water which causes the oxide layer to
separate from the surface of the copper.
It must then be pickled, which is an acid
bath to clean it up. If this method does
not appeal to you, you can also kiln fire
both brands of copper clay buried in carbon
firing media in a stainless steel container.
Copper clays are easy to work with and respond
much like bronze clay in workability, but
some will find that the copper stains their
hands. Using a hand conditioner will aleviate
this problem for most people. You can use the information provided with bronze clays to work with copper clays. Both clays use the same tools and techniques.
The firing schedule used for kiln firing
for either brand of copper clay depends on
the kiln being used. Both types require a
digitally controlled kiln to properly sinter
the clay into a solid, dense metal form.
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