Test Firing Metal Clay Pieces and The First Pendant

Here we are again. Today I have the results of the 2nd test firing.



Steel and copper seems to be a match made in heaven. Bronze XT seems to shrink a lot so I might have to be careful how I use it in combination with the other two metals.

I’m not sure why my copper and bronze look so similar, even after the application of Baldwin’s patina.

Anyway, this gave me the courage to try firing one of my pendants. The pendant is wavy with a base of copper and an overlay frame of Bronze XT.

Since one of the bronze test pieces was a little blistered (you can’t see that in the photo because I ground off the blisters), I decided to lower the temperature from 1700 to 1680.

Alas, that hardly mattered since I didn’t do Phase 1 completely. The areas of the pendant that point downward (remember, this is a wavy piece) and were therefore much more in the charcoal that the rest of the pendant did not get sintered.

Lesson learned… I will keep pieces like that in Phase 1 firing for additional time rather than relying solely on the end of the binder-burning smoke and the change of the pieces from brown to black.

So here’s the front of the pendant right out of the kiln after phase 2.



And here’s the back, again right out of the kiln after phase 2.



Then I took a radial disk dremel to the front.



And the back, where you can see the obvious signs of non-sintered metal clay.



Back to it tomorrow with renewed enthusiasm.

As to new listings, I did put the pair of fine silver basket weave earrings up for sale.



And here’s a custom order I did.



Oh, I don’t think I ever showed you my last two enamel pendants.




Okay, talk soon!