A Twist of Copper and Pearls

Create copper clay tendrils and finish them with pearl drops.

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©2012 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

Select the pearl wire. Art Clay Copper (ACC) uses an open-shelf firing method, so you’ll lose some material when the copper clay oxidizes in the kiln, and therefore you’ll need a slightly larger gauge of wire for your pearl wire. For ACC, use 18-gauge (1.0 mm) dead-soft copper wire. For all other copper clays, use 20-gauge (0.8 mm) dead-soft copper wire.

NOTE: The copper wire must be 99.9% pure and dead soft, or it will break after you fire the pendant. If you have to refire the pendant to repair breaks, the wire will be more likely to break after a second firing. Copper wire from a hardware store or other non-jewelry supply source is more likely to be an alloy than pure copper.

Cut the pearl wires. Cut five pieces of the selected wire: two 11⁄2-in. (38 mm) pieces and three 3-in. (76 mm) pieces [1].

Form and cut the bail wires. Use large roundnose pliers to form a U-shaped loop in the end of 16-gauge (1.3 mm) dead-soft copper wire [2]. Use flush cutters to cut the loop from the wire. Repeat to make a total of three U-shaped loops, forming two loops equal in length and one shorter than the first two [3].

Prepare the wires. Use a file to rough up the ends of the five pearl wires and the three bail wires so they have some tooth to help anchor them in the clay [4].

Roll the clay. Use your fingers to form 15–18 g of copper clay into a rough snake shape. Using a piece of hard, clear plastic, roll the clay into a long snake [5]. Then, taper the ends of the snake by applying more pressure to the ends of the plastic as you roll the clay [6]. Wet the entire snake with distilled water so you can continue manipulating it without the clay cracking.

Part 1: Pendant body

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Design work is often

less about sitting

down with an inten-

tion in mind and more

about just letting things happen

and seeing where they lead. Do

yourself a favor. Go out and buy a

package of polymer clay. Keep it

in your pocket. Play with it while

chatting on the phone, waiting in

line at the bank, watching televi-

sion, or any other time you find

your hands idle.

This is something I do, and it’s

exactly how this unusual twisted

copper-and-pearl pendant came

about. I was just playing and then,

suddenly, there was this piece in

my hands that I knew had to be

expressed in metal. Create the

pendant as shown or treat yourself

to a pack of polymer clay to see

where your creativity leads you

and your finished metal version.

When working with copper clay,

it’s best to use a separate set of

tools for those that cannot be

washed well, like files and polishing

papers. Silver metal clay will react

adversely with the copper clay in

the firing process and is best left

out of the mix.

by Pam East

Shape the clay. Form the snake into a U shape, then twist the ends of the snake together [7].

Insert the bail wires. Insert the ends of the bail wires into the top of the clay loop [8]. Place the two longer wires on the outside, with the shorter wire between them; this will help the pendant hang nicely when worn. Center the loops on the pendant so it hangs properly; adjust if needed.

Insert the pearl wires. Insert the end of one 11⁄2-in. (38 mm) wire into one end of the snake [9a]. Repeat, inserting the other wire into the other end of the snake [9b]. Insert the end of each 3-in. (76 mm) wire at various points where the twisted pieces come together [9c–e]. Check the piece for visual balance, then set it aside or in a dehydrator to dry completely.

Make paste. Put about 3 g of copper clay into a glass or plastic dish. Use a spatula and distilled water to turn the clay into a

materials ■ Copper metal clay: 20 g ■ Copper wire:

■ 16-gauge (1.3 mm), dead-soft, 12 in. (30.5 cm)

■ For Art Clay Copper: 18-gauge (1.0 mm), dead-soft, 1 ft. (30.5 cm)

■ For other brands of copper metal clay: 20-gauge (0.8 mm), dead-soft, 1 ft. (30.5 cm)

■ 5 4–6 mm, half-drilled, round drop pearls

tools & supplies ■ Flush cutters ■ Pliers: large roundnose ■ Sponge-tip makeup applicator ■ Rubber clay shaper ■ Open-shelf firing supplies (if using Art Clay Copper): long tweezers, pickle, small slow cooker, copper tongs, fiber blanket, heat-resistant glove

■ Kiln posts ■ Heat patina supplies (optional): Butane torch, butane, fire-resistant surface

■ Clear jeweler’s lacquer (optional) ■ Two-part epoxy ■ Diamond pearl reamer (optional) ■ Denatured alcohol (optional)

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13thick paste [10]. The paste should not drip, run, or flow; its consistency should be like toothpaste or cake frosting.

Reinforce the wire attachments. Use a sponge-tip applicator to muddy the surface where the wires enter the clay [11]. Apply paste to the entry area of each wire. Use a clay shaper to smooth the paste, creating a seamless transition from the wire to the pendant. Use a flat paintbrush and water to blend the paste into the body of the piece [12]. Dry completely.

Refine the wire joint. Clean excess clay off the wires, and smooth the reinforcements using various finishing tools, such as the damp sponge-tip applicator [13] and/or sanding swabs.

NOTE: Take care not to sand away all the clay you added for reinforcement. If you used water, let the piece dry completely.

Some people find copper clay dust irritating. Wear a dust mask while sanding.

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Part 2: FiringOpen-shelf firing

Art Clay Copper (ACC) should be fired on an open shelf in a preheated kiln. (That’s the clay and the method I used for this pendant.) The clay will shrink approximately 10%.

Preheat the kiln. Place four small kiln posts in the kiln, and preheat the kiln to 1780°F (971°C). Do not leave your kiln shelf in the kiln during the preheating. Place a large bucket of water on the floor by the kiln.

Prepare the pickle. Fill a 11⁄2-qt. (1.4 L) slow cooker with water, add 10 oz. (296 mL) of pickle, and stir the mixture with copper tongs. Let the slow cooker start to heat up.

TIP: You can leave pickle solution in the slow cooker for future use. Turn off the slow cooker and leave the lid on when you’re not using it. Add more water as needed to maintain the level of solution. Use only copper or wood tools in pickle; never use steel.

Set the piece on the kiln shelf. Cut a piece of fiber blanket big enough to support your piece, and lay the fiber blanket on the kiln shelf. Lay your piece face down onto the fiber blanket [1]. The fiber blanket supports the unusual shape of the piece and will prevent your piece from sticking to the kiln shelf. Less oxidation will occur and form on the face of the pendant if you position it face down.

Fire the piece. Once the kiln is at temp- erature, put on a heat-resistant glove, and use long tweezers to pick up the kiln shelf and put it into the kiln, setting it on the kiln posts [2]. Close the kiln door. Set a timer for 30 minutes.

Quench the piece. When the timer goes off, pull the entire shelf out of the kiln. Tip the shelf so the piece and the fiber blanket slide off into the bucket of water [3]. Get the piece out of the kiln and into the water as quickly and safely as possible; the longer the piece is exposed to the cooler air

outside the kiln, the more the piece will oxidize. I tip the shelf rather than using tweezers to pick up the piece for two reasons: The tweezers will cool the piece faster, causing more oxidation; and, if I’m firing multiple pieces, tipping the shelf gets all the pieces into the water in the least amount of time.

Pickle and clean the piece. Put the piece in the pickle to remove any remaining traces of oxidation [4]. It can take 15–60 minutes to get it all to dissolve. When the surface appears red, rather than black, use a wire brush in soapy water to brush the piece. The dissolved oxidized layer will brush off easily. Rinse the piece.

Firing in carbon COPPRclay and most other brands of copper metal clay must be placed in a metal pan with activated carbon and fired in a kiln. When using COPPRclay, I use the following two-phase firing schedule to ensure that all binders are burned out and dissipated. The pieces will shrink approxi-mately 20%. Check the manufacturer’s

instructions for your brand of clay for their recommended firing schedules.

Preheat the kiln. Put the piece in a cold kiln on an open shelf. Fire using a ramp speed of 500°F (260°C) per hour. Ramp to 560°F (293°C) and hold for 15 minutes. Open the kiln door and allow the piece to cool. At the end of this firing, the piece will be black and brittle, so handle it with care.

Fire the piece. Put about 1 in. (25.5 mm) of activated carbon in the bottom of a covered stainless steel pan. Place the piece near the back corner of the pan, about 1 in. (25.5 mm) from the edge (little heat reaches the front or middle of the pan). Cover the piece with another 1 in. (25.5 mm) of carbon. Place the lid on the pan, and place the pan on kiln posts toward the back of the kiln.

Use the full ramp speed of your kiln and heat to 1780°F (971°C) degrees. Hold for 31⁄2 hours. Allow the piece to cool completely in the kiln with the door closed. I usually let it cool overnight.

I like to use a slow-drying two-part epoxy for setting pearls. The type that comes in a two-chambered syringe works well and is avail- able at hardware stores and many grocery stores. Look for one that indicates “extended working time.”

Position the wires. Use your fingers to gently curve the long wires into spirals around the piece [1]. Slide the pearls onto the wires to assess their placement. Remove the pearls, then trim the wires if needed [2]. If the wire is too thick for the hole in the pearl, use a diamond pearl reamer to enlarge the hole.

NOTE: When you trim the wire, work in small increments and check the length with the pearl in place often. You can’t add wire back if you trim too much!

Mix the epoxy. Squeeze out equal amounts of the two parts of epoxy onto cardstock, and use a toothpick to mix them thoroughly. You don’t need to mix up very much; a little bit of epoxy goes a long way.

Set the pearls. Set one pearl at a time. Use a toothpick to place a small drop of epoxy onto the end of one wire [3] then add the pearl [4]. Move the pearl up and down and twist it to distribute the epoxy, and then set it all the way down onto the wire. If you get any epoxy on the front of the pearl, clean it off quickly with a cotton swab dipped in denatured alcohol. Repeat to set all the pearls. Once the pearls are set, put the pendant aside and allow the epoxy to cure for 24 hours.

Part 3: FinishingFrom this point on, the instructions for all types of copper clay are the same.

Brush the pendant. Use a wire brush and soapy water to brush the piece. Avoid bending the wires.

Tumble-polish the pendant. Tumble the pendant with steel shot and burnishing compound for 1–2 hours. Remove the pendant from the tumbler. Rinse it, then let it dry.

Patinate the pendant. Adding a patina to the piece will enhance its definition and give it a feeling of depth and age. There are two ways to add patina to copper: Chemically and with heat. I used a butane torch to apply a heat patina to my pendant.

Place the pendant onto a fire-resistant surface, ignite a butane torch, and heat the pendant. Focus the flame on the joins, as that’s where you want the deeper color [1]. Heat until you like the colors.

Polish the pendant. Use a polishing cloth to vigorously rub the surface of the piece, bringing the highlights back to a bright copper color [2]. To protect the finish and inhibit oxidation, use a paintbrush to apply lacquer to the pendant. Apply the lacquer to the back of the pendant first, avoiding the wires. Allow the back to dry completely before applying lacquer to the front of the pendant. Allow it to dry completely.

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Part 4: Setting the pearls

Process photos by Pam East.