Metal Clay Tools and Supplies - for Precious Metal Clay (PMC) and Art Clay Silver and Gold

Basic Metal Clay Tools and Supplies 

My personal recommendations for a good, basic toolkit

• Metal clay - PMC or Art Clay silver, in your choice of formulations (Art Clay Slow Dry, Art Clay 650, PMC+, PMC3, etc.). I suggest that for each formulation you get, you buy the lump clay, paste, syringe and paper (if applicable).
• A clay roller or 6"-8" piece of PVC pipe.; the Cool Roller from Cool Tools or a> has interchangeable rubber rings that maintain various thicknesses of clay. It comes in plain acrylic and non-stick versions as well as regular and long versions. I recommend the longer roller. If you're using PVC pipe, you can use anywhere from about 3/4" diameter pipe to 2-1/2" diameter pipe, depending on your preference.
• Something to prevent clay from sticking to your hands. Olive oil and Badger Balm are popular and inexpensive choices. Cool Tools has a terrific product called ClayMate for your hands, or you can use their Slik product both on your hands and as a release agent (see below).
• A "release agent" to prevent clay from sticking to tools, cutters, work surfaces, molds, texturing mats and materials, etc. - anything that isn't inherently non-stick (e.g., flexible Teflon sheets, silicone molds, silicone-tipped Clay Shaper and Colour Shaper tools). In general, I prefer to use olive oil (there are some who recommend against using any oil on rubber stamps, but I personally have never had a problem with it). For intricately detailed textures, I prefer a non-stick spray for metal clay - either Cool Slip from Cool Tools or HattieS No-Stick spray from PMC Supply. My new favorite is a wonderful Cool Tools product called "Slik" that can be used as a release agent on both hands and other surfaces, but I don't use it with intricately detailed texture mats.
• A rolling surface. I use a glass surface marked with a grid pattern on the underside that I bought in a crafts store, but there are lots of good options. A plain piece of acrylic works fine, as does a self-healing cutting mat. Use a release agent or, preferably, cover it with a piece of flexible non-stick (e.g., Teflex or Teflon) sheet or a lightly oiled piece of plastic sheet protector (see below) to keep the clay from sticking to the rolling surface.
• Non-stick baking sheet liners - Teflon or similar - or plastic sheet protectors if Teflon or Teflex sheet isn't in your budget. J. Fred Woell (see Recommended Suppliers, below) sells fantastic 6" squares of Teflex (Teflon-coated fiberglass) that are silky-smooth and don't leave a pattern on the back of your clay. Note: Don't use Silpat or other textured non-stick sheets!
• Spacers for rolling different thicknesses of clay. The cheapest/easiest method is to use a spare deck of playing cards. Tape together stacks of playing cards face up with the appropriate card value on top (e.g., a stack of three cards with the 3 of hearts (or any other suit) as the top card in the stack). If you can find extra-long playing cards, you'll appreciate the extra length when you're rolling out your clay. Alternatives include mat board of the appropriate thickness, color-coded plastic spacers specifically for metal clay (available from Art Clay World USA, Pam Eastand the Cool Roller with interchangeable rubber spacers, which now comes in two sizes and is available in both acrylic and non-stick-coated versions from Cool Tools and Rio Grande.
• A water container. Avoid using a lightweight cup, such as a disposable paper or plastic cup (except in a class or workshop); they're too easy to knock over accidentally and create an unwanted water spill.
• Distilled water. You can use tap water, but distilled water will discourage mold from forming on your stored clay and paste, and will give you more predictable results with liver of sulfur (LOS) patinas.
• Small, covered plastic containers (empty film canisters work great) for mixing different thicknesses of slip, storing pre-made metal clay components (e.g., little balls from leftover scraps of clay), etc.
• Small, good-quality artist's paintbrushes. I find it useful to have a set of several sizes and shapes, including a small pointed brush, a flat-edged "bright" brush, and a medium round brush. There are also brushes with built-in water reservoirs that are very handy.
• Plastic wrap for keeping clay moist. I like Stretch-Tite brand, which I find to be stronger than most other brands.
• Drinking straws - as many sizes as you can collect, from coffee stirrer size to jumbo shake size for cutting holes in clay and forming bails.
• Texturing materials - anything from toothpaste caps to buttons to lace/fabric to texture mats or texture plates. Elaine Luther sells some really lovely silicone texture mats at Creative Texture Tools, and Mardel Rein has some terrific texture plates, texture tips (small, individual design motifs) and gorgeous molds made from antique buttons at Cool Tools. Most metal clay suppliers sell some form of texture plates. Or you can carve your own with wood carving tools (Dockyard brand micro-carving tools are super-sharp) on large white erasers, rubber carving blocks, or sheets of baked polymer clay. See my Squidoo lens on creating metal clay textures for more texturing material ideas.
• Cosmetic sponges and sponge-tipped applicators (such as eyeshadow applicators) for smoothing clay and for cleaning stones before firing. You can find these in any drugstore (or maybe in your cosmetics drawer or bag, if you have any unused sponges and/or applicators).
• Salon boards/nail boards in different grits, from coarse to fine for pre-finishing bone-dry, unfired clay. You can get the Kiss brand at chain drugstores like CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid and Sally Beauty Supply carries the Tropical Shine 4-way Buffer.
• Palette knife - metal or plastic (I use both) for mixing slip, reconstituting dried clay, mixing glycerine into clay to make it flexible, etc.
• Sandpapers in multiple grits - 400, 600, 800 and 1200. (Add higher grits from automotive supply stores if you can find them.)
• Foam-backed sanding and polishing pads in a range of grits, while not strictly essential, are extremely helpful.
• Something to fire your metal clay in or on - preferably a kiln with an electronic controller suitable for metal clay, or a butane kitchen torch plus a soldering board or a tripod with a metal mesh grate. (Note: Paragon makes excellent kilns specifically for metal clay.) Butane torches are inexpensive, but only suitable for firing small and/or thin pieces and unsuitable for firing Original/Standard PMC, which must be fired in a kiln for 2 hours.
• Sharp tools for cutting/slicing clay - disposable scalpels, tissue blades (both rigid and flexible), X-acto knife, etc.
• Needle tool - I use both the Pro Needle tool and the Ultra Clay Pick from Cool Tools, which has an ultra-fine point, but you can just hot-glue a doll needle into a piece of cork or make a handle from polymer clay.
• Extra-long tweezers for removing items from the kiln (if you're using one).
• Soft, large brass brush for initial burnishing of just-fired silver.
• Burnisher - metal, agate or both. There are different shapes of burnishers; mostly, choosing one is matter of preference. Agate burnishers, while more expensive than metal, stay cooler while burnishing gold foil to fine silver for keum-boo, but cannot be quenched in water. You also can use a stainless steel butter knife or spoon as a burnisher.
• Needle files. You can get along without them, but you won't want to for long. I use a set of regular needle files and a set of diamond needle files.
• A small refillable spray bottle for water, such as a Nalgene travel cosmetic spray bottle or clean atomizer. Tip: Get an extra and fill it with olive oil for misting your hands, tools, clay, work surface, etc. I also recommend getting an additional mister with a very fine spray for lightly misting clay with water when it gets a little dry.
• If you are planning to sell your items made from metal clay, you'll also need a .999 (or .999 FS) quality marking stamp. If you're going to sell any of your metal clay creations, you'll need to stamp or scribe them with the appropriate quality mark. You'll also need a 22K quality marking stamp if you're making items from gold precious metal clay, a .925 quality marking stamp if you're going to incorporate sterling silver, and a 24K quality marking stamp if you're using keum-boo foil. Note: If you don't want to buy quality marking stamps, you can scribe the quality marks in the metal clay with a needle tool or other scribe before firing, or with a rotary tool with diamond-tipped bit after firing.

Additional Recommended Metal Clay Tools and Supplies 

• Tweezers - I use a fine, bent-tipped tweezer specifically made for picking up gemstones and a cross-lock tweezer for holding things and soldering.
• Q-Tips or foam-tipped swabs (optional - for cleaning the tops of stones before firing. Eyeshadow applicators from the drug store work well.)
• Isopropyl alcohol from the drugstore (optional - for cleaning the tops of gemstones before firing).
• A magnifier. (If you are satisfied with the finish on your unfired clay under a magnifier, you'll be happy with the finish on your fired clay.) I like working with an Optivisor, but any form of magnification should work fine.
• Small aspic, clay, fondant, sugarpaste or cookie cutters.
• Metal twist drill bits in small sizes - generally 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm and 3mm will serve for most purposes.
• A Dremel or Flexshaft electric rotary tool.
• Micron-grit polishing papers - 400, 600, 1200, 4000, 6000 and 8000 grit. Not absolutely essential unless you're trying to achieve a mirror finish, but they make a big difference in the smoothness of the finish. These are color-coded. A tip I learned from Tonya Davidson of Whole Lotta Whimsy: Mark the back of each piece with a permanent marker to identify the grit until you memorize the color coding.
• 3M Radial Bristle polishing discs (red, blue, pink, green and peach - use them in that order) and a miniature screw mandrel to put them on. These are amazing for polishing metal. (Don't use them on unfired metal clay!) I use a stack of three 3/4" diameter discs on the mandrel with my Dremel tool. Assuming your rotary tool spins counterclockwise, stack the discs on the mandrel with the bristles curving clockwise (towards the right); if your rotary tool spins clockwise, then stack the discs with the bristles curving left (counterclockwise). Use a very light touch so that only the tips of the bristles touch the metal.
• Sanding sticks in a range of grits from 400 to 1000. Make them yourself by wrapping automotive sandpaper sheets very tightly and smoothly around a wood paint stick and taping along the top and bottom edges (the short sides). That way you can tear off a used piece when it's no longer useful and expose new, fresh sandpaper.
• Metal polish - I recommend Wenol.
• Rotary tumbler, stainless steel shot and burnishing liquid. A magnetic finisher/tumbler with stainless steel pins will work in a fraction of the time of a rotary tumbler and the tiny pins can get into small areas more effectively, but it's a much more expensive piece of equipment.
• Liver of Sulphur / Liver of Sulfur for beautiful rainbow patinas (or dark grey-black patinas). Often referred to as LOS. Liver of Sulfur degrades when exposed to light and/or moisture, and liquid LOS has a much shorter shelf life than dry chunks. I recommend buying a small amount of dry LOS chunks and storing them in a dark, airtight container just large enough to hold them. When you're ready to use it, create a fresh batch of solution by breaking off a small piece from one of the chunks and dissolving it in warm water. I recommend making a fairly weak solution (pale yellow) and develop the patina color slowly by dipping the silver alternately in LOS solution and ice water. You can use a stainless steel or plastic tweezer to dip your pieces; if you do, make sure to move the tweezer to a different area on the silver each time you dip it so the patina will cover your piece evenly. Alternatively, if your piece has a hole or can be suspended from a wire, you can twist a piece of wire (I use stainless steel binding wire, but any non-reactive metal will do) and use the wire to dip the piece into the LOS solution and the water.
• Silver Black, Black Max or other black oxidizing patina. Liver of Sulfur patina can be built up to a dark gray color with a slightly blue cast, but not a true black. For that, you'll need a chemical patina formulated specifically for that. Note that these chemicals are more toxic and caustic than Liver of Sulfur, so if you don't absolutely need a pure black patina, LOS is a healthier/safer option.
• Fine silver wire, bezel wire, bezel cups and other findings, if desired. You can also use sterling silver wire, findings, etc., with low-fire silver metal clay if you fire it at 1110F for up to 45 minutes or 1200F for up to 30 minutes, depending on the brand and formula of metal clay you are using. Firing sterling at temperatures higher than 1200F or for prolonged periods will make it brittle and create a layer of ugly firescale (cupric oxide) that will need to be mechanically removed by sanding and/or filing. You may want to "depletion silver" your sterling components before embedding them in metal clay (this process is often referred to incorrectly as "depletion gilding," which is a similar process used to bring up a fine gold layer on the surface of karat gold). Depletion silvering involves repeatedly heating and pickling the sterling to remove the copper oxides from the surface layer of the silver.
• Pliers - one pair each of round nose, flat nose and chain nose at a minimum.
• A food dehydrator, such as the Excalibur, to speed up drying the clay before firing. A mug or candle warmer, or even a hairdryer, can help speed drying times if you can't afford the funds or space for a dehydrator. However, heat-based drying aids (vs. air-based drying aids) can tend to warp flat pieces or develop small cracks around the edges, since the outside dries (and shrinks) much faster than the inside.
• Clay Shapers and/or rubber-tipped Colour Shapers in a variety of tips. These can be found at many metal clay suppliers and also at Dick Blick.
• Metal hammers and a rawhide mallet.
• 2-part flexible molding compound for making your own texture molds. My absolute favorite is Knead-a-Mold from Townsend Atelier - easy to blend and picks up extremely fine detail!
• Rubber block or hockey puck. Great for bracing your work while you sand, polish or carve. PMC123 sells a rubber block with a square hole in the middle that's great for sanding and/or filing.
• Steel bench block.
• Stone-setting burs.
• Bezel roller.
• Natural and/or manmade gemstones (faceted and/or cabochons), dichroic glass cabs, etc. Be sure you know whether or not the stones or cabs you're using can be fired in clay or need to be set post-firing. There's an excellent chart you can download as a PDF from the Cool Tools site.
• Plastic drawing templates for basic shapes and curves. Any art supply store or drafting supplier will have a selection of these.
• For keum-boo, an UltraLite Beehive kiln with optional red brass inserts, or a flat-burner hot plate or camp stove and a 6"x6" piece of red brass sheet. The UltraLite Beehive kiln is far and away the best heat source for doing keum-boo, but it's also more expensive than a hot plate or camp stove and a piece of brass sheet. You may want to read my UltraLite Beehive kiln product review to learn more about this versatile "trinket kiln," which can be used for granulation, for enameling and (with the optional ceramic inserts) for firing metal clay as well as for keum-boo.
• Also for keum-boo: Heavy leather gloves (if you're using a hotplate or camp stove) or deerskin gardening gloves that fit well (if you're using an UltraLite kiln).
• Thick 24K gold foil for keum-boo.(Allcraft carries both thick and double-thick 24K foil.)
• Plastic report covers - clear, not anti-glare or frosted. These are invaluable for covering clay when you're rolling it to help keep it from drying out too quickly.
• Ring sizing pellets (such as HattieS Patties) or molds and investment to make your own (such as those from Cool Tools or PMC123).
• Ring mandrel.
• Photopolymer plate material and UV light setup. See my /www.squidoo.com/metal-clay-textures/"Creating Textures in Metal Clay lens for more information on photopolymer plates and sources for supplies.
• File cleaning brush (AKA a card file) - a metal-bristle brush for cleaning accumulated metal clay dust and metal particles that can clog your metal files and cutting or setting burs.
• PMC shrinkage ruler.
• Creative Paperclay - a paper-based modeling material you can shape and sculpt, then cover with metal clay. It has a high volcanic ash content that allows it to hold its shape during firing to create a supportive structure for hollow metal clay shapes. It also can be used to fill areas where stones will be set post-firing so that the setting areas don't shrink during firing. Make sure it's absolutely dry all the way through before firing it.
• Cork clay or wood clay - to provide a temporary armature/support during firing. It burns away during the firing process.
• Aura 22 or Accent Gold for Silver - a comparatively affordable way to add 22k or 24k gold accents, respectivelyl.
• A straight toenail clipper (a cheap, excellent flush cutter for wire!).
• The LiL BeLLA humidifier from award-winning metal clay artist Donna Lewis of Metal Clay Arts. The LiL BeLLA will keep uncovered metal clay, slip and/or paste moist and fresh for hours, so they're easily accessible throughout your work session. It's small, so you'll want one for lump clay and another for paste or slip. (Plan on buying additional LiL BeLLAs if you're using BRONZclay or gold metal clay as well as silver.) See my review of the LiL BeLLA.

Even More Ideas for your PMC or Art Clay Silver Toolkit 

• Polymer clay - for making carved texture plates, tear-away textures, tool handles, roller "feet" and more. (Celie Fago recommends using Sculpey III for making tear-away textures and Premo for everything else.)
• Wood carving tools - for carving baked polymer clay sheets into texture plates or for carving leather-hard Original PMC or Art Clay Silver - Standard. I recommend Dockyard brand micro-carving tools - I purchased the 1.25, 1.5 and 2.0 v-gouge and 1.5 and 2.0 u-gouge carving tools from Celie Fago. Dockyard micro-carving tools are now available from several additional sources, including Whole Lotta Whimsy and Polymer Clay Express, which sells sets of the micro-gouges by size.
• A riveting hammer or, preferably, a goldsmith's hammer with a cross-peen end - for riveting wire through pieces of fired clay (or other metal) for cold connections.
• Extra Solderite boards. Use them as extra kiln shelves, cut them into 1"x2" rectangles to use as kiln "furniture"/kiln shelf spacers, or cut one into four equal strips and arrange them into a square frame, which you wrap with stainless steel binding wire and set on top of another Solderite board or kiln shelf to fill with vermiculite as a tray for firing volumetric metal clay pieces in the kiln.
• Tuff Brake - a flexible, translucent rubbery material that protects the surface of your metal when you tap it with a rawhide mallet to flatten it. Available from Jatayu (Connie Fox) or Fred Woell (see the Recommended Suppliers section below).
• Basic soldering supplies - torch, solder, flux, pickle, etc. Soldering on Original PMC isn't recommended, but you can solder on any other type of fine silver metal clay, and sometimes it's the best way to attach certain findings. I like Cool Tools' "Silver Prep" citric acid pickle, which is safer than traditional jeweler's pickle.
• PMC Gold or Art Clay Gold 22k gold clay... if you are lucky enough to be able to afford it! :)

Recommended Suppliers for Metal Clay Tools and Supplies - US (no web site) 

• Allcraft Jewelry Supply
  Allcraft carries excellent quality 24k keum-boo foil in regular thickness and double thickness). The piece of foil they sell is also larger than the size most metal clay suppliers sell. They also have nearly any tool you can think of - just talk with Tevel, the owner, about what you need. Unfortunately, they have no catalog and no longer have a web site, so you'll need to call, fax or write to them.
  
  135 WEST 29TH STREET
  SUITE 402
  NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10001-5193
  Telephone 1-800-645-7124
  Fax 1-800-645-7125
• J. Fred Woell Fred is an extremely experienced, talented and respected metalsmith, metal arts instructor, and Rio Rewards PMC certification instructor whose work was recognized in the Smithsonian "Archives of American Art." He's also an incredibly nice person who sells some very useful PMC-related supplies (e.g., Teflon-coated fiberglass rolling sheets, Tuff Brake and more) and tools he designs and makes himself (including a wonderful handcrafted spatula with a thin, flexible blade for turning and flattening PMC pieces as they are drying on a mug warmer or similar). He doesn't have a web site, but you can contact him at redwheel@peoplepc.com for a full list of what he sells or to place an order. His customer service is second to none.