CAB'z Photos on Flickr
When all else fails: improvise.
By now everyone working with bronze clays knows getting colorful patinas is unpredictable. What to do; What to do when you are preparing pieces to be fired and need a usable patina?
My experiments using metal clay powder haven’t done so well. I have lots of powder but no success stories from the kiln. Not having a programmable kiln means I have to manually try to control the temperature. Not the most reliable method. While I save up my courage to try the powder again, I took on a couple other projects that needed some color. Copper and bronze are compatible. Why not use a copper wash and see what happens?
I took pieces that had been fired previously and some that were unfired. A little copper powder and some distilled water brushed and dried onto the pieces. The kiln is unpredictable enough. I use coconut carbon to fire the bronze. For backup, in case the color isn’t right, I have a small carton of coal charcoal/carbon.
As luck would have it the first two sets of earrings come out of the coconut carbon sintered and with lovely fall colors – probably from the copper. A little more work on the highlights of the flower petals for contrast and they’ll be ready.
Now for the ones that had been fired previously. They went into the coal carbon and came out with more subtle colors. The woven earrings did not have a copper wash but after being fired the first time they had been buffed to a yellow shiny bronze. Her Shoe had been fired in coal carbon after being fired in coconut carbon. Then it was buffed and became very black & shiny. This time, it went into the coal carbon with a copper wash on the upper part of the shoe. It came out with a blue cast to the black and rustic colors where the wash was applied.
Autumn Flowers
Autumn Colors
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- Autumn Colors
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- Her Shoe
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- Autumn Flowers
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- Woven Bronze
Woven Bronze
I think these are beautiful! Not having a programmable kiln, does yours have a rheostat on it? (I’m sure that’s a stupid question.) If so, is there some way you could rig it to work on a timer? It would solve your problem if you could get it to work at one temp for a period of time, then change to a different temp when you needed it to. I doubt it will help you with ramping up/cooling down, but maybe it would help you with the middle process. I’m clueless about kiln stuff, I’m sorry. Just thought I’d throw my thoughts out there.
And another thing…regarding getting a patina, I haven’t worked with the bronze clay yet – and I always use a torch. Anyway, can you use something like Sophisticated Finishes – or is that counter-productive? I’ve used that on loads of stuff and I just love it. If you can’t get what you want with the heat, you may want to try something like Modern Options or Sophisticated Finishes after you fire your piece.
I’m clueless about solving the programmable problem w/out investing a new kiln or something that cost about the same. I may have to do some more research on that.
I don’t really have a good space for using a torch. Anything w/ an open flame is off limits. So far I haven’t tried any chemicals either. It’s beginning to sound like what I really need is $$ for a studio ; )