Art Clay Silver 950 Series

Short intro movie of Art Clay Silver 950

Characteristics of  Art Clay 950 Clay Type

  • The silver powder in the clay fuses together/sinters during firing and turns into silver alloy after firing.
  • It is composed of metal powder, organic binder and water.
  • After firing, it is 60% stronger than Art Clay Silver regular  series.
  • Shrinkage  rate after firing is approximately 10  to 13%.
  • Silver  purity after firing is 95%, as often used in professional jewelry products.
  • Can be open fired in a kiln just like regular Art Clay Silver Series.
  • The surface of the fired piece will will be pale gray due to crystallization of silver during firing, but a luster can be obtained by polishing.

  • Available in 25g and 50g package.
  • Art Clay 950 is water based clay. Cracks may appear while working, in this case, either add a few drops of water to your working surface and rub with your finger or remix your clay well by adding a small amount of water to your clay, then wrapping and kneading it again in a plastic wrap.
  • Take out necessary amount of clay, the rest should be kept in plastic wrap in a sealed container.
  • Take out necessary amount of clay, the rest should be kept in plastic wrap in a sealed container.
  • You can easily adjust the softness by kneading the clay



Before you start, Please check Tips and Notes of making Art Clay Silver 950


<Drying>

Reference guide for an object up to 1mm thick and 5g. If your work is larger, more drying time will be needed.

There are several ways to dry your work.

  • Hair dryer: At least 10 minutes with a 1200w hair dryer. Place the dryer within 5-10cm/3 inches from the piece.
  • Cooking plate: At least 10 minutes at 150℃/300°F
  • Kiln: At least 10 minutes at 150℃/300°F
  • Natural / air dry: At least  24 hours at room temperature.
  • *Do not apply the heat over 250℃/480°F, otherwise the binder burns away and shape of the piece will change.

How to tell when the piece is dry enough

Place the piece on a sheet of stainless steel, glass or plastic and after 10~20 seconds pick up the piece. If there is no croud of water vapor, it is dry. (It is easy to check the vapor cloud on black stainless, glass or plastic).



<Firing>

Firing conditions: Open Shelf Firing

Another great feature is that you DO NOT need carbon to fire. No extra preparation for firing is needed and you make no extra mess!  * Always fire in an electric kiln with temperature control. Not suitable for gas stove or torch firing.

2 types of firing schedule is available(Standard/Quick) 


  1. Put your piece in a room temperature kiln, and set the kiln temperature at 500 Deg.C (932°F)
  2. Ramp up until 500 Deg. C (932°F) and hold for 30 mins.
  3. Set the kiln temp at 870 Deg. C (1598°F), and hold it at 870 Deg.C for 60 mins.
  4. Turn off the kiln and wait until the kiln temperature drops to 200 Deg.C (392°F)
  5. Take the piece out and wait until the piece cools down completely or leave it until the kiln temperature drops to room temperature.

  1. Put your piece in a room temperature kiln, and set the kiln temperature at 500 Deg.C (932°F)
  2. Ramp up until 500 Deg. C (932°F) and hold for 10 mins.
  3. Set the kiln temp at 880 Deg. C (1616°F), and hold it at 880 Deg.C for 30 mins.
  4. Turn off the kiln and wait until the kiln temperature drops to 200 Deg.C (392°F)
  5. Take the piece out and wait until the piece cools down completely or leave it until the kiln temperature drops to room temperature.

FAQ for Art Clay Silver 950


*From here, ACS stands for Art Clay Silver.

Q.) Does it feel different to work with compared to regular ACS?

A.) Working with ACS 950 is not significantly different from working with regular ACS. If the clay feels a little stiff when first taking out of the package, knead well before use.

Q. Compared with the regular ACS, Is there a difference in drying time? Also do you have the strength and flexibility difference after drying?

A.) There is no difference in drying time. The strength and flexibility after drying are also almost the same as with regular ACS.

Q.) For those with metal allergies, is there any problem with wearing and/or working with the clay?

A.) In some rare cases, there may be a possibility of reaction due to the metal. In general, because of the high purity of the clay and when compared to SV925, which is generally used in jewelry, if there is no problem with regularly worn silver accessories, the possibility of reaction is low.

Q.) Can I make Paste from ACS 950 for fixing and joining dried pieces of ACS 950? Also, can I use my own paste of ACS 950 for fixing or joining fired ACS 950 pieces?

A.) You can make Paste of ACS 950 by mixing with water, and you can use it for fixing and joining dried ACS 950 pieces. For fixing and joining fired ACS 950 pieces, please use regular ACS Paste Type to re-fire it at 800 Deg.C (1472F).

Q.) Can I use regular ACS Paste type with ACS 950 works?

A.) Yes, you can use regular ACS paste type for dried pieces, and fired pieces of ACS 950.

Q.) Is it possible to mix ACS 950 with other ACS series? (Regular Art Clay Silver, Slow Tarnish)

A.) When combined with other ACS series products, the clay characteristics will change. Drying conditions and firing conditions will also vary, Therefore it is not recommended to mix clay types as there is possibility of damage during firing.

Q.) What is the shrinkage after firing ACS 950?

A.) Shrinkage is approx. 10 to 13% in length.

* Shrinkage of regular Art Clay Silver is about 8 to 9% in length.

* For making ring, allow extra shrinkage 1 size more than the one was made with regular ACS.

Q.) What is the purity after firing? Also, can the piece be hallmarked?

A.)Silver purity will be 95% after firing. You can hallmark your pieces [Sterling] [SILVER] [SV950] [SILVER950] . According to the definition of assay office in UK, silver purity of 92.5% over and less than 95.8% can be hallmarked as [Sterling].

Q.) Is it possible to fire ACS 950 with synthetic stones?

A.) Yes, the same stone specifications apply as with regular Art Clay Silver products.

Q.) Is it possible to solder ACS 950 work?

A.) Soldering is possible but care needs to be shown with soldering absorbed in metal due to porousness of the fired ACS 950.

Q. Is it possible to attach Gold foil on fired ACS950?

A.) Yes, and it is the same process as with regular Art Clay series products.

Q.) Can I store remainder of ACS950 in a moisturizing case?

A.) If ACS950 contacts in higher humidity in a moisturizing case, oxidation will proceed. It is recommended that you keep it tightly with plastic wrap in the moisturizing case.

Q.) Do I need to use acid to remove any oxidation?

A.) You can use acid on your choice, but it is not necessary. It turns grayish color right after firing as it has very small amount of copper in ACS 950, but it turns silver shine by polishing.

Q.) Can I put ACS 950 in a syringe to use?

A.) Yes, you can use it as you use with regular ACS. In that case, please use AIDA’s recommended empty syringe (Original item # : A-0031).