Introducing White Bronze – Continued
Here is a report on my further testing of White Bronze clay.
1. I’ve been asked how White Bronze reacts to patina. You can see the result in the photo below.
2. How well does it pick up textures? I tried to make my Collage of Textures pendant (first project in the my first book) with White Bronze. It reacts well with liver of sulfur and seems to pick up textures very well.
Before Firing
After Firing
3. Smooth/matte/satin finish. Achieving these finishes was no harder than with silver, copper or bronze clay.
4. Combining copper with White Bronze.
5. Reaction with bronze. I fired both bronze and White Bronze on a copper piece, without sealing the bronze as I would have done with silver. Both sintered, and there was no alloying or change in color.
The following bead has been waiting for this moment for about two years. I fired the copper and the bronze with the intention of adding silver to the bottom part. It was just then that I found out about the reaction of silver and bronze (you can read all about it in my second book), so I stopped working on the bead.
6. Sticking to copper and bronze. Since the firing temperature of copper and bronze is higher than that of White Bronze, copper and bronze need to be fired first. I placed an unfired piece of White Bronze on a fired piece of copper and a fired piece of bronze, and re-fired.
The results were inconsistent. I repeated it a few times and sometimes they stuck, sometimes they didn’t, regardless of whether it was copper or bronze. My guess is that they will stick if there is a way of creating some pressure between them. The following test supports this hunch. It seems that the pressure of the carbon on the piece was not enough.
7. Inlay.
White Bronze in copper
White Bronze in bronze
The following photo shows side by side inlay of White Bronze in copper (R) and inlay of copper in bronze (L).
Color comparison
As you can see, the contrast between bronze and White Bronze doesn’t seem very sharp. Over time it may improve when the bronze yellows some more. White Bronze has not changed in color so far.
The inlay pieces above were only partially successful. In the center of the pieces the metals bonded well with each other. On the peripheries some of the inlay chipped off and required repair and re-firing. It seems that on the peripheries the pressure is lower than in the center.
In the following piece I avoided inlaying the White Bronze on the borders of the piece. The bonding was fine.
March 16th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
You rock! I can hardly wait to give it a whirl!
Diane
March 16th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
I second Diane’s sentiments 🙂
March 16th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
When can we buy it? Is it a matter of days or weeks or months?! …. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
March 16th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
When will we be able to purchase???? Cannot wait!
March 16th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Hadar, you are amazing!!!!!!!!! Thank you thank you so much. These are gorgeous, your white bronze will change everything with the base metal clays. Genius, incredible patience and perseverance and just plain guts!
March 16th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Great examples! When can we buy some?
March 16th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Jenny, Marty,
Not months, weeks, 2 to 3, hopefully sooner.
Hadar
March 16th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Awesome Hadar! What patinas did you use on the first piece?
March 16th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Lynda,
I used both “patina blue” from Sophisticated Finishes series and dye-oxide patinas.
March 16th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
You are an amazing woman Hadar and so giving. Thank you so much for all you do and share with us with the metal clay. I am just about to embark on trying bronze and copper so I have so much to learn. I am very excited to hopefully have the three metal colors if possible. With your help, determination and testing, it looks like that might be possible now. I actually like the sutle (softness) of the white bronze pieces you have done. Are you using the blanket box or the stainless steel box now? I couldn’t tell by the blog if you were only using the fiber box now or not. Thank you so much!
March 17th, 2010 at 2:33 am
Okay, you must never sleep! Or you’ve been cloned and there are two or three of you working 20 hours a day!! Incredible, Hadar! Thank you so much for your wonderful and generous contributions to the ever-exciting field of metal clay!!
March 17th, 2010 at 4:18 am
Hadar, I know I have said it before, but I think you are the quintessential Wonder Woman. How you find time for all this product development, your teaching schedule (home & abroad)and consistent & informative blogging never ceases to amaze and bless us all! I may have to re-think going to Purdue and come out there to study with you instead. Seriously!
March 17th, 2010 at 6:01 am
Hadar, Thank you for your devotion to metal clay we all benefit from your tireless experimentations.
I know that their are many silversmiths all over the world waiting to place our orders for white bronze.
March 17th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
well done Hadar you are truely inspirational – i look forward to playing …..
March 17th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Kimberly,
I don’t use steel boxes anymore. I fire all clays in a fiber blanket box. White Bronze just has a different firing schedule.
March 18th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Wow Hadar! This looks great. Look forward to seeing and hearing more.