The Joy of Metal Clay - This and That

Last week during my class my student asked me about several resources which I didn't have the information on hand. I decided to post the information here to share with you all.

First there was the question about molding compounds:

Mairead, one of the students from last week's class, happened to bring her silicone molding compound with her and shared it with some of the class. Thanks for sharing. 

Two part silicone can be bought craft stores and metal clay resources.  It is easy to use - just mix two equal parts mold, allow the item to set in the mold while curing.  Curing can take several minutes to half an hour depending on the type - read the directions.  Many don't require any mold release as but check the directions of the type you purchase. 

Another cool  compound I have used is the Oyumara compound which is inexpensive, reusable and easy to use:

Here are the directions taken from ART CLAY WORLD USA's website:

Directions: Dip the Oyumaru into hot water (more than 176ºF) for 3 minutes. Take the Oyumaru out of the water with a pair of tongs and wipe it dry with a towel. While it is still soft, press the material you wish to mold into the Oyumaru. If the Oyumaru gets hard while you are working with it, place it back in the water and begin the process again.


I blogged about it a while ago. Here is the link. I have seen it at the BeadFX store.  You can also purchase it from Art Clay World.

There are many other ways to make textures and molds but those are two that last week's class was interested in.

The other thing that came up was questions about where I managed to order some custom stamps to be made.  I have searched and this is the place: RubberStamps.net.

The final piece of info was about a small Waterloo company where I have ordered rare earth magnets and craft tools.  It is called Indigo Instruments and is has a variety of medical grade tools that come in handy for working with metal clay.