Thankyou a million times. I’ve been trying to find a video to show if this could be done successfully. . I really appreciate your help. Thank you darlene USA I’m new to this.
Thank you for this. This is a great idea but I think a video demonstration actually using clay would really clear up a lot of the questions posted. Would that be possible? I've bought both flat back and prong bezels from your shop so I am all set to go but all of this material is very pricey and it would be much more clear with a live demonstration. Hate to make expensive mistakes!
Hi there. I’m very sorry but I don’t have a shop - I’ve linked to the shop where I bought my products. I stopped using metal clay a few years ago but there are plenty of videos that show how to use bezels. They are actually very easy and if you make a mess simply remove the clay, recondition and start again. I’ve gone over the common mistakes that can be made so hopefully you can avoid them. Good luck.
@@artisanalchemybymichele471 Oh! Sorry for the misunderstanding! In that case, thank you for taking the time that you did to make that video! I will go over it again and I'll just take that leap of faith and give this a try. I've only been at metal clay for about 6 months so I am still afraid of making a big expensive mess of everything. Thanks again and cheers!
Hi Gillian. Yes you can torch fire them BUT like all silver, they will melt if you push it too far. You are better keeping the torch focussed on the underside of the bezel rather than the top.
Yes. If you look at the video at around 9 minutes I mention that. You can push the gemstone in (not with the bezel)and get it out with tweezers and then centre the bezel over the top.
I've watched this several times but I'm missing a step/ I'm not getting the premade bezels to stay in the metal clay . Usually it pops out after drying not even getting to the kiln stage yet. I've tried several things to build up the clay around it? What am I doing wrong?
You need to make sure you are using enough paste to secure the bezel and hold in place for a good few minutes. If you’re using the closed back bezels you could rough up the back with some sand paper so there’s something a bit more for the paste to adhere to. If you’re using the tab feet type you need to put the paste on the tabs and make sure you’re pressing it in firmly enough and then hold for a few minutes. It also helps to lightly add water to the surface of the piece before you add the bezel. They key is to holding it in place for much longer than you think, perhaps giving it an initial slight wiggle until you feel it grip, then hold firm. If you want to be super secure let it dry completely then add more paste (or water) to the joints and again hold in place. Thoroughly dry.
Another good video. Is it possible to buy stones that can be fired in a kiln in activated carbon when making bronze pieces. I cannot find any info on firing stones embedded in bronze, I presume that it is not possible.
+Dwarfsbane Ironfist Hi and glad you liked my latest video. Yes, you can buy gemstones suitable for kiln firing BUT you need to check what temperature the stones will tolerate because bronze and copper (typically) need to be fired at a very high temperature. The best gemstones to include in bronze are CZs for firing (NOT normal CZs but ones that are specifically for firing in a kiln). Try www.metalclay.co.uk or www.diamondcz.co.uk (although a few I have bought from diamondcz have changed colour but they were great at refunding them). Hope that helps.
+Artisan Alchemy by Michele Thank you for the info, I buy from www.metalclay.co.uk/, they seem a very good company. I have bought some of the stones for silver, I will try them in bronze. The other company looks good, larger stones.
Thank you for the video, is very helpful ! I am new in metal clay and still I need some tip's.. I use fine silver wire for making the bazel.. when I arrive In the point to fire (I use a torch) , I use the art metal clay paste , I let to dry and fired, in less then one minute it start to melt. Can you tell me how long this need to be fire? And after I will put in the pendant and I will burn the piece will not be a risk of melting again?
iasminandra I'm not sure I totally understand the second part of your question but let me deal with joining the bezel wire first. I prefer not to use paste but to fuse the join. To do this takes practice but you need to have a completely straight cut so that the two sides fit perfectly. You then fuse them together by using the flame alone. If you get too close or too hot or keep the flame on too long it will melt the wire. You need to look for a "flash" or "shimmer" on the join and as soon as you see that you move the flame away. It doesn't take very long for the flash to appear - probably about a minute or less but it happens very very quickly and if you blink you'll miss it and then the wire will melt. Quench in cold water, sand to smooth the join until you can't see it and then reshape to fit your stone and embed the bezel in the metal clay. If you've fused it correctly it won't open again after firing in your piece. Hope that helps.
hi, thank you for the video..it was really good..I couldn't help but admire the sample you showed of that beautiful pendant..could you please make a video on how to make it..or at least if you can tell me where to get the stamp if it was stamp...thank you so much..
Hi Salma. Unfortunately I haven't got a tutorial for this pendant as it's one I made for myself to wear. There isn't a stamp for it as each component was made separately and then assembled. The texture is from a roller that you can buy from www.metalclay.co.uk. I hope that helps. x
I'm sorry but I'm not sure I understand? Once the tabs are in the metal clay and fired it is all metal - however, you then put your stone in and fold the bezel over to hold the stone. If you watch the video I demonstrate how to do that. I hope I've answered your question.
@@mariamancini8093 as the metal clay is fired it shrinks so it grabs onto the tabs and the bottom of the bezel holding it securely in place. The metal clay has to be thick enough that the tabs are not seen on the underside of the piece. If it's been fixed and fired properly then there's no way it will come out.
Thanks for your video. Just a couple of questions. As the settings are pre-made, when they are embedded in the clay, which shrinks with firing, do the settings shrink a bit too or do they retain their exact size? Just wondering if the pressure of shrinking puts pressure on the setting so that the stone might be really tight when you try to fit it into the bezel after firing. And if I made a setting our of clay, how do you know how big to make it, so that when it shrinks it fits the stone? Also, are they sterling or fine silver and if sterling do they need to be fired to remove the copper first? Thanks for your help.
Thanks for your question Julie. The pre-made settings are made from silver metal and therefore don't shrink - it's only metal clay that shrinks with the process of turning the clay into metal. So the fit of the stone in the bezel shouldn't change from pre to post firing. What can happen is that if you haven't pushed the bezel far enough into the clay, during the firing/shrinking process, the metal clay shrinks and then pushes the bezel out of position. This doesn't happen often but it's the worst case scenario. If that were to happen you could re-attach the bezel after firing and then fire again (without the stone in place of course unless it's a fireable gemstone).
The bezel cups linked to below are actually fine silver rather than sterling silver so are completely fine to be fired at the same time without issue. I've never had an issue with warping, slumping or melting.
