The Purpose of This Blog
Hadar's Clay™ Products
This blog is designed to support users of Hadar’s Clay™ metal clay powder. If you use these clays, please subscribe to the blog to find answers to your questions about using and firing metal clay. The blog contains resources for troubleshooting, as well as instructions, free projects, and updates.
Please read the files linked on the right. The Instruction Manual includes instructions for mixing the clays, working with them and firing them, programming your kiln, compatibility chart, checklist, and quick-reference firing schedules. The manual includes a table of contents to help you find the specific information you need.
If you click on Archive at the top of the blog, you will find free projects and new information as it becomes available. Whenever the files are updated, I will post a note on this blog.
By clicking on Photos at the top of the blog, you can see works in silver, bronze, copper, steel, White Bronze, and Rose Bronze clay that I have created since 2008. Among them are the world’s first pieces made of these clays to be offered for sale.
Please continue asking me questions via email. It will be easier for me to help if you enclose photos and describe the situation in detail. I will answer you personally and address frequently asked questions in the blog.
May 2nd, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Thanks for having this blog full of great info!
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:31 pm
I’m so glad I found this site…Keep up the good work
December 14th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Wow this was potentially one of the most intelligent posts I’ve had the chance to read on the subject so far. I don’t have any idea where you get all your info but I am impressed! I am gunna send some individuals your way to read this. Fantastic, totally amazing. I am just getting into crafting articles myself, nothing close to your writing skills (doh) but I would love for you to look over my article someday! right here
January 10th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
I don’t usually reply to posts but I will in this case, great info…I will add a backlink and bookmark your site. Keep up the good work!
I’m Out!
March 1st, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Hadar,
I don’t have a website, just an email. I am so excited about the clay and learning about how to incorporate into my jewelry making. It all seems soreal. (sp?) I expect great things.
Yours trully,
Barbara L Tumlinson
I took my first clay work shop from Vicki McGowen.
April 22nd, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Hadar, your blog is so darned helpful and interesting. I’ve passed on the Beautiful Blogger award to you, details on my blog.
Susan
April 25th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Is it possible to solder components to bronze or copper that I solder to silver?
Thanks
Jim
April 25th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Hi Jim,
Yes, there shouldn’t be a problem if the copper or bronze are fully sintered.
August 30th, 2011 at 8:54 am
I am trying your new powered clay and have a question I am sure someone can answer. I am making a pendant out of the pearl grey steel and want to attach a rose copper flower to it…which paste should I use to attach the two pieces…the rose copper paste or the pearl grey steel paste. Your response is greatly appreciated.
Jamie
August 30th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Jamie, You mean rose bronze or copper? If you use copper you can use a paste that is a mix of the two and fire at the high temperature (schedule B). If it’s rose bronze I would fire the steel first at the high temperature, then add the flower and fire again at the lower temperature.
August 31st, 2011 at 1:27 am
Thank you so much. I did mean rose bronze and not rose copper. So if I add the rose bronze after I have fired the steel would I simply use the rose paste to connect the two pieces? Should I burnish the steel before I add the rose piece?
Once again I really appreciate your response. I am in Virginia and I don’t know where to find classes of your caliber here.
Jamie
August 31st, 2011 at 7:48 am
Jamie, No need to burnish, just clean. I would use, though, some mechanical connection to hold the rose bronze in place. By the way, I will be teaching a workshop in October at Studio34 in Rochester, NY, and Metalwerx in Waltham, MA.
September 3rd, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Today I tried your copper Quick fire clay and love it. It mixed up so easily, handled beautifully and released well. I cannot wait to fire my work. I am so glad I found this product and cannot wait to try the Quick Fire Bronze and White Bronze I ordered. Thank you!
Diane
September 6th, 2011 at 8:32 am
I just tried the white bronze clay and I am very discouraged. I tried to make a notebook pendant. I created it and it dried for two days before I could fire it. I have a larger kiln and when I fire bronze I have to lower the second stage firing by 10 degrees than the instructions state so I lowered the second stage firing for the white bronze. I fired the first stage at 1000 for 30 minutes…it was not a thick piece and the second stage at 1230 for 2 hours. Well, I can not even find my pieces in the charcoal, I believe it simply burnt up…very said and I do not understand.
Anyone else have a problem with white bronze?
Jamie
September 6th, 2011 at 8:40 am
Jamie,
White Bronze has a very narrow range of sintering temperature. It can go very quickly from not sintering at all to melting, as stated in the instruction manual. And I always recommend to make test pieces before firing an actual piece of jewelry so you can find the sintering temperature in your specific kiln. With every kiln the temperature is going to be different. Good luck!
February 27th, 2012 at 10:14 am
Hi Mrs Jacobson
I did not find your e-mail address to submit a question, about firing gems in carbon.
I made a bronze bracelet from your book Silver and Bronze Clay – Movements and mechanisms. It came out gorgeous except for the cubic zirconias gems which lost their brilliance. I used thoses gems in fine silver without any problem. I wondered if this was due to carbon firing (coconut shell). Is there any solution to protect the stones while firing in carbon?
February 27th, 2012 at 10:23 am
Lucille, This happened to me several times (although not always) and to other people as well. Most people say that tumbling restores the brilliance of the stones. I haven’t tried it myself though. My email is hadar@pacbell.net.
March 13th, 2012 at 9:57 am
Hello Hadar,
I have recently experiemnted with White Bronze. I am quite pleased with the results but was surprised about the amount of coconut carbon that I lost to ash. I was wondering if that was because it is recommended to fire without a lid? If so, is it necessary to fire without the lid? I have been working with Bronze for a couple of years and use a lid during firing and have consistently good results. Thanks in advance for your help!
March 13th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
There are different kinds of coconut carbon. The one I use does not produce a lot of ash and I fire without a lid. I’d say, that if you do the first phase on a stove top (without a lid), you can use a lid on the second phase. Good luck!