Prometheus® Jewellers Sterling White Bronze Clay

Prometheus® Jewellers Sterling White Bronze (PSW®) is a clay-like material that turns into pure solid bronze, similar in color to sterling silver, when fired in a kiln. It is a mixture of micro-sized bronze powder, water, and organic binder. It can be molded by hand, rolled into a sheet or a coil. It can be shaped, textured, or even thrown on a pottery wheel. PSW® can be fired with most lab-created gemstones (cubic zirconia), pre-tested natural stones, glass beads, ceramics, porcelain, and PROMETHEUS® METAL CLAYS.

When the clay is fired in a kiln, the organic binder evaporates and burns away, leaving you with pure, solid white bronze.

You can create unique jewelry, ornaments, hollowware, statues, sculptures, and many other decorative objects. Everything you create with PSW® is a work of art. You can create multi-colored pieces by combining PSW® with other PROMETHEUS® METAL CLAYS.

Combine it with your imagination and let your fingers do the rest!

Working with PSW®

It is similar to working with Prometheus® metal clays (silver, copper, and bronzes), polymer clays, modeling dough, flower paste, and ceramic clays. It is very easy to use.

At normal consistency, PSW® does not stick to hands, work surfaces, instruments, or molds, so no lubricating oils are required. However, lightly oiling your fingers and the work surface is useful and will not harm your clay. Olive oil is preferred.

Take the clay out of the plastic bag and place it on a clean plastic surface or wax paper. Use your fingers, rollers, spatulas, clay shapers, craft knives, toothpicks, and other simple tools to shape, texture, or throw it on a pottery wheel. You can texture the clay using stamps, texture mats, leaves, paper, and other interesting textures.

When you take the clay out of the packaging, the “Wet Stage” begins. Try not to work too long at this stage to prevent your clay from drying out. However, if you don't rush your work, you will have plenty of time to play with PSW®. If you notice cracks on the surface, however, apply some water immediately with a brush or spray and fill the cracks with some paste* to repair them.

* To make a paste, mix a little clay with some water until you reach the consistency of thick yogurt.

To join two parts together, simply apply some water to the points that touch or add a little paste. If both parts are dry, moisten the contact points well and apply some paste to create a secure bond.

Store unused clay in a zip-lock plastic bag so it doesn't dry out. While working, put all leftover pieces into the bag immediately and keep it closed. If you do not intend to work with the clay for a while, place the sealed plastic bag into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. If you place a damp sponge at the bottom of the jar, your clay will stay in good condition until your next use. If you store it for a long time, keep an eye on the sponge and add water if necessary.

Drying

Before firing the PSW®, you must dry your piece completely. A hair dryer or placing it on top of a kiln works well. Hot plates or dehydrators also work well.

To check if the clay is completely dry, place the hot clay (directly after drying) on a cold mirror. Move it after a few seconds and ensure there is no condensation on the mirror. This test is especially important for large and thick pieces. If the piece is not completely dry, it can crack, break, or have bubbles on the surface during firing.

For large and/or solid pieces (statues, etc.), we recommend against fast drying. For these, it is recommended to leave them at room temperature for some time and then continue drying at moderate temperatures to avoid cracking.

Dry

Although dried PSW® is strong, you need to be careful while working. You can carve designs onto the surface*, file, sand, or drill holes with hand tools or rotary tools and engravers. To join dried pieces, moisten the connection points with a brush and apply some paste.

* Draw your design with a pencil, moisten the lines with a brush, and carve with any instrument, even a toothpick.

After completing your design, you can lightly sand uneven surfaces with sandpaper and sanding sponges. It is much easier to perform this step now - before you have fired the clay!

Firing PSW®

Before firing your works, test the accuracy of your kiln by firing a small piece of clay. Electric kilns can have slight variations due to their temperature control systems and insulation. Depending on the test result, you can change the firing temperature by 5% (up or down) until you have achieved the correct sintering.

Firing PSW is done in two steps.

Step 1 Place the dried pieces on a stainless steel mesh and place them in a cold kiln, let it rise to 500°C, and fire for 15 minutes. Remove to a fireproof surface and allow to cool.

Step 2

Place the piece approximately 3 cm deep in activated carbon at the bottom of a steel container. Place the pieces at least 1.5 cm apart from each other, fill the container with activated carbon, close it, and place it in the kiln preheated to 770°C. Let the kiln return to the target temperature and fire for 2 hours. Once the firing is complete, either let it cool in the kiln or carefully remove it and let it rest on a heat-insulated surface until it is cold enough to take your pieces out.