All about Metal Clay Shrinkage Calculator

Medium for crafting should preferably be easier to manipulate, something that metals do not traditionally offer.

Medium for crafting should preferably be easier to manipulate, something that metals do not traditionally offer. However, through the use of metal clay, one can make jewelry, sculptures, and beads from metals just as from clay; it is a medium consisting of small particulate metal with a binder and water, enabling it to be manipulated just as soft clay. There are several types of metals used including gold, silver, and alloys such as bronze and steel. Gold and silver clays are the most expensive but at the same time considered the easiest to work with. Bronze and copper on the other hand are inexpensive but require specialized firing since this cannot be done using a torch. There are several common brands of metal clay by different manufacturers, including Art Clay, PMC, Hadar’s Clay, and Metal Adventures among others.

After shaping and drying the product, firing is then done using several methods including hand held torches or in a kiln, which results in burning off of the binder leaving only the metal. In this procedure of firing, metal clay undergo shrinkage. The actual reasons behind the differences in shrinkage rates include the differences in binder used, the size of metal particles, and the type of metal used. The temperature of firing and the total time taken for firing also have an effect on the rate of shrinkage. For individuals working with these, it is important to access and use a clay shrinkage calculator, so as to determine the final size of the finished product.

Several online shops not only sell metal clay but also provide a calculator that can be used to determine the shrinkage rate of your clay. A typical online metal clay calculator provides you with fields where you can fill in the size of your clay type, and its original size. From this, the final size is calculated and presented to you. The measurements are usually in inches or millimeters, with most sites giving you an option to choose either. Your original measurement can be in terms of length, width, or height, in millimeters or inches. A good calculator also gives you an option to convert across different units, for instance you can enter your original size in millimeters into a PMC shrinkage calculator and get your answer in inches. Since you may also be interested in a given final size before you begin your work, clay shrinkage calculator also has the option of entering your desired final size and obtaining what size of the metal clay you should start with.

It should be noted however, that the figure given by the metal clay calculator is an estimate based on what the manufacturers give as the maximum shrinkage sizes of their clay. Accuracy may not be guaranteed but you generally get a guide to a good figure you can work with. Besides, there are many factors that may cause discrepancies including the thickness of the metal clay, the time of firing, and the condition of the clay. The same type of clay from different manufacturers may also have different properties and hence different shrinkage rates.

About the Author

L. Nemeth David Nemeth is the author of this article on PMC. Find more information on PMC Shrinkage Calculator here