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Using a precious metal clay syringe
| Precious metal clay syringes, also known as a PMC, are essential jewellery making tools that give versatile effects throughout. Many people see it more as a medium rather than a tool. This means they will not be getting full potential in their creations. This fantastic tool offers a variety of techniques for you. You need to be confident in using it and use it to its full potential. Once you get used to the tool then you will find yourself using it on nearly all your projects. It can be used for some of the following jobs, to fill seams, to cement pieces together, to repair, to make bezels, build dimension, to make filigree, to embellish, set stones and to make cells for cloisonné enamel. You have to find the best way for you to hold the syringe. People with larger hands may want to have it poking through their fingers for better visibility of the work and handling. You have to get used to the syringe and find what the best way is for you when working with the tool. You can really build up dimension and depth with this apparatus. The syringe is loaded with a certain type of metal clay that has been specially created to be able to pipe out. To get perfect precision when distributing, do not control with your shoulder and bicep this makes it harder for you. Learn to use your hands and relax your muscles, by using the free hand to support the syringe hand this can give you a more precise and easier way to apply. Everyone is different so you may want to change how you hold the syringe or how the free hand is supporting. When you purchase a syringe one tip is included, but there are different tips to choose from, these will give different results on the thickness and style of lines. Depending on the visual effect you are aiming for will depend on the tip you are using. Also you will want to have a couple of high quality paint brushes to get the most out of your syringe. To start making a line touch the tip to the surface and start to plunge. You should hover the syringe about ¼ of an inch above the work. If you are finding the clay is not sticking very well, dampen the area with a brush and wait a little for the PMC to soften and try again. Also if the clay coming from the syringe is not fresh then this will make it hard for the line to stick. Scraps can be put back into your jar for another time. When you want to finish a line touch the area with the tip which will make it disconnect. Make sure after doing the line you pat down any extruding lines to prevent them from coming away later on it will make sure they are more secure to the piece. The syringe may dry out during working on pieces, so to prevent this place the syringe in water making sure the whole of the tip is in. There is no need for the handle to be in the water as well, as this will make it harder for you to handle and will make a mess. After firing the dimensions of the lines you make will be 15% smaller so if you want a better dimension to your piece you could build a bezel. To do this pipe out a single syringe line, leave this to dry, and then pipe another layer on top of the first. If you dampen the area a little this will make sure there is a good bond. Using a precious metal clay syringe can sometimes take time to get the hang of. With practice and building up on different skills you will be a master at the art and will not want to stop using this and many other fabulous jewellery making tools. |
About the Author
Glenn Tucker writes for a variety of Jewellery blogs and is a big fan of jewellery making websites where you can get a everything you need especially, art clay, fimo, charm beads and jewllery making tools.
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