What is the best way to do fingerprints with silver clay? i know which is simplest but I wondered if making an impression first gives a better result, also what do you use to do this?
thanks and enjoy your weekend
Jille
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What is the best way to do fingerprints with silver clay? i know which is simplest but I wondered if making an impression first gives a better result, also what do you use to do this?
thanks and enjoy your weekend
Jille
:"> i thought someone would have already tried this here. oh well i'll wing it and I'll let you know how it goes but I'm about to move so it could be a while before I get round to trying this
jille
Direct impression-roll the clay out 6-8 cards thick
push in finger, cut a shape using a knife or cutter
leave to dry, sand and refine edges, carve in any names
Fire & Polish :)
NB Children under 18 months old don't tend to have very well defined prints.
Nic xx
Hi Nic,
I was thinking of having at go at something like this too, but when you say "6 to 8 cards thick" what does that actually mean? Is it as simple os the thinkness of 6 or 8 playing cards or is it a specific PMC size I havent discovered yet?
Hope thats not a dumb question! :">
Ta very much!
Yep it's the size of about 6-8 playing cards stacked up as spacers
it would equal 1.5 to 2mm respectively :)
Nic xx
My grandson (then aged 7) made thumbprint cufflinks for his Dad for Christmas 2008 (he really did make them - every step of the way) and commented that they were unique and that the only way that anyone else could copy them would be to capture him and cut off his thumbs!
Lorraine
Thank you Nic, i would have probably rolled out thinner than that and learned the hard way.
I suppose if I uesd 2 part putty and made a stamp I'd do exactly the same for the making process.
I wondered if one method was better at giving a clearer impression than the other.
I will have a go once I'm settled in my new abode
Jille
I've always tended to get a better print from direct impression...
Good look with the makings :Y:
Nic x
thank you Nic
jille
And thanks from me too!!!
:Y:
My tutor said using a photopolymer plate would give a really clear impression, haven't tried this one yet but didn't find the 2 part moulds gave a good impression, and alot of the fingerprint jewellery on the market is using 2 part moulds. If you wanted to do itfor people by post, I'd do photopolymer.
HTH
thank you, I really appreciate your suggestions
I currently use a 2 part mould and I'm quite pleased with the results...however I'm always looking for ways to improve of course!
I also use photopolymer plates for hand/footprints etc which picks up really fine details on hands and feet but I'm wondering how you would take the actual fingerprint for this method. Fingerprints using inkless wipes seem to end up a bit undefined and smudgey! Has anybody tried?
Lou x
When I made 3 pairs of cufflinks for my God-daughter's mum to give as Christmas presents I didn't want to try and press a 12 month old's finger into the clay that many times - definitely would have caused a tantrum!
I pressed her finger into the two part moulding material and then made rolled a "finger" from polymer clay. I made sure that the end of the polymer clay was completely smooth and then pressed this into the mould of her finger, baked it and then used that to make the impressions into the silver art clay. It worked perfectly!
that sounds an excellent way of doing things why didn't u think of that?#-o
ok well, I had a go at the weekend and did two direct impression fingerprints. All went well with the carving, firing etc until I went to solder on a jump ring and the back of the print exploded! Is this normal??!?!?! The initial finring was fine- no problem at all. Should I not have pickled it afterwards? Did it soak some up maybe? Or do you think it was an air bubble that wasnt released until I heated the piece up to soldering temperature? I want to have another go but do NOT want to make the same mistake again- it really hurt!
:help:
At what point did you pickle it? Before or after the soldering heat up?
If before then it was probably moisture in the fired silver (general warming of the piece before a good blast will generally solve that)
Alternatively an air pocket in the clay stage + fast heating for soldering may've resulted in the air inside trying to escape (blasting it's way out).
I've found lots of ways of describing the structure of metal clay to my students but the easiest way I've found is to think if it as snow...
Unfired metal clay is a bit like fresh snow, malleable but not very strong (the binder is holding the fine silver particles together)
Fired Metal Clay is a lot stronger as the scintering process creates the equivalent of making snowballs (stronger but still porus - if you've ever had a Mr Frosty slushie maker you'll get where I'm going)
Normal Fine Silver, that you buy from a metals company, is explained as the equivalent of melting the snow and re-forming it as ice....
Sorry if it's a bit simplistic as a description but it does help a lot of folks understand the strength/handling considerations of metal clays :)
Nic xx
Not the best photo in the world because it's the wrong lens but I think it shows up ok
Attachment 1640
Hmmm doesn't look like silver clay to me Geti.....looks more like your new Laser machine ;)
nic x
Technology may have played a small part :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by MuranoSilver
This is probably a really silly question - but did you pickle the metal clay piece before you tried to solder? You don't need to pickle metal clay as is doesn't get firescale (no copper in the mixture). You might have got some pickle trapped in the metal cos it is slightly porous as Nic said and then it expanded with the torch heat and boom! Try it without pickle.Quote:
Originally Posted by HannahJewelleryDesigns
That's fab Alan. Did you work from an inked print? The definition looks fantastic.
Yes George, the print was taken using an 'Inkless Fingerprint' kit (a bit like the police use) and then scanned, cleaned up a bit in Corel and lasered on to the gold. I normally do them really dark, almost black with the laser but I made the mistake of asking the customer (after it was done) if they wanted it light or dark and they said "light please". Then I had to find a way to lighten the print. Safety pickle was nigh on useless, in the end I had it Cyanide 'bombed' which removed a small layer of metal down inside the print to make it a more natural colour.Quote:
Originally Posted by mizgeorge
Oh golly, how fabulous geti-titanium, the level of detail is wonderful and it looks so very shiny.
Alan that does look awesome- Im defo not putting my exploded PMC on here after that one!
Nic and Elliboo- yep I pickled it after the first firing (scintering?) DOH! #-o Everything gets chucked in the pickle! I guess it sucked some up. Oh well I wont make that mistake again!
Thanks very much for the help, I will be having another go though- it hasnt put me off! (But I will wear a face shield next time I solder the stuff, just in case!) :X
Geti your piece is fab, love the detail, i will just have to keep telling myself I'm a beginner and you are a pro
Jille ~ Getis is a Laser engraved piece, fabulous bit of kit and not detracting in any way from his skill in using it
but it's not the same as a silver clay print, which tends to have more of an indent (from the finger making the print)
or a wax impression or any of the other many ways of getting prints onto silver.
I used to offer impact printer prints (not as good as Getis laser) but found that mums liked the visible connection of seeing
their children pushing fingers into the clay, it somehow made the finished silver pendant more special....
Nic xx
thanks for the info Nic, i love the way everyone shares different ideas here, it's good to know there is more than one way to do something
thank you all
Thanks Nic and everybody :) so much useful advice on here. I can't wait to try it out myself. I'm on a fingerprint jewellery making course next Saturday, so will share if I learn anything new. :)
Mia x
Hey, jumping on a bit late... two questions... 1. what type of lazer machine does Getis use? 2. The original question about getting a fingerprint from a polymer plate - how to keep the detail? I hate using the moulds....
Thanks!
Aly
This thread is from more than nine years ago, buy you can probably still contact Alan at Geti Titanium. Dennis
This is exactly what I bought my clay starter kit for. I want to make a thumb print necklace for my daughter, hers for me and my thumbprint for her.
My first attempt at metal clay, I’ve been using polymer clay for years. I’m a little anxious about the firing. Any tips for a newbie?
This thread is nine years old, you might be better off starting a new topic with your question. I play with metal clay a bit but don't do fingerprints so can't answer your question.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alyson
Deb