Learn to solder your metal clay creations
Tutor Anna Campbell writes about our new metal clay class – soldering on metal clay.
Example pieces from the soldering on metal clay class
The silver clay classes are one of my favourite to teach. It’s so exciting when someone torch fires their clay for the first time and it turns into silver.
And silver clay is one of the most popular mediums that we teach at London Jewellery School. We run ten different day long classes (from beginners to advanced), one taster class, one evening class as well as the Art Clay certification. Now we are adding a new metal clay class to the 2015 class schedule – soldering on metal clay.
One of the things I have noticed while teaching and talking to our students is that many of our metal clayers have no silversmithing experience. It isn’t necessary for making basic metal clay pieces. However, once the metal clay is fired it can be treated in the same way as any silver including hammering, shaping and soldering, so understanding what you can do with the silver can really broaden your horizons.
Soldering is a traditional silversmithing skill that take a bit of practice and know-how but once you’ve got it you can make much more complex pieces.
In this new one day class, you will learn how to:
- solder earring posts onto stud earrings
- solder on cufflink backs
- solder and shape a brooch pin
You will make the studs, cufflinks and brooch out of silver clay and then spend the rest of the class practicing your soldering skills to ensure you have the confidence to do it at home.
You will go home with a new silver brooch, pair of silver cufflinks and pair of silver stud earrings but more importantly you will have the skills to design and make far more complex pieces yourself.
This class is designed for learners with some previous metal clay experience. You should have attended our beginners silver clay class or taster class or have made and fired some silver clay pieces at home already.
We have added some dates for this class on the website and more will be added if the class is popular so please get in touch if you would like to attend but can’t make the dates (email us at info@londonjewelleryschool.co.uk).
And also let us know if you have any ideas for classes you would like to take that we don’t currently offer.