Silver Dog Nose Using Metal Clay for Pendant or Keychain

While this project uses some things that your average person might have to order; this is a relatively simple project that I think a reasonably crafty person should be able to do and come out with a very satisfying end result. I also think it is great project for this time of the year because the result is a truly one of a kind piece of jewelry that I think most pet lovers will appreciate.

(Please note: I am a complete novice and have only been playing around with these metal clays a few weeks so this is by no means professionl level instructions. Also, this projects uses an open flame and produces small particulate so really isn't for the kids.)

Mold putty or sculpey

A willing dog or small animal

Metal clay ( 7 grams PMC3 in my case)

Olive oil

A torch, kiln, or way to fire your piece ( gas stoves and camp stoves are common things that can be used)

A flame resistant surface (A safe place to put your hot stuff)

Patina ( bleach or boilded eggs)

Jewelry findings ( I used a single silver dipped jumpring)

gloves (optional: most people actually have no trouble with touching these products)

Wire brush, steel wool, or scouring pad

sand papers, sponges, and/or files (you can use metal files or common types of nail files like emory boards)

small tools like toothpicks and tweezers

Dust mask

You'll need some substance to make a mold. The most common thing to use is a silicone mold putty. You can buy a package of it from your local craft store. The two part ones that say they can be used for food would be what you're looking for. There are other puttys that require heat to soften. You wouldn't want to try that on a living creature. (Some people also use soft polymer clays like scupley which require you to bake them to harden. I have not tried this and so would make sure it's not something that would be smelly or stick to the dog before you stuck it on) I used 2 part dental mold putty I had gotten from ebay.

How much putty you need will vary. Dogs have all have different sizes and shapes of noses. You really can only guess by looking. I guessed I would need about half of the little containers I had, which turned out to be 16 grams for an impression on a Jack Russell terrier. Error on the side of a little too much putty so you only have to do it once to get a complete mold if you are unsure. Acquiring enough putty for at least 2 attemps is a good idea. I decided to attempt a second time to compare the impressions. Your putty comes in two containers ( a base and a catalyst) and you want to make sure you are using equal parts of both no matter the total amout of putty.

When your dog is calm, maybe napping. Wash your hands. Make sure you have somewhere to sit your mold while it cures. You want to read your putty to see how long you have to mix them. Many of these sorts of things workable time vary based on enviornment and temperature so always be sure you can do this in the shortest amount of time on the label and do not assume you will actually get as long a pot life as they say. Dab your dog's nose with tissue to be sure it is clean and relatively dry. Take two equal sized balls of the two putties separately. You can do it by weight using a small scale if eyeballing it is difficult. Keeping my two parts still seperate, I flattened them to make it easier to mix them thoroughly. Only right before I was ready to place the putty on the dog did I mix them. Press and fold over the putty as quickly as possible until the color is uniform. Then roll into a ball. Now directly, without waiting press it firmly against the dog's nose. It takes mere seconds to get an impression. There is no need to try to suffocate your puppy. Pull it straight off quickly without deforming the shape. Now set it aside to cure according to your putty's instructions.

Don't forget to reward your puppy with snacks, rubs, and/or praise.

I used a 15g silver wt. package of PMC3, a fine silver metal clay made by mitsubishi. Technically speaking, this product isn't really "clay". Like polymer clay, it is actually a manufactured good rather than dug up from the ground as natural clay is. It is a product made by combining small ground up particles of silver with proprietary organic binders to make a silver that can be cold formed in molds or directly sculpted.

There are several companies that make this sort of thing now, but you must read carefully before you order so you are not disapointed. Most metal clays require a kiln to fire (basically cooking them at high temperature allowing the binders to burn away and the metal particles to sinter or stick together). There are a few cheaper options other than the silver like copper clay and bronze clay but very few companies make versions that do not require special equipment. It is vital to read about a particular brand to be sure you have access to what is required if you want the use another clay. Unless you have a dog's nose that is very small, like less than a dime, I would not try to do this with less than 10g of silver clay. It probably doesn't require that much, as silver can be used rather thinly but it is better to have a bit too much if your concern is making sure you get the complete nose. Remember, depending on which clay you use this would yield a final product between 8 and 28 % smaller than the original. All clays shrink some and some molds shink some too.

Having a little extra clay will also allow you to make a test strip. You basically make a small piece to use to test your technique on at every step so you don't ruin your real piece.

If you want to try this but don't have the metal clay, a nice strong polymer clay or two part resin could be used in your mold and then painted rather than patinaed.

Make sure you mold is completly set before starting next step. When working with metal clay you want to make sure everything you need is within arms reach and your workspace is set up before opening it. Most kinds of metal clay dry out rather quickly. Having an airtight container available for any extra clay that is not currently being used will help it to stay soft for future use.

A good first step before handling most clays is to wash and dry your hands. Most people are not sensitve to the products in the clay and so touch it bare-handed. A coating of a non-pertoleum based oil like olive oil or coconut oil is useful to minimize sticking. If you have had allergies to metals or simple do not wish to get any under your nails, you can wear gloves or hold the clay through a small piece or plastic wrap. Apply a thin layer of oil, wiping off excess with a paper towel, to any tools, surfaces, or hands you intend to used.

Before you make the nose print, you may want to retain a small piece of the clay to use a bail if you do not have to use commercial jump ring or do not wish to put a hole in the nose print.

Jack Rusells, aren't really large nosed dogs so one could fill the mold just with a finger. If you have a larger nosed dog or want to be more precise, you may want to roll clay out into the basic shape of the mold before pressing it in. Stacking a few playing cards and placing the clay between plastic wrap may help roll clay evenlly.

When filling mold, start at the center of the mold and work the clay into the crevasses all the way to the edge of what you want to replicate. Try to keep the thickness relatively even so you won't have any weak spots.

Some people like the back of their silver to have a texture. You can do this now while the clay is wet by pressing something textured... like lightly oiled cloth against the back of your clay. Or allow it to dry a while then scratch a design in gently.

If you would like the dog's name or something written on the back you can use regular craft store rubber stamps on the back or carefully write with a needle. If you have extra clay a name label may be a good use for it.

If you are going to use a jump ring with no bail to hang your nose, this is a good time to make a hole with a small straw, large needle, or toothpick. You can do it later with a small drill, bit but it is probably best to at least have a guide hole for ease.

Set your piece aside to dry. You can do this by simply sitting on a shelf for a day somewhere that is warm but not humid like near a radiator. A cup warmer, heater grate, or hair dryer can be used if time is an issue. Any sorce of dry warmth is pretty safe as long as there is no risk of catching it on fire or exposing to moisture. Since, you are going to add more finishing detail you can continue once it looks visably dry. This can take just a few minutes if you find somewhere warm and dry enough to sit it.

Now is the time to use that extra clay you saved to make a bail. Similar to real clay, you want to moisten and texture the area you intend to stick your bail too before you attach it. To create it, I simply rolled the clay with my finger while it was in a piece of plastic wrap before forming ia horseshoe shape around a straw.

A simpler technique is to just take a small drill bit and gently twist it using your hand not an electric drill. If you put the guide hole in, in the previous step, it should be very easy. Just be careful and work slowly. Your piece is much more fragile than it seems in this dry state. Try not to apply any pressure or you may crack it.

(Cracking is easier than it seems. I cracked a couple of my metal clay attempts while trying to finish dry pieces.)

You may be tempted to remove the clay from the mold immediately but found the pmc3 too easy to smudge if I didn't allow it to dry.

You can clean up edges wet or dry. The wet technique is to moisten a small paintbrush or q-tip and rub it gently anwhere that needs smoothing. The dry technique is to use sand paper, sponges, or files. Remember, Your piece is in a "greenware" state. It is not stong. Handle gently. Less is more. Just do a little at a time or you may take off far more than you intend. It is a good idea to wear a dust mask as the particles are quite fine.

Allow to dry naturally by setting it aside somewhere warm for a day or dry it artifcially. Just letting it dry is the easiest and usually the least likely to go wrong. Many people do sit their metal clay pieces on a cup warmer, dryer, dehydrator, or hot plate so that they do not have to wait though I had no luck with this on this particular project because this really couldn't be moved from the mold before dry.

Your piece is now soild enough to hold without messing up the print, So with dry or gloved hands gently remove your nose from the mold. Check your print. As long as the clay has not been fired you can reconstitute the moisture content and try again without buying new product so it is best to always inspect your castings.

I trimmed up the edges with a razor blade, but you can use sandpaper or another means.

To check dryness, it is suggested that you place your piece on a mirror. Leave it sit for a few minutes and see if condensation forms.... If it does, continue to dry. I found the best option is just to leave it alone. If in doubt, dry some more. Moisture should not be present in your piece when you fire it. It may cause bubbling and ruin your hard work wasting your clay.

First, REREAD your instructions if you've never done this before. I also suggest googling videos to see if you can watch someone firing the same type of clay and giving suggestions. Try to find someone who is using similar tools.

I decided to use a butane camp stove to fire my piece. Most of the videos you find show people using those little butane torches and they are very easy to find many places if that is your preference. I used the stove because it is by far the easiest method for me because it doesn't require me to dig out heavy equipment or buy anything. Another way many people have easy access to would be to use a propane torch as your source of fire. An even more common tool may be a regular kitchen gas stove depending on where you are in the world. No matter which you use, you're going to want to have good ventilation so open a window, turn on your exaust fan, or simply take the whole thing outside.

If you use a stove of some kind you will need a metal grate to sit over the fire to hold your piece while it burns and then sinters. If you a torch, you will need a surface that can withstand the torch's hot flame.The easiest thing to purchase to use would be a brick. A fire brick being the best option according to the internet..

Set up your space, get ventilated, and familiarize yourself with you tools before you try to start. Do not wear lose clothing that may catch alight. Many synthetics will melt to your skin if burnt so it's best to wear something made of safer natural fibers like cotton or wool. Tie any long hair back. It's never a bad idea to wear safety glasses when heating new and unpredctable substances. Be sure that people especially small children are not going to be in danger. Have somewhere safe to set all hot implements while they cool and let others around know they remain hot even once the flame is off.

Then follow the firing instructions on your type of metal clay. This is where having a sample piece can come in handy, because it will allow you to test firing technique before doing your main piece.

I first burned off the binder, then brought my piece up to a low glow and held it there for 10 minutes. (supposedly it's a peach color you're looking for, but I can't honestly see it..I just shifted the grate if it seemed be glowing too hot or to cool) To do this I move the whole grate with a heat safe tool. You must watch closely the whole 10 minutes. REMEMBER... silver's melting temperature isn't really that high so you don't want to just heat it as hot as your fire can get the whole time or melting into a ball. You may have an easier time doing this step without bright lights on, so you can see the metal glow clearly.

You can allow to cool naturally or carefully quench in water with a pair of tongs or tweezers. If you are unsure if you heated it properly, remember you can go ahead and refire it after it cools. Just be sure not to melt your piece.

Your piece may appear white and not quite like silver at this point. Don't worry.

Brush with your wire brush, steel wool, or even a scotch pad to bring out the silver shine. The wire brush was a bit too aggressive for the textured front. Then I rubbed some of the smoother areas with a smooth dot tool to burnish it a bit. (you don't need to use anything special ... a spoon handle would work... just look for something smooth small and stainless steel) If you want it some parts shiny you can continue with sandpapers and polishing cloths. That wasn't the look for this piece though so I just burnished the sides and back thoroughly which should help to harden the metal in theory.

Now is a good time to add the jump ring if you are going to use one.

There are several way to create a patina. Over time many pieces of jewelry will develope it naturally. Two things you probably have easy access to that can be used are bleach and eggs.

I used about a capful of bleach with equal parts water in a teacup. It only take minutes so once you submerge your piece watch it. Rinse with clean water to stop oxidation.

You then buff the high areas again with your scouring pad to bring some of the shine back and give your piece some contrast.

You can do this multiple times until you are satisfied with the color.

If you want to try egg: First boil egg. Then place egg in an air tight container like a small sandwich bag. Smoosh egg up. Now set the jewelry in there making sure to seal it up good. Do not place th jewelry directly in the egg but just in the same air as the egg. The sulfur gas from the egg should oxidize your piece. Keep it where you can see it to check it periodically. This could be 15 minutes or hours depending on what color you are attempting to acheive.