What to do when your metal clay piece breaks AFTER firing:

This is always tricky as metal clay is so soft that often traditional solder won't work because of the high temperatures needed to be reached for the solder to flow.
I don't have much experience with PMC product but I have broken a ton of Art Clay Silver pieces!

Art Clay suggests that you use oil paste to repair your broken project after it has been fired. It is basically a two part product. One is the metal clay oil paste and there is another jar of the oil that you can use to thin it out.  The process is that you take the two pieces, put some of the oil paste in between the two, let dry and then refire.

Okay....we dislike this product! It goes on lumpy, no matter how much you thin it out. The two pieces often don't stick together even if you hold it for 20 mins. It makes a big globual mess that you have to file afterwards....so that it is just like traditional silver smithing....boring and slow. Plus it needs to be fired at 1440 which is a problem if your piece has nice gemstones or if you don't have a kiln and aren't sure exactly what temp your torch is producing. 

Art Clay Canada Ltd. Recommends Silver overlay paste for repairs!

Silver overlay paste works just awesome for repairs. It doesn't shrink! Your broken pieces stay together! It fires at a lower temperature! Your piece has less finishing work because it goes on smooth and sticks.

For the most successful joins:

•  add water to your overlay paste until it is the consistency of white glue
• use a toothpick or small brush (one that you aren't too attached to),
  
• take a dab of the overlay paste
  
• put it in the break or fill the crack..whatever is needed.   * see below about repairing rings
• Allow to dry on a coffee/candle warmer for about an hour. If air dry allow at least 6 hours
• Fire with a torch or kiln at the 650 degrees celcius or 1200 farenheit for 15 mins kiln. If torch get to salmon colour twice.
• This was so easy and clean we don't know why you would ever buy the oil paste....in fact we don't even carry it anymore!!!
  

Visit our other guides for more useful information Metal Clay Types

*Caution if you have a ring that has broken, please put it back on the mandrel so that you will keep your ring as round as possible. We don't want any dips or cracks.