Prometeus® Copper Clay is a claylike material which turns into pure, solid copper when fired in the kiln. It is a mixture of micron sized copper powder, water, and organic binder. It can be formed by hand, rolled into a sheet or a rope. It can be molded, textured, even turned on a potter's wheel. Prometeus® Copper Clay can be fired with most lab-created gemstones (cubic zirconias), pre-tested natural stones, glass beads, ceramic porcelain and Prometheus® Copper Clay . It is also suitable for enamelling.
When PCC® is fired in a kiln, the organic binder evaporates, burns away and you’re left with pure, solid copper. Brush it, if needed pickle it, to remove any firescale, and finally polish.
You can create unique jewellery, ornaments, hollow ware, statutes and many other decorative objects with PCC®. Any thing you create with PCC® is a piece of art. Combine it with your imagination, and let your fingers do the rest!
For firing PCC® you have 3 choices. As Prometheus® we recommend the Carbon Method:
CARBON METHOD
This is a 2-step-method.
Step.1 Place the dried piece (or pieces) on a stainless steel mesh and put it in to the cold kiln and let it raise to 500°C/ 932°F or put it on a kitchen stove. Fire it for 15 minutes, take it on to a fire proof surface and let it cool down.
Step.2 Put approximately 3 cm. of activated carbon to the bottom of a steel container. Place the pieces with at least 1.5 cm space between each other and fill the container with activated carbon, close it and put it into the preheated kiln to 850°C/1570°F. Let the kiln raise to the target temperature again and fire it for 90 minutes. When the firing is completed, either leave it to cool down in the kiln or, carefully take it out and leave it on a heat isolated surface until it is cold enough to take your pieces out.
OPEN SHELF FIRING
Place the dried piece (or pieces) on a stainless steel mesh and put it in to the pre-heated kiln to 920°C/1700°F.* Wait for the kiln to raise up to its target temperature again, then start timing your firing for 30 minutes.
When the firing is completed, take out the piece, put it on a heat proof surface and wait for it to cool down or much better, quench it in water while it is hot.** Most of the fire scale will fall of the piece. If any left, leave it in hot pickling solution for some time then rinse with water.
* Most kilns are cooler near the front door, so put them close to the back of the heating chamber.
** Beware of water vapour.
TORCH FIRING
Place the dried piece on a stainless steel mesh. Put the mesh on a fiber brick or a thick construction brick. First start heating the piece very slowly until you see it producing a flame like candle and smoke which means that the binder is burning. Once the flame and smoke disappear, start heating the piece with full power until you achieve light-orange colour and continue firing at least 5-10 minutes carefully observing that the piece keeps this light-orange colour during whole time. Avoid melting. After firing is completed, either leave it to cool down or quench in water. Leave the fired piece in hot Picklean® solution to get rid of any fire scale if any left.
