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PMC Tips

Troubleshooting

When I am working on the clay, it cracks as time goes by. What should I do?
Moisture in PMC evaporates little by little due to body and ambient temperature when being worked for a long time. As a result, the clay loses elasticity and small cracks may appear. Apply a tiny drop of water to the crack and rub it in with a brush or your finger to mend it. If the crack is deep, apply water to the bottom of the crack and rub clay or paste into it. If it is a very small crack, mend it by filing the surface after drying.

Very minute waste is always generated when working on clay. Or, there is a lump of clay that becomes completely solidified because it has been left unwrapped for a long time. As long as it is silver, it is not a good idea to discard it. Any good ideas for reusing it?
The waste and solidified clay can be collected and shaved with a cutter. Put the small scraps into a sealable container like a film container and add a small amount of water. It will become paste clay again and you will be able to reuse it. It is likely that wastes from the grinding process using sandpaper or metal file include foreign matter (abrasives or metals other than silver). They may inhibit sintering and thus are not suitable for reuse.

I was shaving a dried piece with a file and it broke. What can I do with it?
The dried piece may break under a strong force. Apply paste clay to the fracture surface as glue, join the broken pieces, and dry it.

Only a small amount of clay is left over. How should it be stored?
Although the PMC3 package has a sealer, it cannot maintain an airtight seal once opened. So, the package is not appropriate for storing leftover material. Wrap PMC in plastic wrap and place wet tissue paper or cotton wool at the bottom of a sealable container. Put it in the container to keep it from drying out. (It is not appropriate to store it in a refrigerator.)

I made a ring. The size doesn't fit after firing. What can I do with it?
If the ring is large, add clay along the inner side of the ring to adjust the size, and then dry and fire it. If it is small, use a metal core mandrel and beat it with a hammer. The ring size may increase by about two units, depending on the condition of the fired ring. Use of an optionally available mandrel is recommended as it prevents size problems.

How should I store the PMC work?
Store it as you do normal silver accessories. Silver, by nature, discolors over time because it reacts with sulfur in the air. Completely remove sweat, water and dirt, put it in a sealable bag, and seal it to avoid contact with the air. If it becomes tarnished, use commercially available silver care cloth and polish the piece to restore the silver color.

About PMC Silver		Discoloration of silver
Drying		Gold paste Aura 22
Firing		Troubleshooting
Shrinkage		Other Information