WHAT IS BRONZclay™?
Welcome to the next step in the evolution of metal clay: BRONZclay™! BRONZclay provides an incredible artistic range. And, because it's bronze, it's so affordable, it can be used to sculpt large pieces and create specialized tools—it can even be thrown on a potter's wheel to shape bronze hollowware. Available in generous 100- and 200-gram blocks, BRONZclay allows the artist to experiment with how far (and big!) designs can go.
BRONZclay can be pinched, rolled, sculpted and manipulated. In its dried state, it's still highly flexible and easy to carve—an ideal canvas for applying details and finishing touches prior to firing. When fired in a kiln (as outlined on this website), the binder vaporizes, leaving a solid, pure bronze object that can be sawn, shaped, drilled, sanded, patinaed or soldered using traditional jewelry tools and techniques. This exciting medium offers a new world of possibilities for jewelry makers, artists and sculptors.
THE ART OF METALLURGY
The metal of choice as far back as 3500BC, bronze delivered more strength and durability than iron and commanded a higher price. Every day, bronze artifacts are unearthed, still in excellent condition, still rich in color, full of history and representing an incredible combination of skill and art.
Growing up, Bill Struve, the inventor of BRONZEclay™, thought about being a physicist or maybe a psychiatrist, but he wasn't interested in math or medical school. Instead, he earned a doctorate in classical chemistry and a master's in electrical engineering, working 20 years in each field before embarking on a third career: art, in the form of metallurgy.
His desire to produce a new medium for his wife to use to create strong, durable and wearable jewelry inspired Bill to experiment for countless hours before achieving success with BRONZclay™. As Bill developed BRONZclay, one of his goals was to keep its ingredients safe to use. Another was to keep the tools needed for working with the clay simple: nothing fancy, just the basics, a kiln and the artist's imagination. BRONZclay would be a gift to the artist, a new addition to the tool box.
THE RIGHT FORMULA
BRONZclay™ consists of 11% tin, 89% copper, water and non-toxic binding materials. The binding materials vaporize completely during the kiln-firing process, leaving a solid bronze piece with a density 90% that of cast bronze.
| Commercial Bronze vs. BRONZclay™ BRONZclay™ is true bronze (although a bit less dense) and is composed of tin and copper, not the brass form that you see in most commercial bronze. |
And, coming soon! Rio will carry bronze wire ideal for using with and incorporating into BRONZclay™ designs. Watch our website for the debut of this new product!
