Polishing

Polishing Art Clay Silver

1. Brushing When the piece is fired, allow it to cool. (Small pieces can be dropped into a cup of hot water to cool them quickly). The surface of the silver will look matt white. Now comes the magical moment - brush over the piece firmly with a stainless steel brush to smooth the surface of the silver and reveal the shine. This will give a satin finish.	2. Sanding For flat areas that you wish to have a mirror shine, sand using three grades of sandpaper or sanding pads - 600, 800 and 1200 grit respectively. Finally polish with silver polish and a soft cloth.	3. Burnishing A stainless steel burnisher can be used instead of sanding pads and is particularly good for small pieces that have texture or a lot of detail. You can improvise with a stainless steel tapestry needle or other stainless steel tool.