Peta Clark on tue 19 nov 96
Hi
I'm trying to find out information about air-drying clay. I'm in the
process of deciding whether or not to go into clay sculpting and just want
information about everything. Your news group has been very helpful and I
hope that air-drying clay is not one of those things that "real" potters
don't talk about.
Thanks for any help.
Peta
the Gallagher's on wed 20 nov 96
I have used air-dry clay, and oven-bake varieties, and the problem is
durability. You could not make functional pottery, or garden sculptures with
it, but to use it at home, with out the benifit of a kiln, it handles the same
as greenware.
The kind you bake in the oven would be a little less fragile than greenware,
but not much. It has a plastic in it that melts at oven temps and sort of
melds the clay together.
For finishing you would be limited to various arts & craft paints.
As for your question of whether "real potters" talk about it, well, they may
talk about it, but I doubt they use it. =)
But then I wouldn't know, I'm not a "real potter".
Michelle
Puppets@msn.com
----------
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List on behalf of Peta Clark
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 1996 5:24 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
Subject: air-drying clay
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Hi
I'm trying to find out information about air-drying clay. I'm in the
process of deciding whether or not to go into clay sculpting and just want
information about everything. Your news group has been very helpful and I
hope that air-drying clay is not one of those things that "real" potters
don't talk about.
Thanks for any help.
Peta
Sam Cuttell on wed 20 nov 96
At 08:24 AM 11/19/96 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi
>
>I'm trying to find out information about air-drying clay. I'm in the
>process of deciding whether or not to go into clay sculpting and just want
>information about everything. Your news group has been very helpful and I
>hope that air-drying clay is not one of those things that "real" potters
>don't talk about.
>
>Thanks for any help.
>
>Peta
>
You can get this type of clay at most hobby/craft stores. It is fairly
expensive, so unless you've won the lottery, you will be restricted to
smallish pieces.
It goes under the name "Das" and perhaps others. Ask your local "Michaels"
or "White Rose".
sam - alias the cat lady
Home of Manx cats, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and the odd horse
Melbourne, Ontario, CANADA
(SW Ontario)
http://www.geocities.com/paris/3110
"Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change."
Tony Hansen on wed 20 nov 96
Do you mean 'self hardening clay'?
--
Tony Hansen
web: http://digitalfire.com/imc.html
Peta Clark on thu 21 nov 96
> Do you mean 'self hardening clay'?
Yes it is also called Mexican Pottery clay according to another e-mail I
got from a lady at the Fimo page. Amazing where you get information from.
Do you know much about it?
Peta Clark
Patrick E. Collier on fri 22 nov 96
Peta and anyone else interested-
I have been using air-drying/self-hardening clay for about four years
now. I asked a question semi-specific to its use a couple of weeks ago about
building clay's weather resistance. (Thanks Martin Beaver and Lowell
Baker for your responses to my query.)
The same company that makes the Mexican Pottery Clay also makes one
called Marblex. While the MPC is red, the marblex is gray; MPC is wetter
and grainier, Marblex smoother in texture, slightly harder to work with
yet excellent for more elegant lines. Both are fairly brittle and snaps apart
readily if coiled or made into any shape with a 1/2 inch diameter or less.
Re the brittleness, I haven't a clue as to whether anything can be done
about this. I have even used the breakage as part of the process in some
instances. "Glazing" with acrylic medium or paints helps some but makes
for a poor adhesive. I use Elmer's and then paint over it. I know another
artist who makes rather sizable scales of mountains and castles with
air-dry (I make figures about 12 - 16 inches high) and she uses epoxy
resins to glue breaks.
There are other brands of air-dry in other shades of red and gray that are
less expensive (Buy in bulk.), but I've found them ever grainier than
MPC. I guess it depends on your needs.
Hope this helps. Sorry for the band length.
PtC
A. Jan on fri 22 nov 96
I bought a 980g. packet of DAS terracotta air-self hardening clay from US
when I was there. The one I bought is made in Italy. It is very easy to use
and quite fun but it is not at all water proof even after drying.
At 05:40 PM 11/21/96 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
>> Do you mean 'self hardening clay'?
>
>Yes it is also called Mexican Pottery clay according to another e-mail I
>got from a lady at the Fimo page. Amazing where you get information from.
>Do you know much about it?
>
>Peta Clark
>
Peta Clark on mon 25 nov 96
Thanks for your help Patrick
Do you have to hollow it out to prevent it cracking or can you just build
it solid? Also can you decide to fire it after that or is that not
possible? I would like to make sculptures of mythological figures from
around the world. Do you think normal clay would be better? Or maybe I
should just try it? The time I saw it for sale it cost $8 and would have
been roughly the size of one of the older chunkier style modems. Not much
when you can get a lump of normal clay for $5 and it is the size of two
monitors. I've still got to work out where I'd get it fired too.
Peta
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