Margaret Shearman (The Canal House Studio) on sun 8 jun 97
Hi clayarters, I know that someone out there will be able to help me. Has
anyone had any experience with using fibre gardening pots as a mold for
handbuilding? I was recently given a 20x10 inch fibre planter, much heavier
and solid than the little fibre seedling starter pots, and it such a nice
shape it seemed the ideal thing for coiling a pot into. I now have aprox. 20
lbs of clay coiled and pressed into it, and the thought suddenly struck me
that maybe it would not shrink away from the sides! Will it ? if not, can I
bisque the whole thing in my electric kiln? if so what kind of smoke or fumes
am I likley to get? someone ---- HELP? I might as well scrunch the whole
thing up now if it isn't going to work. Thanks for any and every bit of info.
Margaret Shearman (The Canal House Studio, Merrickville. Ontario)
N. B. Pickering on mon 9 jun 97
Hello,
Re: maybe it would not shrink away from the sides! Will it ?
If we are speaking of the same type of fibre pot you should have no
problem. Several people at the studio where I work use them regularily
with great success.
B'racha
nbpick@juno.com
Fay & Ralph Loewenthal on mon 9 jun 97
Margaret be very careful of firing these "Fibre" pots.
Here in South Africa they are made from "Asbestos Fibre" and cement. With all th
asbestos I definitely would not fire these pots. I have
used them to handbuild pots in them with the "patty"
method, but I lined with a plastic bag first. We have also
used them to make plaster moulds. We are casting into
the moulds, and getting some nice shaped pots. Ralph
in PE SA
Wil Shynkaruk on mon 9 jun 97
Margaret,
I have a different problem for you to consider in the use of the fibre
pot. Someone was payed to design that pot, by using it as a mold for
your pot don't you feel you are stealing their design. I know many of
us use found objects as molds in our work, but using an entire pot as a
mold for your pot seems akin to plagiarism. Could you even call the
finished pot yours or is it a collaboration with the designer of the
fibre pot. Shouldn't you send her/him half of the profits from the
pot. Maybe you would be better off developing a design that you could
be proud to call your own.
Maybe I'm a bit of a purist, but I hope you at least give it some
thought.
Wil Shynkaruk
Utah State University
Cindy on mon 9 jun 97
Margaret,
I've never done anything quite like what you describe, but I will tell you
that I don't see how the clay could *not* shrink away from the sides of
your planter. Sounds like a great idea. As for burning off the planter in
your electric kiln, I would think you'd be in danger of damaging your
elements as well as creating some unpleasant fumes.
Hope it works well for you,
Cindy Strnad
the Gallagher's on mon 9 jun 97
Um, excuse me, but will using a fiber pot, as a mold to coil into, really
going to produce a pot that is recognizable as a copy of the original??? I
think not.
Michelle
| |
|
