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outdoor sculpture

updated tue 6 jun 00

 

Sarah Barnes on fri 24 apr 98

Does anyone have a clay recipie that withstands east coast winters. I am
trying to do a tile mural, and need a clay that can withstand being
outside. I was also wondering if anyone know whether a lowfire glaze can
stand being outside or do I need to high fire the piece. If any one could
help i would realy appreciate it. Thanks

Sarah
sbarnes@mica.edu

hal mc whinnie on sat 25 apr 98

i have an ceramic sculpture garden in kensington maryland and leave my
pieces out all winter.

only the cone 8-10 reduction pieces can stand the temperature. porcelain
clays work the best if high fired.
the basic problem is that clay fired at lower temperatures absorb mositure
and will crack in cold also low fired glazes ten to peel off
hal mc whinnie
halchaos@prodigy.net
10111 frederick ave knesington maryland
come to my open house on may 23, 24, 25
hal
-----Original Message-----
From: Sarah Barnes
To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
Date: Friday, April 24, 1998 4:45 PM
Subject: Outdoor sculpture


----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Does anyone have a clay recipie that withstands east coast winters. I am
trying to do a tile mural, and need a clay that can withstand being
outside. I was also wondering if anyone know whether a lowfire glaze can
stand being outside or do I need to high fire the piece. If any one could
help i would realy appreciate it. Thanks

Sarah
sbarnes@mica.edu

Dana Henson on sat 25 apr 98

I have used the Cone 6 outdoor sculpture clay body that is published in the Val
Cushing handbook. After I finally figured out what Lizella clay was, I was home
free! I am in Texas and in a single day the temperature can fall from 80
degrees to 20 degrees, excluding the wind chill factor. Add in the sleet that
usually accompanies these so-called "blue northers" and I think that it is a
fair test of the clay body. It has worked for me so far. I don't know a thing
about whether or not low-fire glazes would work. I just used oxides on my Cone
6 outdoor pieces and fired in oxidation.
Dana Henson
(in Pilot Point, TX)

Barbra Kates on sun 26 apr 98

Sarah,
I glazed and installed a 48' x 7' tile mural in Vail, Colorado in 1985.
It has 750 8" x 8" stoneware tiles in it. Tiles were made by Laradon
Tile Works in Denver and fired to cone 10. I did a month worth of
testing low fire commercial glazes for compatability with the vitreous
stoneware, and freezing and thawing tests to check for glaze defects.
The mural required bright colors only available with low fire. I was
concerned that the glaze would begin flaking off after a few years and
after a few thousand skis were leaned up against the mural. The reports
I have recieved over the years is that the tiles and glaze are as good
as the day they were installed. The nural was installed in a bus
shelter, sheltered from direct exposure to the elements but still in a
climate with extreme temps and weather. Any other questions e-mail me
at.... au1000@earthlink.net. Barbra Kates

mel jacobson on wed 31 may 00


>From: "Jonathan Middlemiss"
>To:
>Subject: addresses
>Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 20:56:53 +0100
>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2014.211
>
> Dear Mel Jacobson
> ics?
>
>Topic: Outdoor ceramic sculpture and frost.
>
>I would be very grateful for any advice on using paperclay for outdoor
>ceramic sculpture - it's cold here in the
>U.K.in winter, with some likelihood of frost causing cracking. The normal
>advice is to vitrify the clay body to
>within about 5%, which creates all sorts of warping and slumping problems
>with the work I'm making. Anyone living in frosty climates with
>experiences in using paper clay for out door work?
>
>Thanks
>Jon Middlemiss



FROM MINNETONKA, MINNESOTA, USA
http://www.pclink.com/melpots (website)

Carolyn on thu 1 jun 00


Hi Jon,

I just fired some paperclay sculptures meant for the outdoors in my
wood-fire kiln that got to cone 9 in the first chamber and a flat 12 in the
second. I think from what I've read that the tiny capillaries left open by
the fiber burning out will leave the clay porous enough to collect
moisture, freeze and crack unless it is glazed, or sealed with something
like Thompson's seal, a hardware store item used for sealing ceramics etc.
for outdoor use. If we keep in touch it would be helpful to check on each
others experience. I haven't unloaded the kiln yet.

Carolyn in Vermont, where it definately freezes in the winter.

Ron Roy on sun 4 jun 00


Hi Jon,

When paper fiber burns out of paper clay it leaves channels that alow water
in - we know this because when we test a vitrified clay with added fiber
the absorbancy goes way up.

I am surmising that - if there is water in the clay and it freezes you are
going to get expansion and cracking.

The added paper is not going to add any fired strength to the clay -
remember - it is gone buy the time the clay is softening.

RR


>>Topic: Outdoor ceramic sculpture and frost.
>>
>>I would be very grateful for any advice on using paperclay for outdoor
>>ceramic sculpture - it's cold here in the
>>U.K.in winter, with some likelihood of frost causing cracking. The normal
>>advice is to vitrify the clay body to
>>within about 5%, which creates all sorts of warping and slumping problems
>>with the work I'm making. Anyone living in frosty climates with
>>experiences in using paper clay for out door work?
>>
>>Thanks
>>Jon Middlemiss

Ron Roy
93 Pegasus Trail
Scarborough
Ontario, Canada
M1G 3N8
Evenings 416-439-2621
Fax 416-438-7849