angel_prints@sbcglobal.net on mon 9 feb 04
This is over my tenth attempt to post...hopefully it works this
time.
I am currently making relief tiles, and I am trying to figure out
how to dry them faster. I am definitely a novice, and right now, I
allow them to 'air dry' which takes about 3 or 4 weeks. I can't
really stack them one on top of the other since they are differing
sizes and thicknesses, but I do dry them sandwiched between two
drywall boards in order to minimize the warping. I still want them
to remain 'relatively' flat on one side. Does anyone have any
suggestions on this? Someone with much more experience than myself
advised me to dry them near a heat source, but how do I do this
while still trying to minimize warping? I would love to cut the
drying time down to two weeks or LESS. Thank you in advance for
your assistance with this.
Susan Fox-Hirschmann on mon 9 feb 04
In a message dated 2/9/2004 7:32:02 PM Eastern Standard Time,
angel_prints@SBCGLOBAL.NET writes:
<< I am currently making relief tiles, and I am trying to figure out
how to dry them faster. I am definitely a novice, and right now, I
allow them to 'air dry' which takes about 3 or 4 weeks. I can't
really stack them one on top of the other since they are differing
sizes and thicknesses, but I do dry them sandwiched between two
drywall boards in order to minimize the warping. I still want them
to remain 'relatively' flat on one side. Does anyone have any
suggestions on this? Someone with much more experience than myself
advised me to dry them near a heat source, but how do I do this
while still trying to minimize warping? >>
I flip them ever day on dry newspaper, that is nice and even (no wrinkles or
folds) with a light plastic wrap the first few days, and then uncover and keep
flipping on dry paper ---even if you do it several times a day, til bone dry.
NO do not use any heat source as they may dry unevenly.--the main cause of
warping.
further questions? email me off list.
Good luck
susan
annandale, VA
Snail Scott on mon 9 feb 04
At 09:09 PM 2/9/04 -0000, you wrote:
>I am currently making relief tiles, and I am trying to figure out
>how to dry them faster...I can't
>really stack them one on top of the other since they are differing
>sizes and thicknesses...
Use balls of clay to space them from the ware boards -
wads of equal size underneath to allow airflow, and
odd-sized wads on top, as the relief depth requires.
This way you can sandwich them between boards and
immobilize them against warping, but still allow some
airflow on both sides. I often only use the wads on
top, though, and lay the tile on drywall underneath.
For a gritty 8"x8" tile, for instance, I might use 1/2"
diameter balls underneath - one under each corner,
then one in the center. On top, I'd set them in the
same relative locations, but sized to support the level
board without it touching the tile, leaving about a 1/2"
_average_ airspace on top, too. The exact spacing will
depend on the floppiness of the clay and the thickness
of the tile. The balls should be just squishy enough to
equalize when the boards go on. Wrap light fabric or
paper around the edge of the sandwich, to keep the
outward-facing edges from drying too soon relative to
the rest.
-Snail
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