Dan Solliday on mon 13 dec 04
If i build forms around a styroform mold, can I fire the styrofoam without
damaging the kiln (electric) or causing noxious fumes?
Fredrick Paget on mon 13 dec 04
>If i build forms around a styroform mold, can I fire the styrofoam without
>damaging the kiln (electric) or causing noxious fumes?
>
>
Dan,
I would approach this very cautiously. First of all if the styrofoam
is inside a closed form your clay will crack on drying as it shrinks
a bit.
Second if the styrofoam is a big piece or there is a goodly amount
of it in smaller pieces,
the styrofoam on slowly heating in the kiln will first shrink and
then melt and possibly fill the kiln with flammable gas which could
explode if conditions are right. If it doesn't explode but burns
quietly it will produce clouds of black smoke laden with floating
soot particles. Maybe even flames coming out of the cracks. A real
mess. Doesn't smell too good either. I don't know what it would do to
you but if it were me, I would hold my breath and get out of there.
Fred
--
From Fred Paget, Marin County, California, USA
fredrick@well.com
Cindy on mon 13 dec 04
Hi, Dan
The short answer is no. The styroform will release undesirable fumes and,
eventually, damage your elements (assuming you haven't coated them with ITC,
which provides some protection).
The long answer is that building a form around a styrofoam mold will not
work unless you can remove the styrofoam before the clay approaches the
leather hard stage. The clay will shrink (quickly) as it dries, and crack
around the mold.
As an aside, if you want to use styrofoam for slump or hump molds, it's
really cool to coat them with plaster of paris. That's from an article in, I
think, Pottery Making Illustrated. For the hump molds, you absolutely must
remove the clay ASAP, as it dries quickly on the plaster and will crack.
Best of luck,
Cindy in SD
Subject: Styrofoam Forms
> If i build forms around a styroform mold, can I fire the styrofoam without
> damaging the kiln (electric) or causing noxious fumes?
>
>
Tig Dupre on tue 14 dec 04
------------------------------<>----------------------------------
If i build forms around a styroform mold, can I fire the styrofoam without
damaging the kiln (electric) or causing noxious fumes?
------------------------------<>----------------------------------
Dan,
Two things: if you build AROUND a styrofoam form, the clay will crack as it shrinks
and the styrofoam doesn't. Next thing, the fumes from burning styrofoam are TOXIC.
Use the foam as a drape mold, either positive (drape OVER the mold), or negative
(drape INTO the mold). Do not try to fire clay with the foam still in the form. (Say
THAT fast three times!)
Just a suggestion...
Best of luck,
Tig Dupre
in Port Orchard, Washington, USA
Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 14 dec 04
Dear Dan Solliday,
Poly styrene give noxious fumes when burnt, I think they are similar
to Cyanide.
Fumes from burning furniture, padded with foam plastic, are a causes
of fatalities in home conflagrations.
Check this with your local fire brigade, they will know the science.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
S. Australia.
Fredrick Paget on tue 14 dec 04
>------------------------------<>----------------------------------
>If i build forms around a styroform mold, can I fire the styrofoam without
>damaging the kiln (electric) or causing noxious fumes?
>------------------------------<>----------------------------------
>
>Dan,
>
>Two things: if you build AROUND a styrofoam form, the clay will
>crack as it shrinks
> and the styrofoam doesn't. Next thing, the fumes from burning
>styrofoam are TOXIC.
>
I tried a wild idea once. Having noted that a little shot of acetone
really rots and collapses styrofoam I built a closed form of wet clay
around a styrofoam mandrel and then while the clay was still pretty
wet (about "cheese hard") I gave it an injection of acetone and
tried to dissolve out the styrofoam. It was messy and didn't work too
well . The residual acetone and dissolved styrofoam were still a
hazard. Could make a mess of your studio.
--
From Fred Paget, Marin County, California, USA
fredrick@well.com
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