mel jacobson on wed 13 sep 06
if you compare the over/all strength of a soft brick ifb ,
and a hard brick....well, that is paper clay in metaphor.
if you add materials while making a brick that burns away...
ifb...sawdust i believe....you have a very nice brick for
insulation, but a very whimpy brick for strength.
same for paper clay.
at least loaded paper clay.
i have used paper clay for a repair job...but not for
pots.
would never sell one for every day functional use.
nice for decorative pots or sculpture.
it is an easy metaphor to understand.
some new york/ smarty pants artist could
do a play about this idea.
you know, stack ten bricks in the middle of the
floor. five ifb, five hard brick.
it could represent power and weakness.
and, have connotations of alternative energy.
wow.
mel
computer metaphor:
it is like the idea if you use photoshop 11.0...it has the
potential for about 125,000 tasks.
most that use it, can do 25. an experienced graphic artist
will commonly use, at a stretch 200.
the computer, the software is about 10, 000 times more powerful
than the dork at the wheel. so, spend another 3 grand and get
a more powerful one...and sit and wonder what it can do.
just like clay. get more tools, a bigger kiln, a huge pug mill, and
make four pots a week.
it is like sitting behind the wheel of a new porsch, going 55mph on the
freeway...making car noises with your mouth...zoooom, zoooom.
make the tools work for you, then work.
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Peter Cunicelli on wed 13 sep 06
I can second that analogy with the paper clay. For the past 9 months I've
been working a lot with porcelain paper clay. I have bumped bone dry
greenware into my workbench or ware shelves more times than I can count.
I have yet to do it hard enough to break a piece.
Other benefits: And this is a big one - drying a piece overnight without
covering it. I've done that with regular porcelain with disastorous
results. I've also worked with pieces that were very dry and anything
I've done worked nicely.
Mel, why wouldn't you use paper clay for functional work? I'm curious.
I've been using it for functional ware and haven't had any problems. I
did make a set of nesting bowls using paper clay I made with too much
paper, however. They warped like crazy. But, the liner and accent glazes
are food safe, so I use the bowls myself.
Peter
(www.petercunicelli.com)
Mayssan Shora Farra on wed 13 sep 06
On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 17:48:19 -0400, Peter Cunicelli wrote:
>I can second that analogy with the paper clay. For the past 9 months I've
>been working a lot with porcelain paper clay. I have bumped bone dry
>greenware into my workbench or ware shelves more times than I can count.
>I have yet to do it hard enough to break a piece.
>
>Other benefits: And this is a big one - drying a piece overnight without
>covering it. I've done that with regular porcelain with disastorous
>results. I've also worked with pieces that were very dry and anything
>I've done worked nicely.
>
>Mel, why wouldn't you use paper clay for functional work? I'm curious.
Hello Peter:
I think Mel was talking about the lack of strength in paper clay.
True, it is stronger in the green and dry stage, but once you fire all the
paper out of it, the paper clay becomes more porous than regular clay and
thus more susseptible to beaking, at least in my experience. Although I
mostly do sculptural work but what I make is so fragile anyway and using
paper clay was a disaster for me.
Mayssan, in rainy Charleston WV USA
http://www.clayvillepottery.com
Barbara Lewis on wed 13 sep 06
Mel: Like Peter, I also know of at least one other person that uses
papeclay for functional work . . . Elizabeth Kendall. I've had great
success working with paperclay to produce THIN porcelain clay slabs that I
use for canvases or for relief work. Barbara
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Cunicelli"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 5:48 PM
Subject: Re: paper clay and bricks
>I can second that analogy with the paper clay. For the past 9 months I've
> been working a lot with porcelain paper clay. I have bumped bone dry
> greenware into my workbench or ware shelves more times than I can count.
> I have yet to do it hard enough to break a piece.
>
> Other benefits: And this is a big one - drying a piece overnight without
> covering it. I've done that with regular porcelain with disastorous
> results. I've also worked with pieces that were very dry and anything
> I've done worked nicely.
>
> Mel, why wouldn't you use paper clay for functional work? I'm curious.
>
> I've been using it for functional ware and haven't had any problems. I
> did make a set of nesting bowls using paper clay I made with too much
> paper, however. They warped like crazy. But, the liner and accent glazes
> are food safe, so I use the bowls myself.
>
> Peter
> (www.petercunicelli.com)
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
Lee Love on thu 14 sep 06
Because we are not only fabricators, but are trying to express
something with our clay, we need to keep our minds open about what material
might solve what problem we might have.
I have been working with traditional clays from Mino.
Japanese often reject our shinos, because while we have gone some way with
the skin, the glaze, we have no sensitivity toward teh muscle and bones, the
clay body.
Mogusa is the clay used for traditional shino. Mogusa is the same
name for the plant used in moxibustion, the burning accupuncture-like
tradtional medical treatment. I am assuming it shares this name because
of the high level of organic material in the clay. Which is responsible
for the light weight, open structured clay. It helps insulate the hot tea
from the hands that hold the bowl.
I have been thinking about how we can duplicate Mogusa clay with our
industrial materials in America. Mogusa shares some qualities with paper
clay, because both use organics that burn out of the clay and leave spaces
behind. It would have to be very fine. I wonder if the right kind of
paper might work?
The nature of the clay also makes a nice ruff surface when it is
trimmed, preferably with bamboo or a non-sharp trimming tool.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
http://potters.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
Bonnie Staffel on fri 15 sep 06
One of the things that I found when I read about paper clay was how it
rotted and smelled so badly. Found that a very small amount of copper
carbonate or copper sulphate mixed in with the paper mash, eliminated =
the
spoiling as far as the smell is concerned. I have kept some paper clay =
in a
plastic container for a number of months and have made pots with it now =
and
then. It throws beautifully and doesn't smell at all. I added about a
slight teaspoon of copper carb in a 5 gallon batch of the mixture. The
only negative part of this process is that you get a slight green tint =
to
your pot if you glaze with a white glaze. When I used a clear glaze and
there was no discernable color. Perhaps one could coat the pot with a =
white
slip to get rid of this slight stain. I have not tried this though.=20
I threw a tea bowl fired to Cone 9 Ox. with an early batch and have =
been
using it almost daily, putting it in the dishwasher and microwave, with =
no
crazing or any other defects that I can see. I used the brand of toilet
tissue that is very thin and wets up quickly. The next batch I make I =
will
try about half the amount of copper carb to check out if there is any
difference. =20
Funny story about this situation, the family noticed an awful smell =
upstairs
a couple of weeks ago and I said it probably was my paper clay. After
further search unit which sent the odor throughout the house. Whew, =
that
was a close call on the premise that my clay didn't stink.=20
Warm regards,
Bonnie Staffel=20
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Beginning Processes
Charter Member Potters Council
Russel Fouts on fri 15 sep 06
>> True, it is stronger in the green and dry stage, but once you fire all the
paper out of it, the paper clay becomes more porous than regular clay and
thus more susseptible to beaking, at least in my experience. Although I
mostly do sculptural work but what I make is so fragile anyway and using
paper clay was a disaster for me. <<
I've done quite a lot of work in paperclay and believe that people
are using WAY too much paper fiber.
It's really surprising how much of a difference as little as 5% paper
fiber will make. This can weaken the fired product more than necessary.
I think Chris Campbell found that as little as 1% solved her cracking
problems with her neriage work.
Ruth Ballou, as well, is mixing a small amount of a ready made paper
porcelain with her normal porcelain. I think she considers the amount
of paper in the final mix to be less than 5% and it's doing the job.
In addition, the kind of paper fiber you use also makes a big difference.
Of course, it's also fun to put a LOT of paper fiber in the clay for
special effects like a really papery surface.
Russel
Russel Fouts
Mes Potes & Mes Pots
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 223 02 75
Mobile: +32 476 55 38 75
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curtis adkins on sat 16 sep 06
Hi Bonnie,
I do not use tp I use blow-in insulation. It has boron and borax in it to deter the molding.
Curtis "Monk" Adkins
Bonnie Staffel wrote: One of the things that I found when I read about paper clay was how it
rotted and smelled so badly. Found that a very small amount of copper
carbonate or copper sulphate mixed in with the paper mash, eliminated the
spoiling as far as the smell is concerned. I have kept some paper clay in a
plastic container for a number of months and have made pots with it now and
then. It throws beautifully and doesn't smell at all. I added about a
slight teaspoon of copper carb in a 5 gallon batch of the mixture. The
only negative part of this process is that you get a slight green tint to
your pot if you glaze with a white glaze. When I used a clear glaze and
there was no discernable color. Perhaps one could coat the pot with a white
slip to get rid of this slight stain. I have not tried this though.
I threw a tea bowl fired to Cone 9 Ox. with an early batch and have been
using it almost daily, putting it in the dishwasher and microwave, with no
crazing or any other defects that I can see. I used the brand of toilet
tissue that is very thin and wets up quickly. The next batch I make I will
try about half the amount of copper carb to check out if there is any
difference.
Funny story about this situation, the family noticed an awful smell upstairs
a couple of weeks ago and I said it probably was my paper clay. After
further search unit which sent the odor throughout the house. Whew, that
was a close call on the premise that my clay didn't stink.
Warm regards,
Bonnie Staffel
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Beginning Processes
Charter Member Potters Council
______________________________________________________________________________
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Bonnie Staffel on sat 16 sep 06
Hi Clayarters,
In reading my post, it looks like the important part of the sentence was
omitted. The rest of the story is....
"a couple of weeks ago and I said it probably was my paper clay. After
further search we found a dead mouse in the A/C unit which sent the odor
throughout the house. Whew, =
that
was a close call on the premise that my clay didn't stink"
Hope this clears the post.
Regards,
Bonnie Staffel
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Beginning Processes
Charter Member Potters Council
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