Chopped Nylon Fiber?

[Username]

I was wanting to try adding chopped nylon fiber to my stoneware. Has anyone ever tried it? How much did you add, and did you throw with it?

[Marcia Selsor]

I have used it in raku slabs and handbuilding bodies.

It takes very little. For a 200 pound dry batch, I use about 2 tablespoons dissolved in water before adding to my Soldner mixer. Then I add the dry mix.

Marcia

[Username]

Thanks, Marcia.

Boy, when they say a little goes a long way, they aren't kidding. What is that, like a half an ounce for 200 pounds of clay?

I am throwing with some paper clay, and it has the weirdest behavior, it gets this strange rubbery feel to it, and starts to twist and just be "weird." It might be due to the paper fibers helping to wick moisture out of it, I don't know; an advantage is that the pieces seem to dry faster if they do make it to the "piece" stage.

Anyway, I thought the fiber might be an interesting alternative to the paper, it will be fun to try. Always something to fool around with in ceramics, isn't there?

[Marcia Selsor]

My paper clay always dried SLOWER..wonder what is happening there.

Paper clay needs to be fired slowly because it releases the moisture slower..so be careful Why is your paper clay drying faster?

I mixed a batch with cellulose recently and I think I over did it with the cellulose. It crumble. I am going to add it to straight slip to reduce the content of cellulose. I am just processing slip to make an ample supply of paper clay to do some sculpture. I have buckets of porcelain scrap.

 

Marcia

[Marcia Selsor]

you do know they are using nylon fiber in conrete for highway and sidewalks. A little does wonders there.

Marcia

[TheSmartCat]

Small amount is right! I am still using some that I bought twenty years ago. I tried throwing with fibers early on but stopped because of the drag when trimming. Cleaning up the piece and my tools was more trouble than it was worth. Now I use it in my fritted terra cotta when I want a *really* strong hand building body with no grog. The only problem I have is that it is so strong that I tend to be far too casual with it in its green state.

[Marcia Selsor]

I have had a bag of fiber for about that long too. It is a great addition to handbuilding clay but not good for throwing as you stated.

[Username]

I forgot to mention that I had tried trimming thrown paper clay pieces in the past, and it was very difficult. As Smartcat said, the drag, and the scratch marks in the piece were tough to deal with.

I was hoping to replace the paper with the nylon, and perhaps make something easier to form/trim.

I must say, though, that earlier this week I threw a piece that was about 1/3 paperclay mixed with regular stoneware. It trimmed so beautifully, I was happy. My success appears to be because I let the piece dry enough, and then sharpened the heck out of my trimming tools.

Thanks, Marcia, for lending your expertise to the forums; with you and JBaymore, Seasoned Warrior (where has Charles been?) and others I am neglecting, alot of questions are put to rest, and are valuable to us duffers.

[Seasoned Warrior]

you do know they are using nylon fiber in conrete for highway and sidewalks. A little does wonders there.

Marcia

 

 

In commercial concrete applications the usual additive is chopped glass fibers. The glass fibers help prevent surface cracking of the concrete. They are of some use as reinforcement but not really all that much compard to the use of reinforcing steel. However they do improve the look of architectural concrete. There is an extra step that needs to don to keep the glass fibers form looking like fuzz on the surface because concrete is usually finished by trowelling whch presses the material down and the fiers tend to spring up. it is frequently referred to as GFRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete) and these is a lot of infomration on the web. The glass fibers are usually bought seperately and added in mixing so you could purchase them from a concrete materials supplier.

 

Best regards,

Charles

[Marcia Selsor]

you do know they are using nylon fiber in conrete for highway and sidewalks. A little does wonders there.

Marcia

 

 

In commercial concrete applications the usual additive is chopped glass fibers. The glass fibers help prevent surface cracking of the concrete. They are of some use as reinforcement but not really all that much compard to the use of reinforcing steel. However they do improve the look of architectural concrete. There is an extra step that needs to don to keep the glass fibers form looking like fuzz on the surface because concrete is usually finished by trowelling whch presses the material down and the fiers tend to spring up. it is frequently referred to as GFRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete) and these is a lot of infomration on the web. The glass fibers are usually bought seperately and added in mixing so you could purchase them from a concrete materials supplier.

 

Best regards,

Charles

 

Thanks for clarifying the glass usage in concrete.

Marcia