13 replies to this topic

[maya]

I always tell my fourth graders there's no such thing as a silly question, but this probably qualifies:

 

I handbuild exclusively and now that retirement is just around the corner, am spending more and more time on my clay.  But I always seem to have a conundrum:  either I slump into a mold and am able to carve and decorate the interior of the piece, or hump onto a mold and can carve and put feet, etc on the exterior.

 

Dilemma?  I can't figure out how to do both.  How do you decorate the interior AND also put feet, etc on the exterior?

 

Thoughts? Advice?

[neilestrick]

Decorate the interior first. Once it's firm in enough that the decoration won't get smushed, switch it to the outside of a form and put on the feet. Probably need a slightly smaller form for step 2.

[Diane Puckett]

I was thinking I would use a hump mold, put the feet on, let sit to leatherhard, and then carve the inside. Don't know that it matters except that Neil's method would keep it stable while you worked on the inside.

[Pres]

Depending on the form, you could decorate one side, lay the slab into the form with the decorated side down, then decorate the inside. A lot of the time if your form is too extreme this does not work because of cutting and rearranging. However, if the form is simple it should be a good way especially with impressed or slipped decoration. I have even rolled a slab over a textured slab, then textured the top of the slab, and then placed over a slump mold.

[clay lover]

I have tried it both ways.  I do better with a hump form and putting feet on while it is still soft, otherwise I tend to have cracking problems with the attachments.   When I turn it out, I support the edges with one hand and carve with the other, or use foam strips for support, depending on the size.

 

Just this week, I have been struggling with small slipped and carved bowls, since the slip demands that the bowls be slumped and has to get past sticky to carve, so they are sort of too dry to put feet on later. GRRR    Any better ideas?.

[neilestrick]

If your attachments/feet are leather hard or the same hardness as the pot, that should reduce cracking problems.

[clay lover]

Sounds like I might otta make my feet earlier and let them firm up some while I'm carving the slip!

[maya]

Clay lover, I know exactly what you mean.  When I first cut out my shape, I set aside the scraps and then form the feet from them.  I slump the form and work on it, while letting the feet "age" along with the piece.

 

The problem I encountered was that they never seemed to attach as well once they were leather hard.  I used the slip and score method, but they never attached as well as when the clay is first malleable and soft.  I've even had the feet fall off..........oy vey.

 

Hence my question about how to work the inside AND the outside.

[neilestrick]

Make sure you score deep. As deep as you can without causing problems. Score in one direction, then put some water or slip on it (I just use water) and score in the other direction. Make a real mess of it. The more sludge and the deeper the cuts the better. Do this to both pieces then wiggle them together.

[clay lover]

How dry do you think this method works, Neil?

[Diane Puckett]

Consider paper clay slip. Sticks extremely well, sometimes too well. I have even see it used to repair bisque ware.

[clay lover]

doesn't PC stink when it's kept around very long?

[neilestrick]

How dry do you think this method works, Neil?

 

You can join like this on the dry side of leather hard as long as both pieces are the same moisture level. The wetter the better, though.

[PeterH]

doesn't PC stink when it's kept around very long?

 

If you keep it wet, but as it rehydrates overnight it's best to keep your PC stores in dry usable "bricks".

 

... advice originally from somebody who got "farmer's lung" from the mould in over-ripe PC.

 

Regards, Peter