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How About Toothpicks For Spike Supports + Other Questions


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I just had a different idea that might work.  What if I used toothpicks, shaved down to size?  The clay shouldn't crack then should it even if it shrinks?  The toothpick should burn away.  I liked the idea about prefiring some spikes.  I know maybe a lot of you probably do wheel work but I couldn't center a pot to save my life and I had classes from 4 different instructors.  If you are a sculptor do you sometimes use some kind of support material inside the statue, like paper?  Maybe to avoid air pocket explosions?  Do you think the toothpicks would keep the spikes from drooping?  I was thinking of putting little timy thorns on the side too.  Thanks for all your help.  You gave me a lot of good information.  I'm glad I found this place.

Have any of you seen what some sculptors are doing on pintrest?  I saw I sculptor who dips cotton balls half way down into slip and then attaches them to a base.  After it fires it looks like coral or barnacles, really different.  If any of you have a pinterest account with sulpting pictures, could you send me your name to fish4northerns@yahoo.com. (I'm using my secondary email address, don't like to give out my main one and if you don't want to give me your name then I'll give you mine and you can message me there or on facebook).  Can't be too careful these days.  Someone stole my email account and I didn't get any messages for days before I knew what had happened. (Better to lose your email account than your credit card) :):):)

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For my "precarious" work, and that of my students, I usually use scrap clay, of the same body, to act as supports.  On larger, overhanging pieces, I'll make a post out of the clay, and hollow out if it is too thick.  For smaller props, I'll just use a little wad or ball of clay, lightly pressed against the rest of the sculpture.  

 

The good thing about the clay props, is that they shrink at the same rate, as the clay your firing.  

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  • 5 years later...

@Babs air dry clay is sort of like a cooked salt play dough, but made with cornstarch, baking soda, and sometimes oil and glue. At a cursory google search, it might be possible to make it with powdered porcelain, but I didn’t really want to go down that rabbit hole at the moment. You can buy small tubs of it at craft stores or make it yourself. I have not tested it to see how much it shrinks as it dries, so I think any experiments with toothpick supports are worth a shot. 

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5 hours ago, Callie Beller Diesel said:

@Babs air dry clay is sort of like a cooked salt play dough, but made with cornstarch, baking soda, and sometimes oil and glue. At a cursory google search, it might be possible to make it with powdered porcelain, but I didn’t really want to go down that rabbit hole at the moment. You can buy small tubs of it at craft stores or make it yourself. I have not tested it to see how much it shrinks as it dries, so I think any experiments with toothpick supports are worth a shot. 

Thanks Callie

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