enthdegree Posted December 26, 2014 Report Share Posted December 26, 2014 I'd like to try and make a glazed ceramic keyboard key cap. The stems of these keycaps are very fine; the whole part is about an inch in diagonal. Can any clay retain this level of detail after firing? Maybe it would work better to glue a plastic stem onto a shell of ceramic, but it would be especially nice if the whole thing could be of one material. Thanks for the ideas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammule Posted December 26, 2014 Report Share Posted December 26, 2014 Is this to be used on the keyboard as a replacement? Or for something else, like jewelry? If it's to fit the keyboard, don't forget the shrinkage rate, so if you used the "+" stem pushed into clay, and then fired it would very likely be too small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted December 26, 2014 Report Share Posted December 26, 2014 Any fine grain clay could work, but calculating for shrinkage to get the plastic post to fit snug enough to stay put will be near impossible. I would make a round hole in the key that's too big for the red + shaped post. Then fill the hole with epoxy putty and push it onto the post. Or cut the center piece out of another key and glue it into the ceramic key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 I don't know if detail is the right word. Little details that I have ignored seem to jump out at me once the clay is fired. Getting that kind of accuracy will be tough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSC Posted December 29, 2014 Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 I agree likely shrinkage is going to be a problem...all clays hold details but all the details shrink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted December 29, 2014 Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 could you tell us why you want to make something like this from clay? (porcelain will hold even fingerprints forever) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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