Jump to content

Can Dry Peices Be Made Wet Again?


Recommended Posts

What do I do with my mug bodies that dried too fast? If I cover them,they're never ready to trim when I return.

I am in my studio off and on throughout the week, I have many distractions a despite my best efforts, I have unfinished work that dries out. I thought I could rehydrate them by dipping them into water and letting them sit, then dipping again, but it really screwed them up...the two pieces I did this with were thrown with reclaimed clay and they got bloated zit looking things all over about an inch down from the rim....I thought maybe due to tiny air pockets or grog....

Is there a right way to rehydrate that retains the shape texture and function of an item?

 

And is scoring/ joining better with slip or water? why? I was taught using water. My slip seems lighter than my clay body so it bothers me to see it overlap around edges. Oh and why pull a handle after its on a mug? Seems really unnecessary and problematic.

 

I wish I had a ceramics veteran mentor around...thank God for this forum!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never dip a dried piece in water too long!

 

You can wet a cloth in water and wrapp the dry piece in it and let it sit for a time under plastic cover. You can put the dry piece under a plastic bucket (bucket head first) and add dripping wet sponges beside your piece (not touching the piece!). You can spray it with water from all sides and let it sit under plastic cover or under a plastic bucket.

 

For scoring/joining I use either thin slip of the same clay I'am working on, or I use magic water (water and a few drops of sodium silicate).

 

I can't help with the handle question, sorry (not doing mugs or other pieces with handles).

 

Happy potting!.... and never give up...

 

Evelyne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I keep things wet longer with using a garbage bag, a few pages of news paper and a couple of sponges. Take newspaper lay on bat or board, place work on paper, wet sponges, place wet sponges on per not touching the work, cover with the bag, tuck the bag under the bat or board...

 

I've kept things wet months by just every once in a while rewetting the sponges.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to deal with dried out projects, on a fairly constant basis, because my students forget to cover things.

 

I just have them spray it down, wrap it in moist, not sopping wet, paper towels, and cover it in a plastic. Check back every couple hours to rewet the towels, until it returns to the desired wetness.

 

The main thing is, that the drier the piece is, the slower the moisture needs to be introduced. Too quick and it will crack, distort,or just turn to mush.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm kind of against the grain here. If a group of mugs dries a bit past leather hard, but the clay is still a bit dark with moisture, I will dip the pot entirely in water for a count of 3, then wrap tightly with shopping bag plastic. 2 days later usually am able to trim or add handles. If a group of pots stored on a ware board, I will dip them, then place back on board, wrap tight with trash bag. Then about 2 hours later spray with water about 2 times every 2 hrs.  Next day ready to go. Some clays it may not work with, and I really don't know about porcelain, but it has worked well for me over the last 30 years or so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 Oh and why pull a handle after its on a mug? Seems really unnecessary and problematic.

 

 

 

I think it's easier to pull a handle when it's attached to something you can hold.  It also seems to waste less clay.  However, I do shape the handle blank to roughly the correct dimensions before I attach it to the mug, which makes pulling it very quick and easy.  I also think the form is better this way.  If you pull your handles in multiples from a large lump of clay, it's more complicated to get the upper end of the handle thickened up so it looks strong, in my opinion.

 

Lately I've become weirdly obsessive about handles-- I'm even thickening the lower attachment point with a little coil of clay.  It looks better and more organic to the mug.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ray that's the way I was taught to do handles in the 70's, I would prepull the handle, get it close to the right size and length attach it to the cup and finish pulling it.  I always added a coil of clay at the lower attachment point, it just takes practice.    Denice

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm the odd man out with my porcelain if I miss the handle moment and they get white dry I toss them-my time is worth more and I just rethrow more.If they are just a tad dry then I can wet them again but if they are dry they are tossed.

I have a pet peeve and thats working with clay at the wrong state (to dry or to wet) I will move mountains to work it when its right or just cut the loss and move on.

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm the odd man out with my porcelain if I miss the handle moment and they get white dry I toss them-my time is worth more and I just rethrow more.If they are just a tad dry then I can wet them again but if they are dry they are tossed.

I have a pet peeve and thats working with clay at the wrong state (to dry or to wet) I will move mountains to work it when its right or just cut the loss and move on.

Mark

 

I feel this way too. I hate trimming a pot thats too hard or trying to attach a handle to a mug that might crack or pop off. I try hard to catch everything at the right time. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If pulling a handle off the mug is problematic, do it the way it works for you. Everybody's working methods and clay bodies are a bit different, and if it works, it's not wrong. I attach with slip, and the difference in colour between my slip and the clay piece is just a matter of moisture. It doesn't show at all in the finished piece.

When my son was younger, it could be upwards of 2 weeks between working sessions. In my dry climate, I would wait to cover my pieces until the shine had left the pots, and then wrap the whole board with one sheet of light plastic. The shared humidity acts like a damp cabinet, and can even out moisture. If you need things to dry a bit more rapidly, just lightly drape the plastic, rather than tucking it under the board. Handles take less time to dry out, so I pull them a few hours before attaching.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just got some paper towels for my studio...I have just used rags for cleanup prior...I'm a waste not want not person usually. Next time I have a overly dry mug, I'll try the paper towel route and the spray bottle under buckets or bags to see what works quicker.

 

I think I need to throw about 10 at once and do stages of production...and use my magic box...which I'm making today using an old storage tub from Ikea. It's nice and deep and about 2&1/2 mugs wide. Should hold about 10-11 mugs at once.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm the odd man out with my porcelain if I miss the handle moment and they get white dry I toss them-

Mark

Hey,

I feel the same way...but can there be an odd number of even ?  Two odd men out? :>) I chalk up the loss to

experience...in the past I have tried to "save" vessels but the results are often less than expected,

they can't be sold and wind up in my cabinets or yard.  And when they're used and I see the cracks around

the handle, it is a constant reminder of all the time that went in to the effort to try to save that piece. 

If you choose to use the 'wet box", damp paper towels, "magic water", slip with out scoring, there is a chance

of using them as a crutch.  A "fix" is only found out when it comes out of the kiln.

There are 3 shelves next to my wheel...one for things that need trimming, trimmed items that need handles,

and one shelf that has handles attached and are waiting to be unwrapped.  Vessels that need trimming and

trimmed vessels go into white plastic bags, and vessels with handles go inside yellow plastic bags(from Dollar

General).  The reason is so I don't reach up and snatch a handled mug down distorting the vessel/handle.

Anything with a yellow bag means "handle with care".  So I can look around the room and say with confidence,

those things need trimming or a handle and the yellow bags can be removed,(after 12 to 24 hours).

And don't think about trimming something dry...the squealing noise and dust is one thing but the biggest

issue with me is putting 6 months of wear and tear in 6 minutes on a formerly good trimming tool.  Sharp blades

don't grow on trees, just the handles.

Time to get off the soapbox...its just my humble opinion anyway.;)

Alabama

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I'll be more diligent to cover things in the future, I really don't want to fiddle with fussy pieces, I will just throw more unless it's especially amazing....

 

So in your experience, when a handle begins to crack away from the mug body, even if it's a small separation, that it grows in the bisque firing? I had about 8 mugs do that before I read about drying them out slowly and began to keep them covered for a while following attachment. I hope they aren't all shot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.