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How To Avoid Thin Porcelain From Breaking?


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My question is if I could put something (like a glue? or binder?) on the wet/dry porcelain slab which makes it stronger to build with, and burns out in the kiln? Or is there another method which enables me to build with 1 mm slabs of porcelain clay without breaking?

Plastic on the backside isn't giving enough support. Also I don't wish to mix paper in the clay, due the the texture. 

Looking forward for any tips. 

Thank you :rolleyes:

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I work with very thin porcelain ... I don't know of anything you can do if you are not willing to add paper.

As a side note, adding even the smallest amount of linter paper pulp makes it stronger ... you don't have to use a lot.

One idea I had which I have not tried yet is to mix up a paper/water mixture in a blender ... Leave it overnight ... Then drain it and let it settle to see if there would be enough super fine particles in the water.

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I have a suggestion . Place your thin porcelain on a thicker slab of the same porcelain -it will shrink at the same rate-bisque it together as well as glaze fire that way it all shrinks the same and is good support. I did this with a 3 foot wall art fish and it worked great.

Mark

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Dear Mark, thank you for your reply. I think this won't work, since I need to place them vertically and attach to each other. 

 

Dear Chris, Thank you for your reply. The problem is if I use paper pulp it needs to be so fine that it will not give any relief. Since the slabs are 1 to 2 mm thickness this will cause a problem I feel. Have been thinking of added cotton thin cotton, almost hairlike. But it will give a problem with cutting pieces away from the slab. 

I was thinking maybe I could use some binder or some organic glue. Will try it out. 

If someone has an idea, it's more then welcome! 

Thank you

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lala: I would suggest paperclay too, but best would be to ask Antoinette Badenhorst. She is, in my eyes, a genius with porcelain. P.M. her, she's a forum member. I hope you'll find a solution!

 

 http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&andor_type=&sid=b07a91c245ae13ccefb6e60e7a894ff9&search_app_filters[forums][sortKey]=date&search_app_filters[forums][sortKey]=date&search_app_filters[forums][searchInKey]=&search_term=antoinette+badenhorst&search_app=members

 

 

Evelyne

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Have you tried assembling the work a little earlier while the clay is wetter and more forgiving? I use my thin slabs the minute they can stay firm and this avoids the brittleness of dry slabs. I keep them under plastic on moist towels until needed. Once built, I try to get them loaded before they dry in order to avoid that breakage.

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The problem is that i need them perfectly vertical and straight, no bends. So I think i need to wait till the plastic-leather hard stage, still then they tend to not stay straight. Or you don't think so? 

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I agree that it is a delicate balancing act ... Wet enough so they don't crack yet dry enough to stay rigid.

What I did was spread plastic on the table then place a damp towel - not a wet one - then place plastic on top of the towel.

Get the pieces to the right stage and keep them on the towel under plastic. You need to work fast since they go from perfect to too dry very quickly ... Well, in my hot studio they do. If you live in Seattle you can probably take your time. : - )

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The problem is that i need them perfectly vertical and straight, no bends. So I think i need to wait till the plastic-leather hard stage, still then they tend to not stay straight. Or you don't think so? 

 

1mm porcelain perfectly vertical and straight with no bends, hmmmm, not trying to be negative but I'm kind off doubtful it would survive the firing and still be perfectly vertical. Hope I'm wrong.

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Hi lala

 

take a look at the following forum post (my request from few months ago) and look at the recipie for ceramic tape casting from Alfred university......uses PVA glue into porcelain slip to get 1mm thin sheets. A commercial product called Keraflex is made this way but shockingly expensive so some clever, clever people worked out how to make similar

 

 http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/5967-ceramic-tape-recipe-like-keraflex/?hl=%2Bthin+%2Bporcelain

 

Irene

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Hi lala

 

take a look at the following forum post (my request from few months ago) and look at the recipie for ceramic tape casting from Alfred university......uses PVA glue into porcelain slip to get 1mm thin sheets. A commercial product called Keraflex is made this way but shockingly expensive so some clever, clever people worked out how to make similar

 

 http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/5967-ceramic-tape-recipe-like-keraflex/?hl=%2Bthin+%2Bporcelain

 

Irene

 

This. Tape casting is a solution, the only downside is burnoff in the bisque.

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Thank you so much!!! That was exactly what i was trying to figure out, since the keraflex is too expensive and max size is A3 as well as you don't have much room for manipulation.

I guess I could use the similar method with clay instead of slib, like making a layer on top of the clay slab somehow, will figure it out someway. This is very helpfull, am feeling so much excitement.

 

That it will bend while firing doesn't matter to me, only during the building fase it needs to be straight. 

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Would like to share that it worked :) A bit different then the slip part but the solution is similar.

I rolled out a 1 mm slab of porcelain clay and brushed thickly over one site the glue mixed with the glycerine. 80 percent glue, 20 percent glycerine. 

It took a while to dry, but the slab is firm. It might help to put a layer on the other side as well, will try this out later. 

For now am very happy with this.

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