Sirpz_ Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 So I'm working on an independent study, that because I was so busy with my upcoming tests and homework, I forgot about the due date, and I need clay to be bone dry asap. Is there a way I can accelerate the process, such as a blow dryer or something of that sort, thank you so much and I would appreciate a rapid response Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 How fast you can dry it depends on what kind of clay it is. Some clay bodies can be rushed and others cannot. What is the clay body. What forms are you trying to dry? Why do they need to be bone dry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirpz_ Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I don't know the exact name, it might start with an R, but I know when it fires its white/pinkish, I'm making a bust and it needs to be bone dry in order to be fired in a kiln Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirpz_ Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 How can I tell what type I'm using? I'm assuming its typical clay for schools, its gray, dries lighter, when fired it turns pink/white Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiselleNo5 Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I have dried very small things in my oven at 200 but it's extremely risky for larger items. If the piece is extremely thick you risk cracking. If the piece has other pieces added on, they could crack and/or fall off at the joins. And with anything the clay may warp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Stand it on a slowly rotating wheel, in front of a fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavy Fire Studios Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Sounds like white stoneware, but there are a bajillion different kinds of that stuff. It *should* be okay to quick-dry, though. Btw, that pinky-white stuff you see is actually called bisque. It's the stage where you put glaze on, then fire it higher to reach maturity (to the point it can hold liquid). You'd be pretty wise to ask what specific type of temperature range that clay gets fired to in order to avoid some awful kiln mishaps! :3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 If it is a thick piece you might find it difficult to dry quickly. The surface might look dry but as long as it feels cool to the touch, it isnt. I would opt for Chilly's solution for as long as you can. I am assuming you want to fire it and have no control over the kiln?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rakukuku Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I am lucky to have a sunny window that helps drying. but you have to rotate the piece. for larger pieces i usually let them dry slow under loose plastic for awhile to avoid cracking. in a pinch i set things on top of a warm kiln for a little while but again, only little stuff and not for very long. best practice is to not rush or you will be in crack city. rakuku Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Yep, a large fan, with the ware on a rotating surface is the way to go. The clay you describe sounds like both, the stoneware my studio used in college, and the Raku clay I use for my classroom now. Both have grog, which meant they were forgiving, when it came to quick drying. Does your clay have grog as well? A hairdryer can work, but it's a bit tedious, as you have to move it around a lot, so you aren't drying one area quicker than another. And, as Chris stated, it might feel dry on the outside, but still be damp on the inside, and that's where the risk for explosion lies. What is it, that you made? Wheel thrown, slab and/ or coil built, sculptural, etc? How thick would you say it is overall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 When I was helping fire kilns at a local studio that took in work -- lots of sculpture -- the artist always swore the piece was completely dry, blah, blah, blah. We would let the item sit on the shelf another week or two -- usually in the kiln room, before we were comfortable with the piece being dry. But if they wanted it fast, we gave it to them fast -- and usually in pieces in an empty clay box. Somethings can't be rushed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hot box it can dry fast-but if it sculpture it can crack. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirpz_ Posted May 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Aha, that's exactly it, raku, I don't know what grog is (I am a highschool student) but if your asking if its forgiving. Yes, it is, I made a Bust of a character, no wheel of sorts, simply slab that I molded, I have made a hole in the bottom, so the head through base all have escape vents. Thanks for being one of the most helpful comments, not that anyone didn't help, but you answered quite a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 How thick is the slab you molded? Slabs do dry, relatively fast. They also can warp, because they dry so fast. One issue, with molding slabs, is that they can kink, and create spots that end up being thicker, than the item overall. FYI, grog is ground up ceramic, that is added to a clay body, to make it less prone to cracking, when drying and firing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Heat lamps such as the ones used for incubators work well.I just hope your piece is not a solid form but hollow. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayaldridge Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I don't think I'm the only potter who sometimes loads leatherhard pots into the kiln and just fires at low heat with the lid open for a couple hours. I never get explosions, though admittedly most of my forms are pretty thin and don't have any large variations in thickness. I've never really understood why school and community firers don't take this approach, rather than risking blowing something up. How much extra can it cost to keep the kiln under 200 F for an extra hour or two? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirpz_ Posted May 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 My teacher says you should leave it 3 days to dry, its not a large piece at all, perhaps 70% the size of an average head, I only have 2 days, so something to speed it up an extra day is great, I don't have anything that can spin w/ a fan, all I have access to is a blow dryer, as I don't want to take the risk of putting it in our oven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Go to walmart, buy a cheap lazy susan. Put your scuplture on it. Put it front of a box fan. Turn on a movie or two and put your right or left hand on the lazy susan and turn it while you watch a movie. Will probably be pretty dried out within a few movie. GO GO MULTITASKING! You could also put it under a lamp at the same time to even further increase the heat + air drying process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Do you have any type of box/ floor fan? That's what I use to dry my student's projects, along with our air vent, that circulates air in the room. You don't have to be scared of using an oven to try it. As long as you keep the temperature under 212 F, you should have any issues, unless it was fairly wet, when you put it in the oven. For my classroom kiln, I run a fairly slow program, to reduce any potential blow outs. Most of the time it works, but every once in a while, I'll still have a project, that doesn't fully make it. The next time, I proceed more cautiously, and make move offerings to the kiln gods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I've never really understood why school and community firers don't take this approach, rather than risking blowing something up. How much extra can it cost to keep the kiln under 200 F for an extra hour or two? Most of the sculpture we fired at the studio was brought in by artists taking classes at one of the more upscale Art studios . . . and their kiln techs apparently fired everything the same way. They brought stuff to us to fire because we had a higher survivability rate . . . even though they had to pay for our firing vs. getting it fired for free at the studio where they took classes. I could never figure that one out. But we would preheat a sculptue load any where from 6 hours to 18 hours depending on thickness, size, and complexity of item. And then we would do a slow bisque. The only thing we refused were solid items . . . they were certain to crack, break. And we took care to fire on thick beds of grog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I wouldn't say I'm that careful, but I am fairly cautious. Sometimes, it doesn't matter, when it's the end of the term, and you have to get everything fired. When it HAS to go into the kiln, it has to go in. Which is why I tell students, they have to budget their time, so they can get everything done in time, so it can be fired properly. Most of them follow my advice, others wait until the last minute, and they end up with hastily made projects, that might not survive the firing, due to moisture, sloppy construction, or both. One thing is for sure. There is nothing more surefire, than just letting the project air dry over a period of days to weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJR Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hot box it can dry fast-but if it sculpture it can crack. Mark Where's your picture? You suddenly have no face. Yah! T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hot box it can dry fast-but if it sculpture it can crack. Mark Where's your picture? You suddenly have no face. Yah! T. The avatar problem is being worked on. Until then, we are paying homage to the countless unnamed potters who have made such wonderful wares in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 TJR-its like the old Japanese unamed potters who are just making needed work-no photo-just pots on ware boards in the sun drying everyday. If you want to join this movement just try to change your avatar and you to will have a outline for an avatar. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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