I need to hollow out a large-ish bone dry sculpture- any hope?

[Jes]

I made a sculpture last September and then had a bunch of things come up in life, as they do. I was just cleaning out my studio and found it again and it is bone dry, but way too thick to fire without a very high chance of exploding. Is there any hope of re-wetting the clay without destroying the sculpture?

[Pres]

@Jes, I have reconstituted pieces by placing them in a large plastic bin with a lift underneath them so they don't sit in water. Spray several times a day, but don't allow much water to sit in the bottom, keep lidded, keep watch and hopefully will come back. Some people will pour or place a plaster of paris floor in the bin to absorb excess water and provide long term moisture. This process could take a month of patience to bring it back.

Process works for thrown pieces, but for this might not. Only other option I would give you is to suit up wear a mask, and use an electric drill with a variety of bits to remove as much of the clay as possible from under the base of the piece.

 

best,

Pres

[Callie Beller Diesel]

If it’s bone dry and you try to re-wet it, any water applied will work pretty rapidly to dissolve the clay. So surface texture will be altered somewhat. Readsorption may also cause small matrix cracks. 

If the piece is dear to you and you really feel like it can’t be re-made better, hollowing it out as Pres suggests is an option. The only thing I’d add to that would be to make sure you’re using a drill with low speed. Going too fast can cause structural issues from vibration. You will still have to leave the piece on the thick side to avoid damage, so you’ll have to go really, really slow on the bisque. Allow lots of time for the piece to absorb heat energy evenly. If the piece is truly bone dry and has been for months, explosions from water vapour expanding too rapidly aren’t a big possibility, but breakage  due to uneven heating is. 

[Jes]

Thank you all so much for your responses! I will try drilling it out somewhat to get it not entirely solid and then the slow re-wetting process and cross my fingers. If I lose it ultimately that's ok, but I really want to try.

Thanks again!

Jes

[Babs]

Can you post a photo?

It may not be necessary with careful firing.

[Jes]

Here is a photo

[Babs]

So head is solid clay?

Wow! You do need to get inside that Head! Beautiful.

I'l put it in a damp box with a sponge if water in there too. And make another one, and slice that open at leather hard and carve out abd rejoin. Time taken to get your initial sculpture Maube alright to fire may be a lot of time wasted.

[Jeff Longtin]

That's really amazing Jes! 

Another option would be to make a mold of the piece. Use alginate. Apply a small amount to a corner and see how it responds. My guess is that it releases easily. (Perhaps a light spray of water to moisten the surface?)

After you've applied the alginate you would then back it with a plaster "mother" mold.

A bit time consuming but an easy way to capture such fine work.

[Pres]

I think you could properly cut the head from the neck, use a self supporting notch cut Then hollow out the head and the torso separately Rejoin together with a greenware mender and then fire. If done carefully you could finish it quite well, If the neck line cut shows to much camo it with a necklace or choker.

 

best,

Pres