How to buy the right type of clay?
-
I've always loved pottery and ceramics, taking various art classes over the years and getting very involved in pottery. I decided I'd love to buy some clay for home. I don't want polymer clay or any crayola crap, but besides that I'm not really sure which kind to buy. I'm used to clay that you can throw, though I won't be buying a wheel, and generally just prefer molding on a table. I also have mostly used clay for kilns, and I'm pretty sure that my school would let me have access to the one they use for classes there (I"m in high school). However I don't really know the difference between oven-bake and using a kiln. If I prove to myself this isn't just a temporary thing, I'll probably buy a under-300-dollar kiln. If someone could tell me the differences of how the two clays mold or dry? I have no idea what kind of clay to use. I'm a beginner so won't be doing anything to intense. Could anyone suggest a good brand? I want the kind of clay that you find in pottery classes, not at CVS (not oil based, is what I've gathered from some research) Any help would be greatly appreciated!
-
Answer:
I am guessing that by "mold" and "ceramics" you mean the use of a plaster mold to pour clay slip into until a layer forms inside and then the extra is poured out. It used to be a considerable hobby to buy these forms from shop, paint them with glaze and take them back to be fired, but that is decreased now. The other forms of working earth or "water based" clay are coil, slab, and pinch pot. All three of these use what I would call "damp" clay, not dry although they can be bought as a dry powder to which water is added, mixing is complicated and messy and it is much easier to buy 25 pounds in a bag/box at a craft store or pottery supplies firm. The appearance of the clay after it is fired will depend on what you do to it along the way and glazes which give you color on the surface can also make the surface anything from glossy to matt to textured. Oven bake clay is polymer clay and when it is baked, it turns to PVC plastic. Air dry clay has binders so that it is strong when just air dried. Regular earth clay is weak and brittle when dried but not fired.
Justine T at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source
Other answers
I like Laguna paper clays http://www.lagunaclay.com/clays/western/paper-clays.php Part of the reason is I know a local distributor Shipping can get expensive Check for a local ceramic supply near where you live the may also recommend a ceramic studio Or look for a ceramic studio and ask for their advise Ceramic studios want to be sure what they place in their kilns will not explode and damage other pieces
plainrsc
Related Q & A:
- How do I check a type is of a specific template?Best solution by Stack Overflow
- How to get actual return type of a generic static method in Java?Best solution by stackoverflow.com
- How to filter by input type?Best solution by Stack Overflow
- How do you cut right to the next scene on a video?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
- How safe is Kenya right now?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
Just Added Q & A:
- How many active mobile subscribers are there in China?Best solution by Quora
- How to find the right vacation?Best solution by bookit.com
- How To Make Your Own Primer?Best solution by thekrazycouponlady.com
- How do you get the domain & range?Best solution by ChaCha
- How do you open pop up blockers?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.
-
Got an issue and looking for advice?
-
Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.
-
Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.
Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.