I am always starting new ceramic projects, and most never work out. To end the year, I thought it would be fun to share a few failures from 2020. I hope you are inspired to try something new in the coming year.
When I tried to do the burlap type of thing for one of my BFA ceramics classes I found that using a slip that has enough soluble salts to act like a glaze (borax is my favorite) and vitrify the whole thing during bisque worked best because the fibers arent able to suck up the clay and so there are large internal sections that will burn off but borax can soak in there and make a glass that holds the clay particles and small blobs of clay together
I've done a little with casting using absorbent materials. In all cases, I used a "super saturated" deflocculated slip, which reduced the likelihood of cracking. The final goal was to use yarn, but I tested the slip on paper towels first. I did multiple layers of dipping the towel in the slip, wringing it out, redipping and repeating. It held up pretty well. For the yarn, cotton yarn was used, as polyester yarn apparently doesn't work (Less absorbent?). One of my students crocheted some beanies, which we soaked in the slip, wrung out, and redipped a few times. We then used ballons as forms to allow them to set up. They were bisqued, glazed and refired without incident. They were the lightest ceramic wares I've ever held! The burlap is a great idea, but it may not be absorbent enough to pull in enough slip and/ or too stiff to allow the clay to shrink, leading to the cracking. I wonder how cotton canvas would fare? Those balloon textures look amazing, like cratered planets! As others have said, a release might help, something like cooking spray. When you let the air out, the clay is sticking to the smooth nonporous surface and contracting with it. I would definitely continue with those experiments. Imagine using a porcelain, and lighting those from the inside!
I love the Charlie Brown balloon. Do you think it would help to have a barrier that provides a release agent, like cornstarch or oil? I just cannot give up on your idea. It looks brilliant. I am cheering for you to make it work.
With the burlap / fabric: you need to soak it in thick slip fo a few days for the clat to infuse with the fibers, Overdry green ware: mix 2 oz white vinegar with a quart of water put that mixture into a spray bottle and spray moisten wi on ALL surfaces inside and oue every 1/2 hour until the piece is the desired moisture level.
Justin no matter the attempt, success or failure.. it is always enjoyable watching all the imaginative, out of the box experiments you attempt. Kudos to you trying and your determination which is the amazing part. Happy New Year to you and all the forthcoming experiments...
This is such great stuff! Please keep posting both successful and not-so-successful experiments. For the sprayer and burlap, I had similar thought and love that you did a lot of the experimental work for me. Have you thought about doing those effects on a already thrown pot? Get the structure of pottery from the wheel, but the outer texture of the added elements. I really want to try added slip saturated lace to a pot and see how it works.
Regarding your burlap. My mother used to soak cotton lace in porcelain slip and layer it on porcelain dolls for the dresses. The added support of the base helped to protect the porcelain lace when it was fired. Maybe layering your burlap onto a leather had base piece would be more successful? Cool idea, though...
Maybe a combination of your burlap basket and balloon ideas could work together? Some strips of slip soaked burlap as your first layer- the fiber may give you enough reinforcement for the subsequent spray coats and help it to survive the balloon deflation...? Awesome experiments though!
Eres un loco divino!! Me sentí totalmente identificada (no con tu técnica a la cual no te llego ni a los tobillos sino a la insistencia) Me haz hecho reir un montón, felicitaciones al final salió una especie de grano de café, una pieza muy hermosa
I will throw my hat into the baloon idea. From the outer appearance, it looks like a couple problems. 1 the thickness of the clay. It did seem you addressed this in the later experiments. The main thing I was seeing is that it looks like it was drying to fast. Get a coating on, the burlap idea by eggsoups would be good. Wrap in plastic. Then after it drys a little let out a bit of air. Let it dry a little more, little more air ect...
Wow the bots have been super busy on YT recently. If you all see the comments with the heart eye emoji, kissy face and multiple hearts in it. Just report it as unwanted content or spam.
Did you consider trying slip on both sides of the burlap? Loved the balloon test. What did you use as a release agent if anything? Grand set of educators. Have a happy new year looking forward to more experiments in 2021. Right now I am figuring out tolerances for making a PLA 1 1/4" tap and die set to use with clay. Any advice would be welcomed by this 70 year old brain. I am planning to make the tap with a hollow core for the clay to have greater escape route. Many educators(failures) to look forward to. Be well!
Thoughts about Clay + baloons. Makes me think of those chocolate balloons and resin balloons. Whenever I've been those work, the chocolate/resin is super thick like 1cm thick at least. Then they wait for it to be super dry before popping the balloon. Also they almost never are suspended in the air. With the resin,some even spray the baloon with a release agent before coating. I'd love to see the ceramic balloon work.
I haven't tried a release agent. I agree about the needed thickness too. Given that newspaper works so well in other instances, I think the next attempt will be to paper mache the balloon first, so I have a hope of releasing the balloon. Then I would burn out the paper in the bisque.
@@JustinsMakery sounds like a good plan. Release agent can be a powdered Clay that will dry the clay out when it makes contact with the balloon. Looking forward to seeing it work.
You made me laugh trying to make those ceramic balloons and when you said "oh the humanity" well that was it, my sides hurt thank you! Now, I'm not a potter, so this maybe a stupid idea. I think it would be worth trying to cover the balloons with strips of news paper, (i know extra work!), but it just might give something for the clay to hold onto and if it gets as far as being fired the paper would burn off. Then again it may just be a stupid idea from a non potter?!? Cheers!
I think i have an idea for the ballon, you should interconnect two balloons with a hose, that way when the ceramic shrinks, it just increases the pressure in that balloon and sends the excess air into the second ballon, then when the clay dries you crimp the hose and take off the second ballon and slowly let the air out. Otherwise you need an outer mold for it instead of an inner one. Just a thought! Thanks for the video and happy new year!
