Stephani Stephenson on mon 17 aug 09
damp box..curtain is good plastic on all sides. tight.
keep it away from the sculpture so condensation doesn't drip onto the pie=
=3D
ce creating=3D20
weak spots.
tape the curtain and the top closed.
you can also put pans of water in the enclosure for a source of evaporati=
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ve moisture.
if that isn't enough you can wrap the piece with damp 'cloth'. i used to=
=3D
have some stuff=3D20
on a roll..it was kind of like sham wow fabric on a roll..don't know what=
=3D
the original=3D20
source of it was.but you could soak the stuff, wrap a piece with it, and =
=3D
the water would=3D20
stay in the chamois stuff not on the piece...kept it damp but not wet..th=
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en a layer of=3D20
loose plastc..you will have to experiment. spraying it is good too. much =
=3D
depends on the=3D20
clay body. some folks traditionally have used paper and cloth to wrap as =
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wel.
i have extended the capacity of an electric kiln by adding brick or an ex=
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tra ring and a=3D20
lid....especially if your firing range is in the lower end and you can re=
=3D
ach temp with=3D20
existing kiln and electrical capability.
go with a good raku clay or a clay with good grog. you can rib the grog b=
=3D
ack into the=3D20
clay, submerge, for a smooth surface
Laguna offers a good variety of raku clays..you might order their sampler=
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boxes of raku=3D20
clays or buff clays..the samplers are in the catalog. you get, i think o=
=3D
ne or 2 pounds of=3D20
each, but that way you will get a feel for them.
buff sculpture is a good solid clay with low shrinkage , a cone 5 clay ,=
=3D
but you need to=3D20
find out which clays work for you , the way you handle them.
you can build work that is entirely moveable in that size range.... , but=
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if you can build it=3D20
so that you place the kiln on it rather than vice versa, good idea..sorry=
=3D
to be brief here=3D20
\gotta go ..just some ideas to start.
p.s was in cornville last week, had lunch at a place there on the interse=
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ction of cornville=3D20
road and the road to page springs!
firedup@pobox.com on tue 18 aug 09
With regard to keeping the piece damp while working on it, try draping th=
=3D
e=3D20
piece with thin (well worn out) cotton bed sheets or pillow cases. You ca=
=3D
n=3D20
mist the cotton and hang it loosely. The clay will absorb the humidity qu=
=3D
ite=3D20
evenly, then you can cover with plastic or curtain. Sometimes pieces swea=
=3D
t=3D20
when wrapped with plastic, putting a layer of cotton in between, the cott=
=3D
on=3D20
can absorb the humidity instead of the clay reabsorbing unevenly.
bev
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