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keraflex porcelain

updated wed 9 dec 09

 

Alice Chittenden on sun 6 dec 09


Hello.

I came across some images of porcelain sculpture by an Austrailian artist=
=3D
named Janet Fieldhouse. The pieces were woven and also twisted, somethin=
=3D
g porcelain normally doesn't do well. I read the description of the piece=
=3D
and noted that it was made using keraflex porcelain. I found the web sit=
=3D
e for the material. It's sold in sheets and you can purchase trial packs.=
=3D
It's quite expensive. I looked in Clayart archives but did not find any=
=3D
thing written on it. Does anyone have any experience with this or know so=
=3D
meone who has?

Thank you,
Alice Chittenden

marci and rex on sun 6 dec 09


At 05:09 PM 12/6/2009, Alice Chittenden wrote:
>Hello.
>
>I came across some images of porcelain sculpture by an Austrailian
>artist named Janet Fieldhouse. The pieces were woven and also
>twisted, something porcelain normally doesn't do well. I read the
>description of the piece and noted that it was made using keraflex
>porcelain. I found the web site for the material. It's sold in
>sheets and you can purchase trial packs. It's quite expensive. I
>looked in Clayart archives but did not find anything written on
>it. Does anyone have any experience with this or know someone who has?
>
> HI Alice,
I was given a sheet of it at a convention and since it is a
cone 10 fire, I have yet to do anything with it.. It feels and
looks like a sheet of linoleum.. it has some give to it dry
... but from what I understand, once it is wet, you can bend
it into all sorts of shapes .
You also have to get a special attaching agent for doing
bonds.. You cant just make a slurry and use that..
And I have also heard that it is very fragile after
firing... brittle.. but Im pretty sure that the person
who tried it had not glazed it..
They now have a US distributor ( previously it was only available
from Australia) http://www.keraflex.us/
Marci

Fredrick Paget on mon 7 dec 09


>.
>... blended clay with a silicone caulking (?) material and made such
>fantastic woven pieces in this way. I believe it may have been published =
=3D
>in
>...
>time. Could this material be from that method?
>
>Bonnie
>
.I got a sample pack of this at NCECA last year and tried it out.It
was too thin and brittle to use as a base for plant labels which I
had in mind when I tried it.

It looks like there is some sort of paper on one side, They say it
has a polymer blended with the clay and my guess is that it is made
on a "tape casting" machine. You see ads for tape casting in Ceramic
Industry Magazine and that is all I know about it..
--
Fred Paget
Twin Dragon Studio
Mill Valley, CA, USA
fredrick@well.com

Charter Member Potters Council

Bonnie Staffel on mon 7 dec 09


Regarding flexible clay in order to weave it, does anyone remember a =3D
potter
who blended clay with a silicone caulking (?) material and made such
fantastic woven pieces in this way. I believe it may have been published =
=3D
in
CM. I have the CD's of past issues and will try to look it up when I =3D
have
time. Could this material be from that method?

Bonnie

http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD=3DA0 Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD=3DA0 Introduction to Wheel Work
Charter Member Potters Council

Neon-Cat on mon 7 dec 09


Hi Bonnie,

Keraflex porcelain was invented in Germany and is made by Kerafol:
http://www.kerafol.com/en/porcelain-tape/service/downloads.html
http://www.kerafol.com/en/home.html (home)
(English language flags are on the right)

The binder for the clay is of a halogenated organic polymer, meaning a
polymer containing one of the halogens: chlorine, bromine, fluorine,
or iodine. The safety data is a little ambivalent but they advise no
skin contact (gloves), hand washing, and avoidance of vapors while
making and fumes while firing. Residue or the companion slip shouldn't
be put down the drain and only uncontaminated wrappings disposed of in
the trash. Hard to tell much about Keraflex without a deeper search.
It is sometimes talked about as a paperclay by paperclay buffs. You
might find all the ingredients if you did a patent search, looked
further, or contacted the company. State agencies might have
classified it by now for use in schools, for example. California is a
good agency to watch as far as toxicity data goes, Proposition 65 is
very severe when it comes to making judgments about products and
substances.

On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 2:22 PM, Bonnie Staffel wro=
=3D
te:
> Regarding flexible clay in order to weave it, does anyone remember a pott=
=3D
er
> who blended clay with a silicone caulking (?) material and made such
> fantastic woven pieces in this way. I believe it may have been published =
=3D
in
> CM. I have the CD's of past issues and will try to look it up when I have
> time. =3DA0Could this material be from that method?
>
> Bonnie
>
> http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
> http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
> DVD=3DA0 Throwing with Coils and Slabs
> DVD=3DA0 Introduction to Wheel Work
> Charter Member Potters Council

James Freeman on mon 7 dec 09


Hi, Bonnie...

I remember that article distinctly. It was definitely CM, and I think it
might have been from the mid 80's, but I no longer have the old magazines.
I remember the article because it sounded interesting enough to want to try=
,
but like so many other fascinating avenues for exploration, I never got
around to it.

Take care.

...James

James Freeman

"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I should
not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne

http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/clayart/



On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 3:22 PM, Bonnie Staffel wrot=
e:

> Regarding flexible clay in order to weave it, does anyone remember a pott=
er
> who blended clay with a silicone caulking (?) material and made such
> fantastic woven pieces in this way. I believe it may have been published =
in
> CM. I have the CD's of past issues and will try to look it up when I have
> time. Could this material be from that method?
>
>