search  current discussion  categories  forms - sculpture 

question about styrofoam for sculpting

updated mon 29 mar 04

 

Llewellyn Kouba on thu 25 mar 04


Now that the tile project for my shade garden has gone pretty well I want
to begin to make a fountain water feature. I have never worked with
sculpting very much. Is it possible to make the inside clay form of (say a
bird feature) filled with Styrofoam and then fire this out in the bisque?
Will it explode. Does one have to cut the form apart and remove the fill or
can you just fire it out as part of the process? Would it heat the work up
unevenly and explode etc. Any helps or (name of book/reading) would be a
help at this juncture. Thank you in advance. I am now on tile creating -
making piece #88 and have a few glaze finished but no photos available on
my web yet.

Llewellyn Kouba
Abbey Pottery

Weiland, Jeff on thu 25 mar 04


I have always found the best material to use for structure to be =
newspaper and cardboard. Just crumple up the paper, wrap with masking =
tape, and assemble to a slightly smaller version of the final form, =
taking into account the thickness of the clay and also allow for the =
shrinkage. The advantages over styrofoam would include the toxicity of =
the fumes when burning the foam out and also the paper has a bit of =
"give" to it as the clay dries. The paper is not so rigid so it won't =
cause the clay to separate or crack. Just make sure to put vents =
anywhere there is a hollow space, other wise KABOOM!!

Good Luck

-----Original Message-----
From: Llewellyn Kouba [mailto:lkouba@ASSUMPTIONABBEY.COM]
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 10:16 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Question about Styrofoam for sculpting


Now that the tile project for my shade garden has gone pretty well I =
want
to begin to make a fountain water feature. I have never worked with
sculpting very much. Is it possible to make the inside clay form of (say =
a
bird feature) filled with Styrofoam and then fire this out in the =
bisque?
Will it explode. Does one have to cut the form apart and remove the fill =
or
can you just fire it out as part of the process? Would it heat the work =
up
unevenly and explode etc. Any helps or (name of book/reading) would be =
a
help at this juncture. Thank you in advance. I am now on tile creating =
-
making piece #88 and have a few glaze finished but no photos available =
on
my web yet.

Llewellyn Kouba
Abbey Pottery

_________________________________________________________________________=
_____
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at =
melpots@pclink.com.

Ivor and Olive Lewis on fri 26 mar 04


Dear Llewellyn Kouba,
There are problems with burning Syrofoam. The fumes are highly
irritant. I also understand the they are also highly toxic due to the
formation of cyanide bearing products. Look into that side of it
before you proceed to refute or confirm my suggestions.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia

Tom Sawyer on sun 28 mar 04


I mentioned to a potter yesterday the idea to use paper clay as an armature;
has anyone tried it?

Tom Sawyer
tsawyer@cfl.rr.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Weiland, Jeff
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 10:56 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Question about Styrofoam for sculpting

I have always found the best material to use for structure to be newspaper
and cardboard. Just crumple up the paper, wrap with masking tape, and
assemble to a slightly smaller version of the final form, taking into
account the thickness of the clay and also allow for the shrinkage. The
advantages over styrofoam would include the toxicity of the fumes when
burning the foam out and also the paper has a bit of "give" to it as the
clay dries. The paper is not so rigid so it won't cause the clay to
separate or crack. Just make sure to put vents anywhere there is a hollow
space, other wise KABOOM!!

Good Luck

-----Original Message-----
From: Llewellyn Kouba [mailto:lkouba@ASSUMPTIONABBEY.COM]
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 10:16 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Question about Styrofoam for sculpting


Now that the tile project for my shade garden has gone pretty well I want to
begin to make a fountain water feature. I have never worked with sculpting
very much. Is it possible to make the inside clay form of (say a bird
feature) filled with Styrofoam and then fire this out in the bisque?
Will it explode. Does one have to cut the form apart and remove the fill or
can you just fire it out as part of the process? Would it heat the work up
unevenly and explode etc. Any helps or (name of book/reading) would be a
help at this juncture. Thank you in advance. I am now on tile creating -
making piece #88 and have a few glaze finished but no photos available on
my web yet.

Llewellyn Kouba
Abbey Pottery

____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.

____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.