Description
CLICK THE "LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ITEM" LINK JUST BELOW TO READ THE FULL DESCRIPTION FOR THIS ITEM. PROMPT REBATE ON ORDERS WITH 3 OR MORE "FreeShip" ITEMS! WANT TO KNOW YOUR TOTAL REBATE BEFORE PURCHASE? CONTACT US! This is a paper clay slip in a mid-range, cone 4 to cone 6. If you have a kiln this is your chance to try slip casting without spending much money. We are selling relatively small amounts of 3 slips, this paper clay one & two others. All you need is the slip & a Pottery Plaster mold. For learning experience you might try making a hand built small flat plaque (a mask?) out of clay laid on a work table surface, a one sided flat on the back single piece mold. A flat object will use a lot less plaster than a bulbous pot shape. Build clay walls around it to hold the plaster in. Make it 2" or 3" thick. Just cast a flat slab of plaster the same size as your front mold half & use it for the back (no detail) & you've got a 2 piece mold. While the plaster is still soft, carve out a pouring spout & reservoir for pouring the slip into the mold on both halves. Dry out the mold halves by putting them in a 125 F oven for a couple of days, they need to be absolutely dry so they'll absorb the water from the liquid slip. You'll use big rubber bands or wire to hold the two mold halves together. If you don't want to make a mold, another route is buying a ready made small plaster mold from an online supplier, lower prices are about $25 to $30 shipped. Start with something small, around 3", it will save you money on materials for your first efforts. If you change your mind & decide to make a mold, here's a quick tutorial for making a mold of a small bowl (using more plaster): { https://www.instructables.com/Plaster-Mold-for-Slipcasting-a-Bowl/ } in case you're a beginner & haven't yet run across what slip casting is all about, you've come to the right place. Slip is clay in a liquid form, made that way by the use of deflocculants, which make the lowest possible viscosities with the least added water. You pour the slip into a two piece absorbent dry plaster mold till it's full & wait a while. The porous plaster sucks up water from the slip. Let it absorb water for the correct amount of time (perhaps 15 to 30 minutes) & then dump out the excess slip. Put the mold upside down over a container to allow the clay left in the mold to dry out a little more (depending on thickness 30 minutes to several hours). If you've waited long enough the wall thickness of the clay will be enough to make a strong clay object that will hold its shape when the two piece plaster mold is taken apart. Clay (and especially clay slip) shrinks a little when it loses water, so your clay casting will be somewhat smaller in size & should release with relative ease from the mold if you've let the slip dry enough (until it's "leather hard"). Trim the pouring spout/reservoir off. Let the casting completely dry & bisque fire it. That's a rough outline of how it goes. Read some online
