Surface texture of finished Paper Clay piece?

i don't know much about it, i haven't tried paper clay yet but want to try sawdust clay soon.

i would expect however the paper burned out to be of such a small fiber that you will not see it. you'll feel it by a lower weight.

i heard from a sculpter who used a fiber method of sculpting clay over string or cord that she got a green tint from the cord ash in the final fire. maybe paper will leave this tace?

she used porcelain. a light spray of clear glaze over the piece before a single fire is her way of making pieces.

i want to use saw dust to GET a rough texture as well as light weight large pieces.

stay tuned.

see ya

steve

Eric Feb 9, 2:15 pm show options

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.pottery From: "Eric" - Find messages by this author Date: 9 Feb 2005 14:15:34 -0800 Local: Wed, Feb 9 2005 2:15 pm Subject: Surface texture of finished Paper Clay piece? Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse

I just mixed my first batch of paper clay slip, and now I'll have to wait a while for it to settle out then transfer to a plaster table for more drying. I used toilet paper (new) because I remember hearing somewhere that its fibers are smaller and therefore better for paper clay. After several searched on-line and looking in some archives, I still haven't seen any reports on the texture of the clay after it has been fired, i.e., when it is a finished/glazed piece.

It seems that the paper fibers would leave little "voids" after burning

out and leave a less-than-smooth surface. Some glazes I use are clear-color type that clearly show any variation in thickness. Its a property that I like because it highlights carvings on the piece, but I'm worried that it will show a bunch of pockmarks on paper clay.

Anyone know about this?

Thanks.

The paper clay I have seen fired in our studio is extremely light and extremely fragile (because people can make things very thin with it they do... it basically it breaks if you look at it). On the surface it appears just as it does before firing - so without handling it you can not really tell that it is paper clay.

I have made pieces that I have put things like lentils, caraway seeds, mustard seed, etc. in. These leave large holes in the body and where they are on the surface noticeable texture (I really like the look but some may not).

I think there may be two different types of paper clay. There is a commerical product from a company called (I think) American Paper Clay that is not intended for firing. When fired, it behaves exactly as you describe. This stuff is normally just air-dried and used for craft sculpture, like very fine paper machie (sp?) (I was introduced to this paper clay when my wife took a class to sculpt doll heads. Of course I had to fire some!)

This is apparently completely different from the stuff that potters make themselves from clay and paper.

Best regards,

Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis

Ours was fired (cone6) and made in the studio by a potter there for a class but I don't know how they made it. As I said - because they could make it so thin some of the pieces had parts that were - 'paper thin' (sorry) and of course they just shattered if you touched them.