alternative to fibreboard

[NRichards]

Hello,

Just wondering if anyone knows of an alternative to fibre board for slumping and carving into? I' sure my tutor said there was one but I can't remember what it was called.


Thanks

Naomi

[Zeldazog]

Do you mean Kaiser Lee board, Naomi?

I know you can use ceramic fibre paper and spray it with something to set it hard, but I cant' remember what it's called.

[dinah46]

Pearsons sell the hardening compund for fibre board, I've used it on ceraboard but not to shape it with. It's a clear liquid that doesn't keep well as it seems to react with the tin

[NRichards]

I had a work with my tutor and she said the stuff we were carving into may have been called ceraboard. She also sourced some rigidiser for it from Bath potters for a lot less than the glass shops sell it for apparently.

Thanks

Naomi

[Moreton]

Tempsfords did sell Ceraboard and it came in large sheets. I think about 24 X 24 but they now try to push Kaiser Board instead. It only goes to (if I remember right) 12"x12" but does not need hardener. Also available from Warm Glass.
It is a product developed by Petra Kaiser and her husband Wolfgang. She wrote one of the easiest primers for fusing. "Introduction to Glass Fusing" followed by "Fuse It, A Continuing Journey in Kiln Worked Glass"
Both worth a read and can be borrowed from some public libraries. I have both and though I have many more advanced books Petra is one I still refer to for simple instructions in an easy to read style.

Hope that Helps
p.s. The hardener is very dangerous stuff, can cause undetected burns that are very serious.

[shafeenan]

I wrote to Bath Potters to ask about their paper clay - http://www.bathpotters.co.uk/smooth-body-t-s-flax-paper-clay-es200/p1827
They told me it was fine for making moulds, and also suggested  http://www.bathpotters.co.uk/ccb-buff-stonewareearthenware-clay/p3869
I'm a total novice and trying to run before I have learnt to walk but wanted to know. 
Hope this is of interest/use to someone.  Do tell Bath Potters Nancy recommended them. They were super quick and efficient answering my question, so it seems only fair!

[jackiesimmonds]

re the paperclay and other clays....wouldn't you have to fire it to bisque in order to use?  If I am right, and you know a firing schedule which is simple to understand (I too am a novice)  please let me know!

[Nina A]

re the paperclay and other clays....wouldn't you have to fire it to bisque in order to use?  If I am right, and you know a firing schedule which is simple to understand (I too am a novice)  please let me know!

Clay firings are a much higher temperature than Glass, (I can't remember exactly what, but there are plenty of experts here that may know. I can remember than when I made porcelain dolls the porcelain had to fire to 1260c)
If you've got a Glass kiln it may not go high enough to fire to clay.

[Zeldazog]

I don't think you fire ceramic moulds to full maturity, otherwise they vitrify, which makes the surface none absorbent and therefore difficult to kiln wash.

Paperclay bisque fires to whatever it's equivalent normal clay body would do (so a stoneware paper clay would not need to be fired as high as porcelain paper clay to be fully fired)

I do wonder why you'd go to the expense of using paper clay to make a mould though, not sure the benefits it has really apply to mould making; its great stuff for complicated forms, easy to work with especially over long periods of time, but I cannot see any major benefit for simple slumping moulds.

Jackie, the firing schedule will depend on the clay body, but there are loads of schedules out there anyway.

[jackiesimmonds]

All of the firing schedules I have found, talk about cones.  I just want a simple temperature one!  I have no cones and dont really want to buy them.

[Zeldazog]

I'm sure if you Google for cone temperatures, there will be a chart or table out there somewhere.  I know there used to be one pinned to the cone cupboard at Uni, so they must exist.

Ceramic firing schedules still usually include a ramp rate, so you only have to convert the process temperatures from cones to degrees.

Does the supplier of the clay you're buying not have a suggested firing schedule (although again, they may talk in cones, as that is commonplace in the world of ceramics. 

[jackiesimmonds]

I will check, thanks for the advice.

[★★Terri★★]

If you want to make some moulds from clay it is easy enough to do.  Points to remember:

Keep it less than half an inch thick.  If it needs to be thicker then make some holes in the thick part.

Allow it to dry throughly and slowly. 

Fire to bisque temperature - pretty much the same for all clays - 960 centigrade would be ideal, but over 860 will do.

Ramp to 150 degrees over 3 hours.  Then to 600 degrees at 50 degrees an hour.  Then up to temperature at 100 degrees an hour.  No need to hold or ramp down, but let the kiln get to ambient temperature before you open it.

Paper clay is great as it takes a lot of abuse that standard clay won't. Stupidly expensive considering it's standard clay with mushed up loo paper mixed in.  But, unless you are a potter it will be a bit of a pain to make it yourself. 

Don't worry about cones - they are important to pottery and glazes as you are not heating to a specific temperature as such, but judging the ramp together with the amount of time and temperature.  For instance a glaze fired quickly will look and behave differently than when fired slowly even if the kiln turns off at exactly the same temperature.

[jackiesimmonds]

Terri, just what I wanted, thanks SO much!  Really very grateful.  I am not sure why it has been so hard to find straightforward instructions like this, but clearly I am not alone...I even found a website where someone said something like  .... "perhaps kiln firing temps for bisque firing are a special kind of well-kept secret".  they sounded quite exasperated...so clearly they had the same problem as me!

Jackie

[★★Terri★★]

You are more than welcome Jackie, always happy to help.

Unfortunately the world of pottery online does not seem to be as active as glass.  Also lots of potters have not got a good understanding of what they are doing or why and just follow the instructions with the kiln and their ready made off the shelf materials. 

If you go ahead please let us know how you get on.