Scola Reinforced Air Drying Modelling Clay (STONE), 12.5Kg

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However, it’s a little difficult to get hold of Scola in larger quantities. So on reflection, I think I would have been better off choosing something like Amaco Stonex White Clay. In, short, I would say, yes, you can use air dry clay on a potter’s wheel. Air dry clay has a bit of a bad reputation amongst some experienced ceramic potters. But my experience has been that although it responds a little differently, it has some benefits. The Benefits of Air Dry Clay… However, fiber can be added to stoneware, earthenware, and porcelain to make them into air drying clays. Often these are reinforced with nylon fiber. Some clay body paper clays can either be fired or left to air dry. Which kind of Air Dry Clay Can You Use on a Potter’s Wheel? It doesn’t feel exactly like throwing ceramic clay. You can learn how to throw using air dry clay on a potter’s wheel. However, if you do switch to ceramic clay, you may have to unlearn some habits and change your technique.

The first difference that I noticed was that when I sliced it, I spotted small fibers on the wire cutter. However, I wedged it and patted it into a ball like normal. Air dry clay is different from polymer clay, which needs to be hardened in the oven. Polymer clay is often made from bright primary colors and feels like plastic when it’s hardened in the oven. Cold Porcelain Clay She points out that one advantage of air dry clay is that you can support very fine work with armatures. Because the sculpture is not being fired, you don’t have to worry about metal supports in your work. The Downside of Air Dry Clay…. The second time I used it, I decided to proceed with more caution. And the results were better. I didn’t push the clay beyond its limits and it didn’t collapse. In fact, I found it quite easy to use. The consistency is quite even. Often with ceramic clay, you will get harder patches in a bag of clay. This is why it is important to wedge it. The wedging evens out the clay and makes it a lot easier to throw.

Air-dry clays are all water-based as this is what gives them their malleability, so to make it waterproof, you would require a sealant. Popular sealants for clay would be acrylic paint, epoxy resin or clear varnishes designed specifically for clay. When purchasing a sealant, always make sure it's suitable for use on clay. What can I make with air-dry clay?

I had read that air dry clay behaves a little like porcelain on the potter’s wheel. I can see why this comparison would be drawn. Porcelain likes a lot of water and can collapse if it gets too wet as well. Also, it feels quite a bit like throwing ceramic pottery clay. Although it does behave a little differently. It takes longer than ceramic clay to become touch-dry. And when it dries it is matt. Can You Use Air Dry Clay on a Potter’s Wheel? – My Verdict However, some manufacturers of clay body paper clays do state that they can be used like ceramic clay. Including wheel throwing.Best for detailed projects: Pebeo Gedeo Air drying Clay FAQs: How long does air-dry clay take to dry? Whether you can use air dry clay on a potter’s wheel, depends upon the kind of clay in question. Here is a brief overview of the different types of air dry clay available. Polymer Clay This list is for a 500g bar of ScolaColour Clay. Please select you colour from the drop down box above. However, I found the air dry clay was quite homogenous straight out of the bag. I wondered if this was to do with the way that the fiber is added. Whatever the reason, it was quite cooperative on the wheel.

Perhaps I didn’t really need to wedge it as I wasn’t going to fire it. But I thought it would be good to get the feel of it and to even out the consistency. What is it like to Use Air Dry Clay on the Potter’s Wheel There are some sculptors doing very beautiful work using air dry clay. An example I found is Suzie Benes, who makes delicate and dynamic horse sculptures.

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I couldn’t find any evidence of polymer or cold porcelain clay being used on the potter’s wheel. I suspect this is because these substances are best used for modeling There is also another kind of air dry clay called ‘cold porcelain’. Its ingredients include, amongst other things, cornstarch and glue. The reason it’s called paper clay is that the most common kind of fiber used is paper fiber. Clay made with added paper fiber is often white and has a pulpy, papery look. It is very lightweight and when it dries it is not very strong. It is often used for scrapbooking. I bought 12.5kg and it came in a bag much like any other ceramic clay. It looked and felt like pottery clay and was a charcoal grey color. The description also stated that it could be air dried and painted with acrylic paint. I thought it was worth a go