Paper clay fuses sculpture cracks.
Paper clay is a form of clay used in pottery to which strips of paper is added. The paper reinforces the clay, making it much stronger once it dries. The paper clay can be used to create a sculpture by itself, but is also used to repair cracks and breaks. The paper in the mixture adheres to the cracked sculpture much better than traditional wet clay. Before you can make paper clay, you must make clay slip to form the base of the mixture.
Instructions
Making Clay Slip
1. Fill a 5-gallon bucket one-third full of completely dry clay broken into 1- to 2-inch-long pieces. Use clay discarded from previous projects. The pieces must not have been previously fired in a kiln.
2. Fill the bucket with warm tap water until the water line reaches approximately 1 inch above the top surface of the clay material.
3. Set the bucket aside and wait until the clay starts to soften and dissolve. This can occur in as little as 24 hours but can also take several days.
4. Insert a mixing paddle onto the end of a drill and mix the contents of the bucket to further break down the clay and mix it in with the water.
Making Paper Clay
5. Gather old newspapers and tear each sheet into fourths. Place each section into a paper shredder to create thin strips. Continue this process until you have collected approximately 2 pounds of shredded newspaper.
6. Scoop up three handfuls of the shredded newspaper and place the shreds into the 5-gallon bucket which contains the clay slip.
7. Insert the paddle mixer back onto the drill and slowly mix the shredded newspaper into the clay slip. If the solution becomes difficult to mix, add 1/4 cup of water. Continue mixing until you can no longer identify pieces of paper and the mixture is the consistency of yogurt.
8. You must wait at least one day before using the clay. Add 1 tbsp. of laundry bleach and mix in with the drill paddle. This prevents mold from growing on the clay. Cover the material with a lid to prevent it from drying out.
