How To Make Ceramic Slip

Plastic containers with screw on lids that come in packs of 2 from the dollar tree.

How to make ceramic slip.

The recipe i use is passed on from an old professor. Depending on the type of clay you use you may need to use a kiln to make sure your ceramics are safe to use. I never use bone dry clay. Making ceramics is a fun and interesting hobby for people of all ages and abilities.

Deflocculation is to disperse the particles in a slip so that less water is required to make the slip fluid a few drops of sodium silicate can be used to achieve this. First some basic information about making your slip. The gravity ratio is measured by the hydrometer and it tells you the amount of water in relationship to the amount of. The powder i ordered is called glacier white it is a porcelain that dries completely white and a little transparent.

Once you ve mixed the slip for about 5 minutes use a. Every once in a while i spray water in the plastic bag so the clay doesn t get dry. Step one is to have a 5 gallon bucket filled 60 75 with your bone dry clay then add water until it s a few inches below the rim figure 1. Let it slake for 24 hours then mix it by hand a little with a stick figure 2.

And it should have a gravity ratio of 1 75 to achieve this you should have a hydrometer and a scale. The process of slaking clay to make it into slip is a simple one. I always use wet clay to make slip. Make sure your slip is made from the same clay you re working with.

A gallon of good ceramic slip should weigh 14 5 pounds plus a smidge. Once you know the basics you ll be able to start creating your own pieces at home. Here you ll learn how to make ceramic molds as well as how to use them. I save all of my little scraps of clay put them in a gallon size plastic bag and when i have enough clay i make slip.

Browse through our archive of articles to find a variety of techniques from making plaster molds for slip casting and press molding to making bisque clay hump or slump molds to creating molds for casting clay sculpture. You can buy pre mixed slip at ceramics stores however it is much cheaper and you have much more control if you mix your own. Like liked by 1 person. And i like how elegant it looks.

With a screw on lid you can get a tighter seal than you can with snap on lids which means your slip will still be usable the next time you need to use it. Chemicals need to be added to the clay slip so that it has the correct fluidity.