Type of clay for bonsai pots

[tuscanpistoia]

Hi Guys,

Over the past few months I've been thinking about trying my hand at making some bonsai pots. My grandmother teaches pottery, so access to equipment, info on techniques and so on isn't a problem, but after discussing it with her, we are in a quandry as to what type of clay would make good pots. I'm looking to make pots in a dark brown colour (the typical unglazed colour). Are there any clays in Australia that will produce this, or do I need to play with oxides to get this finish. Any advice you can give on specific clays would be helpful.

PS: I live on the Gold coast incase it is relevant to what clay is available.

[MattA]

Hey there,

I too am a lover of unglazed pots & also recently started making pots. Are you using earthenware or stoneware? Keanes ceramics produce a stoneware clay that in reduction comes out a nice chocolatey brown the more reduction the better the colour. I have done some experiments with adding oxides to the clay but its a lot of work to get an even mixture, well worth it for the results tho... use manganese!

Good luck with your pot making, your very lucky to have family who can help you along the way, make the most of it & pick her brains till she tells you ENOUGH I am constantly firing off questions to my mentor and for every one she answers I usually have a dozen more in response

Matt

Forgot the actual clay... Keanes ceramics 560 stoneware 9

[mudlarkpottery]

Feeney's clay (from near you) BRT and others. It is now owned by Walker's (from Melbourne) but you probably will be able to buy Walkers clays through them. Keane's Raku - T is also a good one but it might not be easily accessible in Qld. Check the catalogues online. Digging your own clay, if you have access to some will work too.
Penny.

[calvino]

Hi, does anyone have experience with super sculpey?
Im new to the forums, so im not sure if this the write section... if not sorry guys..

[MattA]

Hi, does anyone have experience with super sculpey?
Im new to the forums, so im not sure if this the write section... if not sorry guys..

What is super sculpey?

Matt

[calvino]

Super Sculpey is a very unique polymer clay, loved by artists, dollmakers and animation studios around the world. With a ceramic-like feel, Super Sculpey is available in a semi-translucent beige that, once baked, captures the glow of real skin. It can also be mixed with Premo or Sculpey III to change the color. As with all of our polymer clays, it is easy to condition right out of the package and stays soft until you bake it. Super Sculpey features fine tooling and detailing characteristics, and does not “fill in” after tooling. Because of the fine tooling and detailing characteristics of Super Sculpey, it is frequently the chosen clay for making prototypes from which molds are made from the Super Sculpey sculptures; then reproductions are made using the molds. Additionally, artists are producing finely detailed finished sculptures using Super Sculpey. After curing in the oven, Super Sculpey can be sanded, drilled carved and painted with water-based acrylic paints.

[MattA]

Super Sculpey is a very unique polymer clay, loved by artists, dollmakers and animation studios around the world. With a ceramic-like feel, Super Sculpey is available in a semi-translucent beige that, once baked, captures the glow of real skin. It can also be mixed with Premo or Sculpey III to change the color. As with all of our polymer clays, it is easy to condition right out of the package and stays soft until you bake it. Super Sculpey features fine tooling and detailing characteristics, and does not “fill in” after tooling. Because of the fine tooling and detailing characteristics of Super Sculpey, it is frequently the chosen clay for making prototypes from which molds are made from the Super Sculpey sculptures; then reproductions are made using the molds. Additionally, artists are producing finely detailed finished sculptures using Super Sculpey. After curing in the oven, Super Sculpey can be sanded, drilled carved and painted with water-based acrylic paints.

AAHHHH My brother & I were given a similar product, we made a load of stuff & stuck it to our bedroom walls then baked it with the blow torch.... until we nearly set the wall alight.. sore bums that night

With regards getting fine detail into sculptures etc, I used Keanes #9, it is a very fine plasticy clay & once leather hard- dry, it can be carved into the most detailed works. However being a stoneware clay it needs to be fired in a kiln to a minimum of 1000deg. Also it has a high percent of shrinkage (about 15+% from memory) so if your after a definite sized finished product you have to make it that bit bigger to allow for it.

What are you planning on making with the Super Sculpey?

Matt

[calvino]

Thats pretty cool, but with the super Super Sculpey i plan to make a nice bonsai pot, so im just wondering if it will hold the soil, and the water from watering the bonsai aswell as the roots of the plant. And it shouldn't be toxic will it?

Thanks for the info MattA

[Petra]

Calvino,
i have used super sculpey in alot of my crafts. It is good stuff once baked.
Only there is a down side once taken outside into our extremes. Not good.
It will do every thing you dont want it too.Its not worth the risk of your finnished bonsai.
Outdoors for such a thing is highly unadvisable.Trust me.