Papercreters: [papercreters] Re: Share your clay recipes

Sunday, May 22, 2011

[papercreters] Re: Share your clay recipes

Dear Pam,

To my previous post I should add a warning that if not done properly, clay could explode in a microwave oven.

To read how an artist has actually used the microwave with clay go to the link below

http://opopots.blogspot.com/2009/06/using-microwave-to-dry-clay.html

There are plenty of comments to the blog.

Clearly microwave cannot be used to "fire" clay; it can used to "dry" clay.
But that gives sufficient strength to the tiles that the blogger writes about.

Regards
Ashok
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, Pam Cole <honeyland12@...> wrote:
>
> I need something to make my Birdhouses light, hard, and safe from the
> weather. I guess I'll have to keep using the cement!
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Donald Miller <donald1miller@...>
> To: papercreters@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Fri, May 20, 2011 7:31:38 AM
> Subject: Re: [papercreters] Re: Share your clay recipes
>
>
> There is a difference between experiments and actually making and using
> papercrete/paper adobe. I have stopped using cement long ago and only use clay
> for a binder in my blocks. I use cardboard for the pulp and it works very well
> indeed with clay. I don't even use much clay as I have found that very little is
> needed, perhaps one small shovelful per block. I too am not much on details but
> rather focus on results. I also make blocks with only cardboard pulp and they
> work very well and are of course lighter than the blocks made with clay. The
> idea that clay does not adhere to anything is rather ludicrous as it sticks to
> everything and is a pain to remove when it dries. It also expands when subjected
> to water, which is why basement and foundation walls in heavy clay soils benefit
> from a layer of gravel next to the concrete.
>
>
> --- On Fri, 5/20/11, ashokchand2000 <ashokchand2000@...> wrote:
>
>
> >From: ashokchand2000 <ashokchand2000@...>
> >Subject: [papercreters] Re: Share your clay recipes
> >To: papercreters@yahoogroups.com
> >Date: Friday, May 20, 2011, 12:12 AM
> >
> >
> >
> >Dear Pam,
> >Consider the following thought experiment.
> >In a papercrete mixer put the newsprint and water but do not put in the cement
> >and run it.
> >
> >What will result?
> >
> >In my understanding, the mixer, working as a pulper alone, will shred the
> >newsprint into wood fibre and mix air in the mix making it quite light and
> >foamy.
> >
> >If you add cement to the mix, papercrete results.
> >So what is different in the two experiments?
> >
> >Cement actually coats the shredded newsprint (wood fibre) with itself protecting
> >the wood fibre from the environment so that it no longer decays. Also, to some
> >extent,the cement expands and fills the voids created by the mixing. The long
> >setting time of papercrete allows the voids to gather some strength.
> >
> >Clay has no natural affinity to anything. That includes wood fibre. It will not
> >coat individual wood fibres but will mix between the wood fibres.
> >
> >It does not expand on coming in contact with water.
> >
> >This suggests that the resulting mix will have very poor strength and will decay
> >with time.
> >Regards
> >Ashok
> >
> >--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, JUDITH WILLIAMS <williams_judith@>
> >wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> How about starting out by substituting clay for cement in the same amount then
> >>adjusting from there. Please share if you do this. I have been doing it and am
> >>having good results, but seem to think more clay than cement is required. I am
> >>serious about your sharing your results. Attention to detail is not my forte.
> >>
> >> "There are none happy in the world but being who enjoy freely a vast horizon."
> >>Damodora
> >>
> >> Follow progress on the new project at http://www.papercretebyjudith.com/blog
> >>
> >> More papercrete info at http://squidoo.com/papercretebyjudith
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> To: papercreters@yahoogroups.com
> >> From: heerkitty@
> >> Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 20:28:29 +0000
> >> Subject: Re: [papercreters] Share your clay recipes
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> I live in Alabama so red clay is abundant, I would think that the clay would
> >>have to be dried and sifted to use in papercrete? Sent on the SprintÂ® Now
> >>Network from my BlackBerryÂ®From: "PamC" <honeyland12@>
> >> Sender: papercreters@yahoogroups.com
> >> Date: Thu, 05 May 2011 20:22:14 -0000To: <papercreters@yahoogroups.com>ReplyTo:
> >>papercreters@yahoogroups.com
> >> Subject: [papercreters] Share your clay recipes
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Hello everyone Pam here from east TN, I'm looking for a clay recipe so I can
> >>quit using cement in my papercrete, plz help
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Thanks
> >>
> >> Pam
> >>
> >
> >
>