No/Low Bake Clay To Make A Bowl From? Or Maby Dental Plaster?

[Lorena F. Palin]

OK, so I have had it with bowls breaking and am sick of paying for them. I know I could sculpt something funtional in 10 minutes, and something prettier than the standard $6 bowls that they sell at the local middle-eastern grocery store if I threw the tiniest amount of effort in.

Does anyone know a decent clay that either dosn't require baking or can be baked in a regular kitchen oven that would work? AKA not release nasty fumes, not crumble to bits like alot of crappy no-bake clay does? Also are there any glaze/enamle type products that would give a slick glossy finish/protect the bowl that can be baked on in a kitchen oven?

I was also thinking dental plaster might work, and that way I could just have my bowl mold, and just always have a spare for when my bowl inevitably breaks.

Also, ideas for and asthetically pleasing way of protecting the bowl from breakage? I was thinking maby do some trim pieces that stuck out a little and provided a "cage" of sorts out of soft metal, wood, or something epoxy resin based. Not really a cage, but just over the ceramic protruding in parts enough so that if it falls the ceramic won't actually hit anything, the slightly less brittle material will.

[poncho]

[quote name='Lorena F. Palin' date='04 April 2010 - 02:43 PM' timestamp='1270406621' post='461820']
OK, so I have had it with bowls breaking and am sick of paying for them. I know I could sculpt something funtional in 10 minutes, and something prettier than the standard $6 bowls that they sell at the local middle-eastern grocery store if I threw the tiniest amount of effort in.

Does anyone know a decent clay that either dosn't require baking or can be baked in a regular kitchen oven that would work? AKA not release nasty fumes, not crumble to bits like alot of crappy no-bake clay does? Also are there any glaze/enamle type products that would give a slick glossy finish/protect the bowl that can be baked on in a kitchen oven?

I was also thinking dental plaster might work, and that way I could just have my bowl mold, and just always have a spare for when my bowl inevitably breaks.

Also, ideas for and asthetically pleasing way of protecting the bowl from breakage? I was thinking maby do some trim pieces that stuck out a little and provided a "cage" of sorts out of soft metal, wood, or something epoxy resin based. Not really a cage, but just over the ceramic protruding in parts enough so that if it falls the ceramic won't actually hit anything, the slightly less brittle material will.
[/quote]


NO NO NO! Everyone needs to stop thinking about making bowls. You should not try to make a bowl out of anything. Clay needs to be fired up to 2200 degrees before you can use it to smoke out of. Glass needs to be melted at 2200 degrees, glaze for ceramics is anywhere between 1400-2600 degrees, No you cannot make your bowl out of anything that will bake in your oven!

Plaster is horrible!!!!! When you heat up plaster to around 200 - 300 plus degrees, the water in your plaster starts to evaporate out of it. Well your coals are hotter than that, and everytime you smoke out of it you will be releasing water vapor with plaster particles binded to them. Plaster in your lungs is really bad since when it gets wet, the chemical reaction between the water and the materials make it be super hard. Bad for the lungs, we always wear resporators while working with it, and on top of that we have a huge ventilation system you mix under.

On the other hand you can make a mold of of plaster, and slip cast ceramics into your mold have them fired to about 2300 degrees and you can have a nice natural ceramic bowl everytime. Or you could take more time to bisque fire them and then fire them again with glaze. You can fire stuff in your backyard with the proper knowledge to temperatures to this degree, check it out on the web.

There is a serious reason why hookah's and pipes in general are made out of the materials they are made out of. Though smoking is a pretty simple activity to figure out how to do, it is really important to remember there is a reason why you have a ceramic bowl, a stainless steel stem, and glass and wood parts. There is a very specific reason that each material is used where it is on the hookah. These things are very important to your health and your hookah expierence.

We need to respect materials and understand the reasoning behind why things are made the way they are. There is so much research and thinking and more research and planning and thinking that goes into making such a product, its irresponsible to just think you can go to home depot or the craft store and make something to smoke shisha out of and have it the next day. Its dangerous and just stupid, sorry if i'm comming across as harsh, but i just had to reply to a similar topic this morning about making a bowl out of crayola clay.

Go pay the 6 dollars for a clay bowl.

Jake

[agunn1231]

find someone with a kiln and have them fire you up a clay bowl...it might work that way...or just save upand buy a few bowls at one time....use them till they break..it will be expensive at the time but save money in the long run sinceyou will have to go out and buy them less often

[agunn1231]

[quote name='poncho' date='04 April 2010 - 02:13 PM' timestamp='1270415597' post='461826']
[quote name='Lorena F. Palin' date='04 April 2010 - 02:43 PM' timestamp='1270406621' post='461820']
[b] Its dangerous and just stupid, sorry if i'm comming across as harsh, but i just had to reply to a similar topic this morning about making a bowl out of crayola clay.[/b]

Go pay the 6 dollars for a clay bowl.

Jake
[/quote]

Epic LOLZ

[poncho]

if you have any interest in buying some clay and making some bowls, you can ship them my way and i'll fire them for free for ya!

[Lorena F. Palin]

well, I go to an art school but I lack friends in ceramics....and crayola clay is a little more stupid than super sculpy. I might be interested in taking you up on that.

OK, one last "can I make a bowl out of this" material: Soapstone/alabaster/some other softer stone/crystal. basically something I can carve with hand tools and my dremel.

[bellydancerakn]

Hey go to one of those paint your own pottery places. Ask if they'll let you makes some bowls from their clay, or buy your own clay and ask if they'll let you use their kiln.

[poncho]

[quote name='Lorena F. Palin' date='05 April 2010 - 12:07 AM' timestamp='1270440420' post='461906']
well, I go to an art school but I lack friends in ceramics....and crayola clay is a little more stupid than super sculpy. I might be interested in taking you up on that.

OK, one last "can I make a bowl out of this" material: Soapstone/alabaster/some other softer stone/crystal. basically something I can carve with hand tools and my dremel.
[/quote]

yea some soft stone will work, a buddy of mine carved a pipe out of some stone, bit tricky he said because of the natural veineness of the stone and it like to crack in chunks. I'm not sure what it was maybe alabaster.

What art school do you go to? I go to the Cleveland Insititute of Art.

[colto]

[quote name='bellydancerakn' date='04 April 2010 - 11:37 PM' timestamp='1270442253' post='461915']
Hey go to one of those paint your own pottery places. Ask if they'll let you makes some bowls from their clay, or buy your own clay and ask if they'll let you use their kiln.
[/quote]

This is exactly what I was going to suggest as I have been planning on doing it for some time. The other alternative is to make a small butane/propane kiln at home with a thick steel can and a torch. Can't think of the proper name for that type of kiln off the top of my head right now though. Just search for 'how to fire clay at home' or something similar.

[bellydancerakn]

[quote name='colto' date='05 April 2010 - 09:57 AM' timestamp='1270486641' post='461983']
[quote name='bellydancerakn' date='04 April 2010 - 11:37 PM' timestamp='1270442253' post='461915']
Hey go to one of those paint your own pottery places. Ask if they'll let you makes some bowls from their clay, or buy your own clay and ask if they'll let you use their kiln.
[/quote]

This is exactly what I was going to suggest as I have been planning on doing it for some time. The other alternative is to make a small butane/propane kiln at home with a thick steel can and a torch. Can't think of the proper name for that type of kiln off the top of my head right now though. Just search for 'how to fire clay at home' or something similar.
[/quote]


I'm thinking of saving up my money and going to one. See if i can make myself a mini vortex or something, and maybe a mini egyptian.

[joytron]

I bet doing it yourself at one of those places will be more expensive than just buying a bowl

[bellydancerakn]

[quote name='joytron' date='05 April 2010 - 01:25 PM' timestamp='1270499100' post='462008']
I bet doing it yourself at one of those places will be more expensive than just buying a bowl
[/quote]



Well maybe you can work out a deal where you do 10 bowls or so for $50. Thats 5 a bowl. If you order 10 online from say HS. Thats about what it would be with tax and shipping. Actually HS might be a little more.

[thehelios]

[quote name='bellydancerakn' date='05 April 2010 - 02:11 PM' timestamp='1270498266' post='462006']
[quote name='colto' date='05 April 2010 - 09:57 AM' timestamp='1270486641' post='461983']
[quote name='bellydancerakn' date='04 April 2010 - 11:37 PM' timestamp='1270442253' post='461915']
Hey go to one of those paint your own pottery places. Ask if they'll let you makes some bowls from their clay, or buy your own clay and ask if they'll let you use their kiln.
[/quote]

This is exactly what I was going to suggest as I have been planning on doing it for some time. The other alternative is to make a small butane/propane kiln at home with a thick steel can and a torch. Can't think of the proper name for that type of kiln off the top of my head right now though. Just search for 'how to fire clay at home' or something similar.
[/quote]


I'm thinking of saving up my money and going to one. See if i can make myself a mini vortex or something, and maybe a mini egyptian.
[/quote]

I've got a connection at one of these "paint a clay thing and get it fired/glazed" but the guy who runs the place said he'd glaze and fire my stuff for free. Just try to ask for a favor from them and maybe they'll give you a deal. It's not that complicated for someone who's experienced in the art to do that kind of stuff.