Using Magic Water for Strong Joints When Slab Building | AMY BRUMMOND

Summary

In this pottery tutorial, the artist shares a technique for preventing cracks in clay by using 'magic water,' a mixture of liquid sodium silicate and soda ash, which forms a flux and a glass-like layer. The mixture is applied to the joint of a clay slab being formed into a cylinder, creating a sticky, hard-drying layer that strengthens the bond and reduces cracking. The artist also discusses the importance of scoring and beveling the clay and the use of a Mud Tools serrated rim for scoring, while emphasizing the need to let the magic water activate before proceeding with the join.

Takeaways

• 🧙‍♀️ The speaker has switched from using regular water to 'magic water' to help with the pottery process, specifically to prevent cracking.
• 🔍 'Magic water' is a mixture that includes liquid sodium silicate and soda ash, which together form a powerful flux and help in bonding the clay more effectively.
• 💧 The function of the water in 'magic water' is to dissolve the soda ash, allowing it to penetrate slightly into the wet clay.
• 🤝 The sodium silicate in 'magic water' is sticky and dries harder and faster than the clay, creating a strong bond and preventing cracks.
• 📚 The recipe for 'magic water' was obtained from Lakeside Pottery and can be shared in a PDF format.
• 📝 The speaker mentions that Jennifer might have already received the 'magic water' recipe, suggesting it was shared previously.
• 🎨 The specific type of clay being used in the script is a red B-mix clay, which was prone to cracking.
• 🛠️ The speaker uses a Mud Tools serrated rim as a favorite scoring tool to prepare the clay for joining.
• 🔄 The 'magic water' can become chunky, and the speaker sometimes uses an immersion blender to keep it smooth.
• 🚫 When applying 'magic water', it's important not to let it squish out and disrupt the pattern on the clay.
• 🔄 The speaker advises letting the 'magic water' sit for a minute after application, activating its bonding properties before proceeding with the pottery work.
• 🔗 When joining clay pieces, it's recommended to overlap them slightly rather than joining them exactly diagonal to diagonal for a stronger bond.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of using magic water in pottery?

The main purpose of using magic water in pottery is to prevent cracking and to create a stronger bond between the clay pieces when forming a cylinder from flat clay.

What is the original substance used before magic water in the script?

Before using magic water, white vinegar was used in the pottery process described in the script.

What is B-mix clay and why was there more cracking experienced with it?

B-mix clay is a type of clay, specifically a red B-mix clay mentioned in the script. More cracking was experienced with it possibly due to its properties or the technique used, prompting the search for a solution like magic water.

Where did the idea of using magic water come from?

The idea of using magic water came from Lakeside Pottery, where the recipe was obtained.

What are the main ingredients of magic water as mentioned in the script?

The main ingredients of magic water are liquid sodium silicate and soda ash.

How do liquid sodium silicate and soda ash work together in magic water?

Liquid sodium silicate and soda ash combined form a powerful flux. The silica in the sodium silicate acts like a glass swimmer, while the water dissolves the soda ash, allowing it to travel into the wet clay. The sodium silicate is sticky, dries hard and faster than the clay, creating a protective layer that prevents cracks.

What is the recommended application technique for magic water on clay?

The recommended technique is to apply magic water to the joint, let it sit for a minute to activate its properties, and then press the clay pieces together, ensuring a strong bond.

What tool is used for scoring the clay in the script?

A Mud Tools serrated rim is used as the favorite scoring tool in the script.

How does the user maintain the slipperiness of the magic water?

The slipperiness of the magic water is maintained by adding clay boogers from scoring into the magic water and occasionally using an immersion blender to prevent it from getting chunky.

What is the significance of not letting the magic water squish out onto the pattern during the overlapping process?

Not letting the magic water squish out onto the pattern is important to maintain the integrity and aesthetics of the clay's surface design, such as the honeycomb pattern mentioned in the script.

What is the recommended way to overlap the clay pieces when forming a joint?

The recommended way to overlap the clay pieces is not to align them exactly diagonal to diagonal, but to overlap them slightly to ensure a strong joint.

What does the speaker plan to do with the exposed seam after pressing the clay pieces together?

The script does not explicitly mention what will be done with the exposed seam, but it implies that the seam will be left as is after pressing the clay pieces together.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Magic Water for Clay Crafting

The speaker introduces the use of 'magic water' as a substitute for regular water in pottery to prevent cracking. They mention that they previously used white vinegar but switched to a red B-mix clay, which resulted in more cracking. The magic water recipe, sourced from Lakeside Pottery, includes liquid sodium silicate and soda ash, which act as a flux and create a sticky, glass-like layer when combined with water. This layer soaks into the clay, drying hard and fast, thus strengthening the bond and preventing cracks. The speaker also shares a tip on applying the magic water to the joint and allowing it to sit for a moment before proceeding, which they believe activates its 'magic powers'. Finally, they demonstrate using a Mud Tools serrated rim to score the clay and apply the magic water carefully to avoid disturbing the clay's pattern.

Keywords

💡Cylinder

A cylinder is a three-dimensional geometric shape with parallel and congruent circular bases connected by a curved surface. In the context of the video, the speaker is transforming a flat piece of clay into a cylindrical shape, which is a common technique in pottery to create vases or other cylindrical objects.

💡Magic Water

Magic water, as mentioned in the script, is a mixture of specific ingredients that the speaker uses instead of regular water in pottery to prevent cracking. It is a concoction that includes liquid sodium silicate and soda ash, which, when combined, form a flux and a glass-like substance that helps in bonding wet clay more effectively.

💡Cracking

Cracking refers to the formation of fissures or splits in the clay, which can occur during the drying process or due to uneven shrinkage. In pottery, preventing cracking is crucial for the structural integrity of the final piece. The script discusses the use of magic water to mitigate this issue.

💡B-mix Clay

B-mix clay is a specific type of clay body that the speaker mentions having used. It is characterized by a particular formulation that affects the clay's properties, such as plasticity and drying rate. The script indicates that the speaker experienced more cracking with red B-mix clay, prompting the search for a solution like magic water.

💡Flux

In the context of pottery, a flux is a substance that helps to lower the melting point of materials, facilitating the bonding process. The magic water's ingredients form a powerful flux that aids in joining clay pieces together more effectively, as explained in the script.

💡Sodium Silicate

Sodium silicate is a chemical compound used in various industries, including pottery. In the script, it is one of the key ingredients in magic water, known for its sticky properties and ability to dry hard and fast, contributing to the prevention of cracks in clay.

💡Soda Ash

Soda ash, or sodium carbonate, is another ingredient in the magic water recipe. It dissolves in water and, when combined with sodium silicate, helps to create the flux that strengthens the bond between clay pieces, as discussed in the video.

💡Scoring

Scoring in pottery is the process of creating a textured surface on wet clay to improve adhesion when joining pieces together. The script mentions using a serrated rim tool to score the clay's edges, which is essential for a strong joint.

💡Beveling

Beveling is the technique of slanting the edges of clay pieces to create a smoother, more gradual transition when joining them. In the script, the speaker scores and bevels the clay to prepare it for joining with magic water.

💡Slip

In pottery, slip refers to a liquid mixture, often made from clay and water, used for various purposes, including joining clay pieces. The script mentions that the magic water becomes very slippy, which is beneficial for adhering clay together without causing the pattern to squish out.

💡Immersion Blender

An immersion blender is a handheld kitchen appliance used for blending and mixing ingredients. In the context of the script, the speaker uses it to blend the magic water to maintain its slippy consistency, especially when it becomes chunky due to the accumulation of clay particles.

💡Join

A join in pottery is the point where two or more pieces of clay are connected to form a single object. The script emphasizes the importance of proper joining technique, such as overlapping the pieces slightly and ensuring the magic water is applied correctly to create a strong bond.

Highlights

The use of magic water instead of regular water to prevent cracking in pottery.

Switching from white vinegar to B-mix clay resulted in increased cracking issues.

Introduction of a red B-mix clay and its association with more cracking.

The concept of magic water being a solution to prevent cracking in pottery.

The recipe for magic water was sourced from Lakeside Pottery.

Magic water's ingredients include liquid sodium silicate and soda ash.

The combination of ingredients in magic water forms a powerful flux.

Silica in sodium silicate acts like a glass swimmer in pottery.

The role of water in dissolving soda ash and its penetration into wet clay.

Sodium silicate's properties of being sticky and drying hard and faster than clay.

Magic water creates a sticky layer that soaks into the clay, preventing cracks and strengthening the bond.

The technique of applying magic water to the joint and allowing it to sit before further manipulation.

The activation of magic water's properties through a waiting period post-application.

The process of forming a slab into a cylinder using a favorite scoring tool.

The use of Mud Tools serrated rim for scoring beveled edges.

The importance of not letting magic water squish out onto the pattern during the joining process.

Technique of overlapping clay pieces not exactly diagonal to diagonal for a strong joint.

Pressing clay pieces together and leaving the seam exposed as part of the pottery process.

Transcripts

We're going to form this into

a cylinder from being flat

and I use magic water.

I started using magic water instead of, I was using water.

I've used

white vinegar.

And anyway,

when I started using B-mix, this is a red B-mix clay.

I was having more cracking than I've ever had.

So I had red before.

Heard somewhere along the lines that magic water can help prevent cracking.

So I got the recipe.

It's not my original idea.

I got the recipe from Lakeside Pottery

and we can share that in a PDF

or review it in the PDF.

Jennifer: I'm trying to remember if you sent that.

Jennifer: I feel like you did.

Amy: Yeah. It's on the Lakeside pottery website.

That's where I got mine. Okay.

And it has liquid sodium silicate and soda ash.

But the idea is that the two combined form a powerful flux

and a silica in the sodium silicate adds like a glass swimmer.

The water is to dissolve the soda ash, and therefore it travels

a little way into the wet clay.

And the sodium silicate is sticky

and dries really hard and faster than the clay does.

And the end result is that the magic water makes a sticky layer of almost glaze

that soaks into the surrounding clay and it dries hard.

Thus cracks are prevented and the bond is stronger.

So, I mean, I still get cracks sometimes that I'm trying to prevent,

you know, it as much as possible as

I think it works best if

when you're using it

after you apply it to the joint,

you let it sit

for a minute before you try to do more stuff.

So it's almost like

it's almost like it activates it,

you know, activates its magic powers.

So, all right.

So we're going to go ahead and form this slab into a cylinder,

and I'm going to use my this is my favorite

favorite scoring tool.

It's a Mud Tools serrated rim.

I'm just going to score

those sides.

Where I beveled,

so I don't know

if you can see, but this is my magic water here.

And it's very slippy because I take all the clay boogers

from my whenever I score

something, I just put them into the magic water. So.

Jennifer: So when you initially make it, it's clear.

Amy: It's clear Jennifer: it accumulates the clay from your process?

And sometimes I'll go in with an immersion

blender and just whiz it up because it gets kind of chunky.

Yeah. So

and then when I what I'm going to do

is just apply it to one side.

So for me,

I'm going to try really hard to keep that.

I don't want that squishing out onto the the pattern

of the

the honeycomb.

And when I'm overlapping, it's not

the join You don't want it exactly

like diagonal to diagonal.

You want it

to overlap a little bit

to make that joint nice and strong.

And then I'm just pressing the two together

and I'm going to leave that seam exposed.