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Raw clay for abo pottery (build along)

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Don Case:
The clay I was using didn't stick at all. You just roll it off. I  think it doesn't stick because it shrinks as it dries and sorta keeps pulling itself loose. If you put to much water in the plaster when you are mixing it sometimes the clay will pull little bits of plaster off when you are removing it. Keep a toothpick handy to remove them. The white plaster shows up well against most clay so it's easy to see. It was 10 or 15 years ago that I did this. It's basically a big flat ceramics mold.

Zuma:
Great Don,
I wonder if abo folks had a similar method.

I am a antsy type. I got to get it done now. Since I don't have any plaster (yet)
I have tried a few other methods.
Jodocus, I folded a cotton sheet into four layers and tied it over a bucket.
I poured in the slip. Not a whole lot of water made it out through the material.
I squeezed the bag until some light color came through and then left it hang in the sun and breeze. Should work pretty good.
I also cleaned out the oven of chert and tried a baking pan full of slip at 175 degrees for the last couple hours. I dried a small amount in the open air to a workable consistency. It seems gritty but should be just fine.

Don Case:
I wonder if you stretched out a chamois or maybe a piece of soft buckskin and then poured the slip on it. It would have to be a dedicated piece because I doubt the clay would come off cleanly. You just need something to suck up the water.

Zuma:

--- Quote from: Don C on May 06, 2014, 04:47:32 pm ---I wonder if you stretched out a chamois or maybe a piece of soft buckskin and then poured the slip on it. It would have to be a dedicated piece because I doubt the clay would come off cleanly. You just need something to suck up the water.

--- End quote ---

All of these methods have merit. All worth trying.
Since today was a very low humidity day, I tried what might be the same as solar heat collection tech.
When the sun shines, light rays hit dark objects and heat them.
Objects lacking pigment reflect the light.
I had good overhead declination and a bit of a breeze. A better wind would have worked better for convection (air movement). Think convection oven that you can actually cook in.
 What surprised me today is that the oven did not to do much drying?
The dry moving air was the remedy.
It's late so I'll post the photos and process soon.
Zuma
PS I need to post this one

Zuma:
Slip in the sheet. I layered the sheet so the water would strain through four layers.
I became to impatient so I put the slip in pans and a cookie sheet to dry in the sun.
I started to get results.

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