Creative homemade pots and mounts

[Mandy2705]

I am interested in making my own ceramic pots and maybe some mounts. I was just curious if any orchid board members make their own pots and mounts. I would love to see what people have created and how they work 😊

[Skycat]

I've been really wanting to make some pots out of clay myself, but all I have is air-dry clay and I can't seem to find anything useful about making it waterproof. People keep saying "use polymer clay and fire it", but that's not helpful to me at all unless I can actually get access to a kiln, which... actually I may have found something just now, and it seems pretty cheap for small pieces. Would still need to get some clay, though.

(Never mind, the place I found is too far away for me)

[Mandy2705]

I found a place where they charge $75 for 6 months to have access to the studio and kiln but I still have to buy the clay. I really want to do it, I may have to find a friend to go half with me.

[AnonYMouse]

Psssst, Skycat!

You don't need a kiln for polymer clay (sculpy, Fimo, etc.) just an oven.

[Skycat]

Originally Posted by AnonYMouse

Psssst, Skycat!

You don't need a kiln for polymer clay (sculpy, Fimo, etc.) just an oven.

I have birds in the house, and they're sensitive to chemicals in the air, so I'm afraid to bake anything that isn't food.

Used to have a toaster oven that I could use outside, but it got rained on and broke.

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by Skycat

I've been really wanting to make some pots out of clay myself, but all I have is air-dry clay and I can't seem to find anything useful about making it waterproof. People keep saying "use polymer clay and fire it", but that's not helpful to me at all unless I can actually get access to a kiln, which... actually I may have found something just now, and it seems pretty cheap for small pieces. Would still need to get some clay, though.

(Never mind, the place I found is too far away for me)

Polymer clay is baked in a regular oven. Craft stores usual carry the clay. Fimo is best. I bought some on Ebay.

---------- Post added at 10:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:15 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Skycat

I have birds in the house, and they're sensitive to chemicals in the air, so I'm afraid to bake anything that isn't food.

Used to have a toaster oven that I could use outside, but it got rained on and broke.

There are polymer clay ovens available that are surprisingly cheap. You good use it outdoors in a covered area [if you have one] or in a workshop. I also have a bird so I'm very careful.

[Ordphien]

Baking polymer clay in a tub of baking soda absorbs most of the fumes.
It also prevents burning, protects round surfaces, and preserves colour integrity.

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

Baking polymer clay in a tub of baking soda absorbs most of the fumes.
It also prevents burning, protects round surfaces, and preserves colour integrity.

That's good to know. I have been wrapping mine in foil. It protects against burning. The baking soda sounds like a good idea. What would you coat the finished pot with? I haven't tried a pot yet. I have been sculpting hummingbirds.

[Ordphien]

Originally Posted by Vanda lover

That's good to know. I have been wrapping mine in foil. It protects against burning. The baking soda sounds like a good idea. What would you coat the finished pot with? I haven't tried a pot yet. I have been sculpting hummingbirds.

One thing to note, baking soda leaves a slight matte finish. I use it since I work mainly with translucent. It allows me to fire at a very high temperature, which makes the translucent more translucent. Much higher than with aluminum. It has the nice side effect of no odor.


But you can polish it to a nice satin sheen with a denim.

Me... personally.. It depends on how much abuse I want it to take.
I think I would use epoxy resin mostly.
Alot of fish people use it to seal things.
It's great stuff, but a little expensive.

[Vanda lover]

I have epoxy on hand. I'm thinking about embedding gemstones in the clay for a pot. I'm not sure about the epoxy though, because it doesn't stand up really well to sunlight. I have been using the stuff for years on various art projects.