Post #703646 by MadDogMike on Thu, Jan 2, 2014 8:55 PM

Thanks guys :)

I am a religious man and I believe the Bible admonition against worshiping idols. I don't worry much about Tikis because there is not really anyone worshiping them. But I felt a little uneasy when I went to make a Ganesh oil lamp for a Hindu friend. I am pretty careful about joining clay and seldom have kiln explosions. When the first Ganesh exploded in the kiln I figured it was a coincidence. But when the second one exploded I decided it was a sign. I won't be trying again :)

Number 1

Number 2

But I did try an experiment that worked out fairly well. I like to use Styrofoam shapes for slump molds, they work will but can be a bit rough in texture and need to be coated with tissue prior to each use. I took my Styrofoam form and covered it with plaster impregnated gauze (cast material), worked really well. It smoothed out the foam, eliminated the need for tissue, and the plaster helped absorb water from the clay.