Clay Tiki Making

A few years ago when I was blessed with access to a kiln, I made a few Tiki pieces (Mugs, pendents, paper weights, etc) but now I don't have a way to fire the clay. Is there anyway to do this at home without buying a thousand dollar kiln?

Is there a "Take your kids to make an ashtray for Mom shop near you?" I have a friend who works at one here who said that they let people use their kiln sometimes. You might try that, or see if the local college art department would let you sitck some stuff in with them.

Hahaha I'm not sure if there is one of those around here. My old high school art teacher used to let people come back and use them but she doesn't work there anymore. A friend of mine said you can use a regular kitchen oven if it goes to 500 degrees, which mine does, but it doesn't seem like that would really work well.

I think you would need to leave it in there for a few days, which doesn't sound safe to me. Not to mention, if you wanted to actually cook food in probably wouldn't be a good idea to have both in there at the same time. You might be wondering later why your mug always smells like green bean casserole (not necessarily a bad thing).

By no means am I even close to an expert here, we've been looking into trying our hands at some ceramics, but neither my wife or I have played with dirt since college (so it's been a while). We've just been reading up on it lately, and talking to friends who dabble in the stuff.

You might be able to get a small one for half that price. http://www.clay-king.com/itempsc2.html

Its really fun to do Tikis in clay and really simple too. You don't have to bake them but if you don't they will break very very easily. I did a tiki without baking it and it stays pretty strong but to get that shiney glaze, its a must to bake it. Thansk for you help though! Hope you and your wife get back into it!

That sight has even cheaper ones....go surf it. http://www.clay-king.com/itemokhb.html If you are just making small stuff like pendants, then a small kiln should work well. Goof luck and stay with it. :)

Wow that is really cheap. Thank you so much for that!:)

Do you have a backyard? Since you're saying you're not near a College I'll assume you have enough backyard to set up a Simple Woodfired Kiln from a hundred bricks & some pipe.

Wendy, made awesome mugs from the Sculpty clay that costs a lot more, but you can fire in a toaster oven and then hand paint them. I know that its not the same, but it is an option.

Sadly, there is really no room in my backyard. I have a large pool and it is all designed very tropical. I might try the toaster oven idea.

Sadly, there is really no room in my backyard. I have a large pool and it is all designed very tropical. I might try the toaster oven idea.

If you could see the weather here in England right now, you'd forget any ideas of kilns and just enjoy that fine pool of yours, ha, ha!

Seriously though (me serious, get away!), I can see why you'd want to get a kiln and do your own ceramics, we just got CheekyTiki to produce a tiki from an old mold I had kicking around here at Tiki Towers and the whole process is awesome! I was like a kid in a Tiki Shop!!! Check out the 'Handpainted Ceramic statue' link. FUN OR WHAT?!!!!!

Good luck with your ventures Voodootrucker13!

Trader Jim (Make mine a MAI-TAI!).

Haha hows the weather in England? Its actually getting warmer here (by warmer I mean high 30s, low 40s) so yeah no pool yet:( I'll put some pictures up of the back yard ASAP!

On 2007-02-19 17:49, VoodooTrucker13 wrote:
Haha hows the weather in England? Its actually getting warmer here (by warmer I mean high 30s, low 40s) so yeah no pool yet:( I'll put some pictures up of the back yard ASAP!

Right now? Pitch Black my friend! It's about 2 in the morning...isn't that a line from a C&W song? Should be! It's 2 in the morning and my wife's just left me for my best friend who just run over my dog on his way out in his Monster Truck...Sorry, I'm welling up here. It snowed recently and it's been pretty miserable for quite some time, still...Stiff upper lip and all that Dunkirk spirit eh? We are British don't you know!

Toodle Pip! & Goodnight!! - Trader Jim (Make mine a Hot milk!).

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