[Cob] Cob: Paper clay

[Amanda Peck]

Never heard of this stuff before, but potters use it.  Fires from cones 4 
(quite low--in the terra cotta range) to 10 (right on up there--stoneware, I 
think)

A lot of its remarkable properties occur when it is green--unfired.  strong, 
lightweight easy to mend, etc.

Once it's fired, it's just fired clay.

Strikes me that papercrete people ought to look at it.  And maybe anybody 
interested in cob sculpture.  I've deleted the stuff in this company's 
catalog that refers to firing paper clay.

http://www.pottery-books.com/axner/claybodies/claypaper.php

.......

You can apply wet paper clay to dry paper clay and they will adhere (with 
the use of slip as a binder). You can even apply dry paper clay to dry paper 
clay. Therefore, if you have a human sculpture for instance (even a dry 
sculpture) with an arm placed where you do not like it, simply break the arm 
off and re-attach it to the body in a more desirable location.
........
Paper clay is self healing. If it cracks (in the green state or bisque 
state), simply fill the crack with P’Clay slip and it is ready to be fired 
(or re-fired).

P’Clay is VERY-STRONG in the green state. Therefore, one can make an 
armature of paper clay and let it dry. The armature is VERY-STRONG. Since 
wet paper clay will adhere to dry paper clay, one can now build up the 
sculpture on top of the P’Clay armature. Likewise, one can transport large 
tiles or sculptures from the studio to the kiln site without much concern 
for breakage during transport.
Paper clay wicks air into the clay so that it drys much more evenly that 
regular clay. This dramatically reduces warping which is especially helpful 
in making large tiles.
Answers to commonly asked questions:
Paper clay can be made of any kind of clay body. We stock four but we will 
custom make a full batch of any clay body for you.