A question for experienced potters - creating a template
Hi, I'm building a plywood template for hand built clay cylinders. My intention is to produce the same dimension over and over eg a 26cm length, .5cm thick and 10cm wide strip of clay. (Then I will apply a pattern, roll into a small cylinder, eventually into a small cup)
My question is: Do I varnish or oil the plywood template or leave it raw? Do any of these have side effects on the clay.
Thanks in advance.
Posted Mar 22, 2020, 8:09 AM UTC
23
I've never seen a plywood template, so I'm not sure how helpful my answer will be - most of the templates I've seen have been made from acrylic sheet.
That having been said, I would imagine the plywood will warp and/or degrade with so much exposure to moisture. Your best bet would be to poly it really well, I think.
But by the same token, you don't want your template to stick and cling to the clay, either. So leaving it raw would work better in that respect. Also, Hand-building clay typically doesn't get partially wet.
I have just used stiff plastic sheeting, very stable and takes up much less space. A bit of cornstarch prevents sticking.
Makes sense, I will go with this. Thanks