Okay guys, I am a sculpting beginner and I think I've made

>>2879774
If there was such a thing and handled better than polymer clay, everybody would be using it and polymer clay producers would not sell polymer clay. If you're a beginner it will be a while before you make something worth keeping anyway.

>>2879802
Very helpful thanks

You can always start with cheap bars of soap. All the flakes wash away and its small and portable. Of course there is wood or wax out there but they have their own complications that may be saved for later. Sculpting potatoes can be weird and fun: after a while they oxidize and shrink a great deal and almost turn rock-like for a while (but eventually crumble). Start with cheap soap* Its easy to get and you dont have to feel bad if your piece is irreparable cuz you can just take it to the shower ^_^

>>2879774
So fire stoneware in a kiln.

>>2879837
What's the best way to keep air pockets out of it so that it doesn't explode when fired? I've had this happen twice.

>>2879863
Obviously, not having air pockets in the first place reduces explosions. So greater care in the construction of the work is helpful. I know that they're not always avoidable with additive sculpting but here are some tips: do not use unwedged clay. Put all scraps into another bag for future wedging. Do not slap two flat or concave pieces of clay together. Convex on convex only. If you do think you've got some air in there somewhere, go ahead and poke a network of needle holes all the way through the work. You can fill in the holes on the surface and just leave them open on the interior. This is assuming your work is hollowed out. If it's fairly thick, and the work isn't hollow, well it still might help. Theoretically, as the kiln heats the work, the steam pressure that builds up in voids will try to find the easiest way to relieve itself. Chances are it'll be out one of these needle holes. Yes, they can pop out a little bit on the pinhole, but those can be spackled up with paperclay slip you've made with your clay body, applied directly to the bisque and rebisqued. This actually works.

And on to paperclay! So if you have the time and a particular form that just won't fucking work by conventional methods, it's time to open up your body with fibers. Just like the pinholes, paper fibers will give the entire piece a network of microscopic air channels through which steam can escape. It also helps prevent cracking and warpage for the same reason, as moisture wicks away more evenly. Downsides are that it's a pain in the ass to prepare large batches, it molds within a couple weeks, and the fired work will be ever so slightly weaker. Get a book about it or something because although conventionally impossible things are possible to do with it, it's fussy and a lot of the clayworking techniques are reversed.

>>2879932
Lastly, firing. Ok: yes air pockets which collect steam pressure do explode when the pressure becomes too great. The great lie is that they are the entire cause. Technically, it is the heat which creates the steam that causes the pressure buildup in the voids. The faster the kiln is heated, the more quickly the pressure builds up and it has to explode. Even a somewhat holy piece can be fired perfectly in a very slow kiln. When it really counts, or I'm being a pussy, I do a 24 hour preheat at 200ºF, then take another 12-24 hours brining the kiln up to temp. I never, ever get blowouts. I get pissed off at teachers who propagate this myth out of ignorance or unwillingness to be honest about the fact that it just comes down to electricity costs. But it is what it is. I don't see a need to lie about it, nor an excuse to have poor construction. I can go look up the cost per firing formula for you later if you care. I have a couple simple pclay ratios around somewhere, too if you care. Enjoy my blog.