Series of clay tiles

Series of clay tiles experiment. 

This was development from our clay tiles, this time i also added fire brick grog. Fire brick grog is clay thats been fired then grounded up to produce a stone/sand kind of texture. 

Method:

1. First you need to gather your equipment, clay, rolling pin, clay tools, fire brick grog, colour slip sugar paper, and news print. 
2. First you need to roll out 3 8x8 clay tiles to the thickness of a pound coin. Make sure you place the sugar paper down first. 
3. Then you need to cut out your design, to do this you need to take away sections and build up sections. to produce your image, do this for all three of your tiles. To build up areas you need to use water to make sure it sticks when its been fired. 
4. Then using grey coloured slip place that on news print and leave to dry, it can be placed randomly or precisely to go in a certain area. 
5. Next you can add the fire brick grog, this is just like sand but make sure its pressed in so it embeds within the clay. 
6. Then when the slip is dry place it on the section of clay and rub in a circular motion to make sure it sticks to the clay. 
7. Once thats done make sure your name is on the bottom and take it off to the kilm room. 
8. Make sure to tidy your area once you're finished. Wash your equipment, put any excess clay back in the bag and put rubbish in the bin.  

Health & safety

• For the clay refer back to my original post, along with the clay tile experiment for health and safety on the slip. 
• As for the fire brick grog there are no real risks but clean it up if you spill it to prevent someone slipping on it, and if you're working with a large quantity make sure to wear a mask, so you don't inhale too much dust.  

• Clay health and safety

• ·      Silica is in clay, slip and glaze. When the clay is dry it produced a dust known as respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Also known as free silica.
  ·      Inhaling RCS can lead to silicosis, it’s a serious and irreversible lung disease.  It causes permanent disablement and early death.
  ·      Respirable means the dust is very fine and can embeds itself deep into the lungs.
  ·      This can be minimalized by-
  ·      Using a damp sponge when cleaning surfaces.
  ·      Washing down the work place at the end of each day and cleaning up any mess.
  ·      Using a bin to collect scrap and damp slip.