JerryBennettAdvantages of Paper Clay

One of the confusions with the term" "paper clay" is that we are talking about cellulose-based fibers and not just paper fibers. The standard cellulose fibers used in fiber clay are paper, cotton, bamboo, flax/linen, abaca, and kenaf/jute. Protein fibers such as wool or manufactured fibers such as nylon or fiberglass don't work as well as cellulose fibers because their structure is not complex enough; they lack the hollow tube structure of cellulose fibers, or in the case of protein-based fibers, they decay rapidly. Cellulose fibers allow for a capillary action in the clay body, allowing for many improvements in the clay's workability. Some paper fibers are treated with organic materials after the paper is manufactured. Toilet paper is treated with corn starch to make it soft. These organic materials make it a poor choice to add to clay.
It is important to understand that cellulose-based fibers kept in a wet state will soon begin to decay. You can process fibers in water, but once you finish processing, you should dry the fibers for long-term storage.
Cellulose-based fibers only. It would be best to have consistency and enough fiber to repeat the process. This would exclude fibers such as nylon, fiberglass, and dryer lint.
If you are new to paper clay, I would start with paper fibers. If I were doing some sculptural work, I would add a small amount of cotton fibers from rag paper. Use about 3 or 4 ounces of dry fibers to 25 lbs. of plastic clay. In a later video, we will mix fibers into the clay.
Types of fibers:
(in order of their importance to fiber clay)
1. Paper- usually in the form of a newspaper. Newspaper is great to use in that it is typically free, contains short fibers, is easy to process, and the ink won't change the color or nature of the clay. I recommend shredding the paper before breaking down the fibers in water.
2. 2nd Cut cotton- This usually comes as cotton fiber sheets. I obtain mine from suppliers for papermaking. A listing of sources is at the end of this paper. You can also use paper for water coloring or printing. This paper is listed as 100% cotton, often called" "Rag" paper.
3. Flax/Linen fibers. Flax is a very rough material usually used in large sculptural forms. I would only use flax that has been beaten for a very long time and is sold as a material for papermaking.
4. Abaca, botanical name Musa textiles, is a species of banana plant native to the Philippines. The fibers are used for long fibers, mats, or rope. Abaca fibers used in papermaking and fiber clay have been processed and broken down into fine fiber. Abaca fibers are processed from the entire stem of the plant. This results in a fiber that contains longer and harder exterior fibers and a soft, short fiber interior, making the clay much more plastic.
5. Kenaf/Jute: The botanical name is Hibiscus cannabinus; like abaca kenaf, it is a robust fiber classified as a "hard" fiber. Kenaf is closely related to Jute, and I have listed both fibers together. They are most commonly found as rope fibers used to make mats.
Some general rules for selecting fibers to add to clay:
1. Select fibers based on the type of clay you will use. The more refined the material, with earthenware being the least refined to porcelain the most refined, fibers need to be shorter and smaller the more refined the clay. For example, using earthenware and making a sculptural form, I could combine paper and Jute in a 50/50 mix. Porcelain could take three ounces of paper to one or two ounces of cotton per 25 lbs. of porcelain.
2. Use cellulose-based fibers in clay. Avoid toilet tissue because of additives to the paper. Don't use protein-based fibers because they will rot before you can use the clay. Obtain enough fiber so you can be consistent with your work. This leaves out dryer lint because you don't know what is in it and can't get enough of it.
3. Papermaking suppliers are a good source of fibers for clay.
4. Experiment with fibers and find the mix that works for you.
5. In most cases, fiber clay will contain some paper. You might want to experiment with this and find the proportion that matches the clay you use and the work produced. Don't store wet fibers. Dry them out to preserve them.
Sources of paper fibers:
Twinrocker: www.twinrocker.com (Canadian company)
Website-look under - Papermaking supplies/Papermaking fibers
Source for:
Blue Denim (a better source than Carriage House Paper. Excellent cut on the fibers for this soft cotton. Blue color will burn out.)
Cotton Linters #87 (This is a 1st cut cotton linter with longer fibers. This would be good for sculptural work)
Carriage House Paper: www.carriagehousepaper.com
Website-look under -Supplies/ Dry Pulp and Fibers
Source for:
Abaca/unbleached
2nd Cut Cotton Linters
Blue Jean Pulp (cotton in larger fibers). The blue color will burn out.
Sisal Pulp/unbleached
Kenaf Pulp/unbleached
Flax fibers/unbleached, Type R
This company sells flax fibers as dry fibers