Air Dry Clay for Waterproof Outside Pot

by Tessa
(UK)

Dear Peter

I'm trying to find a clay that can be air dried or dried in my home oven - this is to make a flower pot for the garden, so it has to be water tight after drying. Does such a clay exist?

Tessa
p.s. I am in the UK

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Peter Holland says:-

The short answer to that question is 'No'.

Even if you were to paint with an all weather outside protective varnish, the frost would destroy your pot after one English winter.

You can make your own pot for the garden which is weather proof, but it needs to be ceramic clay and high fired in a kiln (either at a local adult education class, or your nearest pottery supply shop).

This a very good project to work on. I know that because this was the first clay sculpture project I ever did. I made my pot at a local adult education class and surprised myself totally.

The jardinière pot I ended up making was very large and coil built, but was neat and even and looked as if it had been thrown on a wheel. I can clearly recall my fellow students commenting on how much time and trouble I was prepared to go through to make a simple basic pot - and why so large? When I put bas-relief of roses sculpted on the outside, they realised I wasn't into 'simple and basic' and left me to it (little did I or my fellow classmates and teacher know what I was going to go onto achieve in clay - later becoming a modeller for Royal Worcester and Royal Doulton etc).

This pot I made was put in the garden and survived the English winters - but there was a secret to this survival. The teacher had known I intended it for the garden and said the key to this was the temperature of the firing. An outside pot has to be 'high fired' - the higher the better. Only a potter can tell you the details, but if I want anything fired now, I just take it to my local pottery supply shop who charge a small amount for the kiln space for each firing. They advise on temperature too and let you know the right clay.

Peter Holland