Ceramic Extrusion

Culture & Context

Extruding is a process by which a material in a plastic, semi-soft form is pushed or pulled through a die or tool with a particular shape. 

The resulting extrusion taking the form in section of the shape it has gone through.

These sections can then be used to fabricate simple or complex forms or products, the sections can also be cut or section to make patterns or tessellations or to fabricate other forms.

Process & Production

In these samples, sections for baking dishes have been designed and cut onto acrylic dies in order to extrude the walls to then fabricate the product. 

The same process has been used to batch produce test tiles to aid the glaze research process for surface decoration.

Dies can also be made in 3-millimeter acrylic to be used with an economical hand-held extruder for the production of small sections such as handles for pottery and sculpture.

Solid extrusions can also be used as models for the production of plaster moulds for casting most cold-cast able materials, or Plaster-Quartz mix moulds for casting glass.

Recipe Details

The clay needs to be degassed or well kneaded to avoid trapped air, and soft but firm to be pushed through the die  once extruded, the clay it is then allowed to soft-leather harden for the hand building of the dishes and slicing of the test tiles. 

Solid extrusions for glass moulds can be manipulated as they come out of the extruder or at any other stage of the drying process and altered at will before mould making.