Armature Wire For Ceramics

Porcelain casting slip containing finely chopped fabric to help the slip adhere to the wire.

Armature wire for ceramics.

The easiest materials to use for armatures are metal wires and woven wire forms that are strong enough to support the final material yet pliable enough to be bent and shaped. Most of this wire is aluminum a lightweight metal known for its flexibility and malleability. Ceramic clays generally do not require this degree of internal wire support. On this page you can benefit from my 20 years professional experience.

You can solder it allowing you to make more seamless connections with your sculpture s wireframe if you are wish to do that. Internal wire support known as armature is required for some types of clay sculpting eg. Replacement wire miscellaneous stilts shop here for high temperature wire for bead racks bead trees or your own projects and setups. Artists develop their own methods depending on the requirements of their work.

Armature wire is commonly used in combination with chicken wire and wooden struts. Plasteline wax and polymer clays etc. And oxides and stains to add color is brushed onto the wire form to built it up. Different clays need different solutions.

Much like our own human skeletal system is the framework which keeps us standing in an upright position an armature is used to keep the artist s clay from collapsing while also protecting the integrity of any outward extensions such as thin limbs or legs. Armature wire is a soft wire which you can find in a variety of sizes which is incredibly easy to work with and especially good for bending and twisting into sculptures. Compared to aluminum it is a better conductor for heat and it is also less inclined to expand and contract with temperature change. Risby then weaves a nichrome wire form to fit the model using three gauges of wire 0 56 0 9 and 1 2 mm 1.

Armature wire and wire form provide internal support for casts and models just the way bones provide internal support for the bodies of vertebrate animals. Copper armature wire is very flexible wire to work with. Our high temperature wire and rods are available in different gauges and lengths and are fabricated from metal that maintains shape during high firings making it an ideal support for small implements such as beads. 15m armature wire for sculpting 9 12 18 gauge aluminum craft wire modelling wire for sculpting clay modelling bonsai and jewelry craft making 1 2 3mm in thickness 4 6 out of 5 stars 3 8 99 8.

Both are rustproof and work well indoors or out. Copper is a little sturdier but also malleable. Silicon carbide for texture. 200 mesh molochite to help reduce shrinkage.

At the end of the day this should be something you value highly since you re going to want to have a pleasant time working with the wire and be able to do so with your hands.