Simone Morais Obrigado!

He has a video of him making the template

I use the fan to accelerate drying from moist/plastic clay to leather hard so I can construct in a shorter period of time. After construction, I let the whole thing dry more slowly to prevent the problems you are referencing.

This is a stoneware clay that needs to be fired to cone 6, around 2300 degrees F. Concrete is the only material I know of that would be strong enough without being fired in a kiln. There are some youtube videos about making pots with concrete if you want to learn about that too, but I prefer ceramic. Thanks for watching!

Yes! Feel free to check out these videos on how to do this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/isqmddxp3qytqo0.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mNNogrWYv5y4enk.html

This is ceramic clay (stoneware). The clay needs to air dry for several days and then be fired in a kiln. In this case, it was bisque fired to cone 06 (~1850F) then glazed and refired to cone 6 (~2350F).

Cheers mate. Now I KNOW some research is in order..... and I'll need to find someone with a kiln. Appreciated.

Clay and water, called slip.

Yes, absolutely. You should use stoneware clays for bonsai pots which are fired to cone 6, around 2300 degrees. This makes them durable enough to withstand freezing and thawing without breaking.

It would take some work to figure out a way to share the template measurments. In the meantime, check out these videos for some tips: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/raemfLqbr5jUgKs.html and kzfaq.info/get/bejne/odyPdLJjzqu7oWg.html

I am not currently selling, but this is a future dream. If there is something specific you see in a video that you'd like to have, let me know. I can let you know if it is available and we can work something out.

I recommend a stoneware type clay fired to cone 5 or 6 to be frost resistant.

The soft material used to join pieces together is called slip - just the same clay thinned with water to a paint-like consistency. I bought the boards at my local home improvement store where they had different thicknesses to choose from.

Good question! I am not 100%, but I think I rolled these slabs from less than 3 kilos (~6 lbs.). Hope that helps.

That's perfect thanks Aaron, can you video how to make one of them tables you use for rolling, or just tell me if stretching some cloth over a board will do the trick?

Aaron Stratten What was your very first pot like? Made mine today and it was truely awful! my slabs were about 1cm thick and barely lined up, came out looking like a house brick, i didnt even bother to add feet haha. Need some encouragement ;P

what kind.of clay you use?

It's hard to answer in terms of time. This will vary depending on how wet the clay was in the first place, how thick the slabs are, the humidity in the room, etc. To me it is a matter of checking on the slabs to see when they feel just right. If you want to help them dry faster, you can turn a fan on them, but don't let them get too dry before building or you will have trouble attaching the pieces. Happy building!

Thanks for the quick reply. I tried again at about 1 hour and things worked out much better. The slabs (.31) were easier to handle.

Good idea, but when you dig your own clay, how will you know the burming temperature, as different type of clays also have different burning temperatures.

@@abbasduman6963 experiment

Sebastian Garcia I recommend using a stoneware clay (any color) so your pot will be strong enough to withstand the outdoor demands of serving as a bonsai pot. Happy building!

Max Wiles I made it... and made a video about that process. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/raemfLqbr5jUgKs.html. I hope you check it out. Thanks for your interest.

This will change based on the clay you are using. If you have a cone 5-6 clay body like I am using, I recommend a bisque fire to cone 06 ramped up slowly over ~8 hours. For a very basic kiln that may be 2 hours on low, 2 hours at medium, and then up to high until the target temp is reached. Apply glaze, if you wish, to bisque ware and then refine to cone 5 or 6. If the final firing is all bisque ware, you can run your kiln on high/full ramp to the target temp. Hope this helps.

Esta es exactamente la razón por la que hago una plantilla. Quiero pensar en todas estas pequeñas diferencias de medida antes de comenzar a construir con arcilla. Una de las partes difíciles es recordar el grosor de las losas al pensar cómo encajarán juntas. Lleva algo de tiempo. ¡Buena suerte!

Muchisimas gracias por el consejo y la respuesta lo tendre en cuenta. Un saludo

For any outdoor bonsai pot, I recommend a stoneware that is fired to cone 6. Earthenware pots (cone 05-06) will not tolerate the freeze thaw cycle.

Samuel Nekvasil YES. This is made with a stoneware clay that is fired to around 2150 degrees F.

Yes. I keep an old blender for this purpose, but you can do it manually as well by stirring small bits of clay or crushed dry clay with water until you have a consistency you like. Happy building.

This is comparable to a bonsai pot you purchase. Pot thickness will vary, usually with size (larger pot, thicker wall) but the two pots I built exactly this way are still in perfect condition.

1/4 inch thick for small pots and 3/8 inch thick for larger pots.

Yes. The clay needs to be fired to an appropriate temperature for the type of clay you use. This is stoneware and was fired to around 2150 degrees F, or around 1200 degrees C.

If built with ceramic clay it needs to be fired (baked) to a high temperature to make the clay permanent.

@@aaronstratten9594 Thanks

I use ceramic clay - stoneware fired to cone 6 so it will be strong enough to use outside... Utilizo arcilla de cerámica - gres cocido al cono 6 por lo que será lo suficientemente fuerte como para usar en el exterior. (I hope translation is ok.)

Aaron Stratten j es para. Meter en el Horno. ???

pablo goitia Si. Calentarlo al cono 6. Acerca de 2200 F o 1200 C.

Paritosh Bhardwaj it is ceramic clay. Stoneware fired to cone 6.

Sorry, I am not currently selling or creating pots on commission.

Look for a ceramics supply store in your area.

@@aaronstratten9594 thank you

What are the active ingredients?

Clay is a fine grained form of earth. It can be dug from locations around the world. Digging your own is an option, but processing that clay to be ready to use is another process entirely.

@@aaronstratten9594 thank you very much.

Bonsai hunter Allamin Shaik, yes. Stoneware that was fired to cone 6.

On the contrary, I find it very satisfying to make my own pots.