What Happens When You Bake Sculpture Clay?

Question:If you bake real clay in a household oven it will dry out but will not vitrify. So it will not be useful for holding liquid or getting wet. Kilns and pit firings get the clay to a much hotter temperature (1400 and up degrees!) than your oven can.

Also, clay usually only explodes in the kiln when it has not been dried completely before the firing or if it is fired too fast.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: If you bake real clay in a household oven it will dry out but will not vitrify. So it will not be useful for holding liquid or getting wet. Kilns and pit firings get the clay to a much hotter temperature (1400 and up degrees!) than your oven can.

Also, clay usually only explodes in the kiln when it has not been dried completely before the firing or if it is fired too fast.

It hardens. Just make sure you bake it at the temperature the manufacturer recommends.

Hardens but just as long as their is no air bubbles! In school we used to make suicide sculptures where one of us sacraficed ours when put in the kilm to fire who ever left an air bubble would have theirs xplode breaking everyones in there. :( i know kinda mean.