Shop tips for Ceramic work‘Magic Water’ Recipes for the ‘Art Village’

‘Magic water‘ is used when scoring to join two pieces of clay work together. It’s stronger than slip because the mixture of sodium silicate and sodium carbonate forces the molecules in the separate pieces to realign themselves, creating an interlocking bond.

‘Magic water‘, (or ‘magic clay‘), is a deflocculating item, A thinning agent used to reduce viscosity or prevent flocculation; incorrectly called a "dispersant." Most deflocculants are low-molecular weight anionic polymers that net neutralize positive charges on clay edges.) What, you didn’t know wet clay had sharp edges? It does now… (grin)

Each of these recipes uses the same ingredients, but they are just mixed in different proportions. Sodium Silicate is sometimes called "egg keep" or "water glass", and is found in pottery supply houses, or in drugstores. Notice that each ‘recipe’ is much the same…

Steve Fulmer's Magic Water 1 liter water 2 teaspoons sodium silicate 1/4 teaspoon soda ash

Cheri Glaser's Magic Water 1 gallon water 3 Tbsp sodium silicate 5 grams soda ash

Lana Wilson's Magic Water Two different recipes are attributed to Lana Wilson.

Recipe One 1 gallon water 9.5 grams sodium silicate 3 grams soda ash

Recipe Two 1 gallon water 3 Tbsp liquid sodium silicate 1 1/2 tsp soda ash

Joyce Roger's Magic Water 1/2 gallon water 1 1/2 Tablespoons sodium silicate

2 1/2 grams soda ash

Spooze

‘Spooze’ is similar to Magic Water. It’s used to join greenware (unfired) pieces together. Some people report it can be used on bisqued pieces as well.

Peggy's SpoozeThis recipe seems to have come from Peggy Heer, a ceramic artist from Alberta, Canada.

1/3 part dry, finely crushed clay (whatever clay body you are using) 1/3 part corn syrup 1/3 part vinegar a drop of hydrogen peroxide to keep the corn syrup from fermenting

Sandy's ‘Goop’This recipe, submitted by John Rodgers, is based on one from Sandy

Tesar, a clayartist (non-potter). John says, "[My Spooze is] made up as a paper clay using clay from the two clays that I use principally in my work -- B-mix and Grolleg. My spooze contains magic water, B-mix or, paper linter which has been shredded and boiled, then stirred in all together. This stuff makes a terrific adhesive when assembling clay parts or patching cracks. Occasionally I will make up some of my spooze using calcined clay for patching cracks in bisque. I keep my spooze refrigerated to prevent it from smelling. I don't use the peroxide in it."

Start with Lana Wilson's Magic Water. Add sufficient boiled toilet paper and clay to make the clay mass

sufficiently thick for your purposes. Sometime quite stiff, other times "goushey".

If too "goushey" it can be stiffened with a bit of vinegar.