what can i do if i don't have a Clem?

Question

i bought a plan white cookie jar, and now i'm ready to paint it, but, i don't ahve a clem to dry it in,and i know it takes a long time for the paint to set in,okay, now what do i do from here,what other steps do i or can i take to bake the color in?
any help will be thanked greatly

Answer 1

Your clem is actually a kiln. Since your cookie jar is white the clay/porcelain has already been "fired" in the kiln. You can use any paint you wish to color it as long as it is food safe. Prior to painting you should make sure the ceramic is sealed in order to keep the cookies from staining it. If the jar is just for display you can skip that step. If you use ceramic glazes these must be fired and most are not food safe because they contain traces of lead. If you have a place near you that specializes in ceramic crafts, they should have a kiln and might fire it for you for a modest fee. You can not do the firing yourself in your kitchen oven (as suggested by another answer) for a couple of reasons.
(1) Your oven doesn't get hot enough. Ceramics are fired at around 1500 deg F
(2) The fumes from ceramic glaze (if used) could cause an explosion if your oven is gas powered.

Everything you need to handle painting and sealing ceramics can be found at Texas Art Supply (http://www.texasart.com/). If you don't live near Houston they do offer shipping nationwide.

Answer 2

What you are looking for is a kiln. If it is greenware you will have to fire it -check with your local high school art department or see if a college in the area has one that will be firing soon. If it has already been fired, just paint it with acrylic paint and clear coat spray it . Make sure the paints are food safe.

Answer 3

A Clem? I think you mean a kiln. You could use your oven but I couldn't tell you for how long or at what tempurature.