How to produce clay chips

From whiteboard clay pieces to sticker chips that give personality and soul, the core lies in the collision of flat bodies and three-dimensional stickers through different processes to create a variety of aesthetics. The following combines specific types such as basic models, pattern models, and bronzing models to explain in detail the whole process from the preparation of the blank body to the molding of stickers.
1. Basic chips: the adaptation of the blank and the basic sticker
(1) Greening and preparation for plain firing
Take a fine piece of whiteboard clay and use a circular mold to cut a body with a diameter of 4 cm and a thickness of 2.5 mm (square body can be molded at a right angle). Place the green body in a cool place to dry, turn it over every 8 hours, and when the surface is dry and there are no dents when you press lightly (about 7 percent dry), polish the edges with fine sandpaper until smooth and rounded. The temperature of the plain firing is controlled at 850°C, and the firing is 2 hours, and the body is light beige gray after cooling, and the surface is rough and porous, which is convenient for the sticker to adhere.
(2) Basic sticker pasting process
After cleaning the floating dust on the surface of the plain burned body, you can directly paste ordinary paper stickers (such as cartoon patterns and digital stickers): use a cotton swab dipped in a small amount of white latex to evenly apply it to the back of the sticker, align it with the center of the body, scrape off the bubbles with a card, and let it stand for 12 hours to cure. To repel water, apply a thin layer of clear nail polish (30 minutes dry) to the surface of the sticker to form a protective film.
2. Pattern chips: the fusion of engraved shading and water shift stickers
(1) Pre-engraving treatment of semi-dry body
When the body is dried to 5 percent dry (slightly cool to the touch and elastic), use a carving knife to engrave shallow concave patterns (such as leaf veins, geometric lines, depth of about 0.2 mm) on the surface as a reference for sticker positioning. After it is completely dried and plain fired, choose a special water transfer sticker for ceramics (such as flowers, starry sky patterns): soak the sticker in warm water for 15 seconds, after the backing paper is separated from the pattern, move it to the carving area of the body with tweezers, gently press to embed the sticker into the groove, use a sponge to absorb excess water, and dry for 4 hours.
(2) Glaze fixing process
If you want to keep the pattern true for a long time, you can cover the sticker with a transparent glaze (0.1 mm thickness) after drying and put it into a kiln for secondary firing (1050°C, 1.5 hours). At high temperatures, the glaze blends with the sticker pigment to form a smooth glaze with a pattern that seems to grow in the body, making it suitable for collectible chips.
3. Hot stamping chips: a technological breakthrough in metallic texture
(1) Special treatment of hot stamping stickers
Dry pasting method: choose hot stamping stickers (such as gold logos and pattern stickers) with adhesive backing, and paste them directly on the surface of the plain firing body. Before pasting, wipe the body with alcohol to enhance cleanliness, remove the back film and quickly press the sticker to ensure that the edges fit, repeatedly scrape and expel air along the edges with your fingernails, and let it stand for 24 hours to stabilize the stickiness.
Wet pasting method (suitable for complex patterns): cut the hot stamping sticker into the desired shape, dip the special metal sticker glue (transparent gel-like) with a brush and evenly apply it to the pasting area of the green body, with a thickness of about 0.3 mm, quickly apply the sticker and press it gently, wrap the rolling pin with a soft cloth and roll it to compact, remove air bubbles while enhancing the metallic luster adhesion, and form a firm coating after drying for 48 hours.
(2) The superposition of the aging effect
If you are looking for a retro texture, you can lightly grind the edge of the hot stamping sticker with 200 grit sandpaper to expose the gold edge to reveal the background color of the body, simulating natural wear and tear. This is followed by a matte protective paint (evenly sprayed at a distance of 20 cm) and after 1 hour of drying, the metallic sheen contrasts with the matte body, enhancing the visual level.
Fourth, the composite process model: multi-material stickers layer superposition
(1) The combination of three-dimensional stickers and flat stickers
Attach a 3D resin sticker (e.g. a three-dimensional badge) to the center of the plain body, apply it along the edges with clay glue, and let it sit for 24 hours. After curing, paste flat bronzing stickers (such as radial patterns) in the surrounding blank area, and create a three-dimensional effect like relief through the combination of high and low stickers.
(2) The ultimate process of waterproof and wear-resistant
After all the sticker processes are completed, they are functionally treated according to the application:
Gaming chips: spray two layers of polyurethane varnish (each layer dries for 12 hours) to create a protective layer of abrasion resistance that can withstand frequent friction;
Decorative chips: If you use transparent acrylic stickers, you can directly retain the transparent texture; For paper stickers, apply a thin layer of matte Mod Podge glue (2 hours dry) to prevent moisture from curling. Finally, check the edges of the sticker with strong light to ensure that there are no warps and bubbles, and a clay chip that is both artistic and practical is completed.
From the simplicity and brightness of the basic paper stickers to the luxurious sparkle of the bronzing stickers, the stickers of different materials inject a variety of souls into the clay chips. The key process points are: the rough texture of the plain firing body is the basis for the sticker attachment, the semi-dry engraving provides the positioning anchor point for the pattern sticker, and the glue selection and compaction method of the hot stamping sticker directly affect the durability of the metal luster. The birth of each sticker chip is a synergistic interpretation of manual precision and material characteristics, so that the ordinary clay piece finally becomes a miniature work of art carrying creativity.