Don't Slip! Joining Clay Without Slip
![large_Screen_Shot_2016-01-18_at_12.25.14_PM](https://amaco.com/asset/64ea43c5f332c/large_Screen_Shot_2016-01-18_at_12.25.14_PM.png?w=690&h=932&fit=crop)
When joining two pieces of clay, you should always slip and score. You hear that all the time, but there is a trick that is shorter, easier and works even better than mixing clay with enough water to make a slip.
![large_Screen_Shot_2016-01-18_at_12.25.14_PM](https://amaco.com/asset/64ea43c5f332c/large_Screen_Shot_2016-01-18_at_12.25.14_PM.png?w=470&h=635&fit=crop)
Video
Joining Clay
When joining two pieces of clay, you should always slip and score. You hear that all the time, but there is a trick that is shorter, easier, and works even better than mixing clay with enough water to make a slip.
The trick is vinegar: simply white vinegar from your local grocery store.
Since I use a lot of different clays in the studio, it’s difficult to always have the right slip mixed up, so I use a spray bottle with water and vinegar combined, about equal parts of each, instead of slip. The acidity of the vinegar breaks down the clay a bit, and makes it sticky. Some artists use vinegar straight from the bottle, or add vinegar to clay instead of water to make a joining slip. All these methods work to create a join that is stronger than water or slip alone.
One word of warning, using vinegar on pieces made using the slip-casting method will break down the clay and it will start to dissolve.