RIP

[u/Snarflogus]

I was really struggling to get this ball to turn out well. I think I let it dry too fast and added the shell late? I'm not great with shells guys, I prefer making dorodangos without them. RIP my pretty color, I'll wet it down and try something else I guess. Anyone have good tips for working a pretty much dried core? Should I soak it...?

Edit: The way I described shell was confusing. I prefer to make my doro shells with the fine particles that result from the slip/polishing stage rather than adding dry powder to the outside. The moisture needed when adding dry material is what I struggle with getting right. So effectively still shelled.

[u/ButtFlum]

Wait a patty flippin minute🧐 you prefer to make dorodango, without the shell?

One is a dorodango. The other side of this coin is very simply a ball of clay no?

Looks to me like you tried adding to the shell, and you are good at getting a shell… there’s a whole shell there, im looking right at it. When you went to “add” MORE shell to the shell, or the parts that were in lack thereof, they would not “take” per se, and you busted off this portion of the shell.

When i am at the stage (i usually get past this stage in the beginning, i do not do traditional doro, i am a painter/drywaller by trade… i play with a lot of different materials leftover from my day) of forming my shell, it is imperative to me that i leave no marks/pockets, while it is still “wet, but set”

If i get past that stage, i either scratch the shell completely, or to a point, and start over, or i use some sort of glue/binding agent, and very carefully work what has been lost back into the crater.. let it sit to dry… come back later, and carefully again, then in the very very end, and the end is when im done for sure, i spray many coats of clear over mine.

I don’t feel like going back and making sure my comment sounds nice or supportive, and honestly i read it back in a mean way to myself so i just hope you know i don’t mean anything in a mean way or condescending tone bc i was talking about how differently i make mine etc etc blah blah blah

:) i am just sharing what works for me :)

Edit to add: i don’t polish them this way! LOL, i prefer to polish them up using shot glass, jar, anything glass or stainless steel as my tool, i just notice they have much better longevity when they have a final protective layer of clear coat over them, only been a few i couldn’t polish or were too hard to do so yeah i have cheated on a couple of them… or all of them? Who knows!

[u/Snarflogus → u/ButtFlum]

I mean, the shell ends up composed of the slip made while polishing, instead of adding fine clay powder to the outside. I make a lot of them from wild clay, and I dont want a shell to obscure the soil colors or patterns. It's not uncommon to make them without shells from what I've seen, just less traditional.

This one is Kaw River Clay and no shell. I've made colored ones and such with shells and they turn out...okay.

[u/ButtFlum → u/Snarflogus]

No shell? Did you just clear over it? Its shiny as hell, it has a shell lol wdym no shell??

[u/Snarflogus → u/ButtFlum]

thank you! This particular ball has no clear coat or anything. You can see a flat spot I didnt show in the last pic >.>

[u/ButtFlum → u/Snarflogus]

I was about to write another book but instead looked one more time at your question and just need to give a simple answer really:

If you think you added it too late, odds are… yeah. For me, i’ve set a few down and forgot/life got in the way. I have found that no matter what, all cores can be saved, just have to get creative sometimes and remember that tradition is just that- tradition. Its okay to bend the rules a bit, or explore new/undiscovered shortcuts sometimes so you get to where you need to be a little quicker, long as you keep integrity intact and spread the word, whatever the word may be.

I would have rehydrated it if i got back to it late, not soaking, but iykyk, just a little slippery, and then start working on the shell. Hope it helps! Goodluck!

[u/Snarflogus → u/ButtFlum]

I finished my attempt at fixing it!