Jump to content

B-Mix And Me - A Contentious Relationship


Recommended Posts

Morning,

I have long had a contentious relationship with B-Mix, Cone 5. When making mugs, more often than not the handles crack, pull away or fall off. When putting any kind of surface decoration onto the piece, it cracks, pulls away, or falls off. I've dried it naturally and slowly, with a dryer and a torch - they still fall off more often than not. I've used this "magic water" at class, slip, water, scratched the daylights out of it - they still often fall off. 

 

Last week, I picked up a still pretty wet urn about 7 or 8 inches tall I had thrown from the studio where I still take classes. I had thrown it two weeks earlier. It was B Mix, which is the only white at the studio. I let it sit out for a morning, dried it a bit, trimmed it, dried it a bit more with a dryer, and put it in the kiln. I then threw another urn the same size, using Laguna 65 clay - a greyish looking clay that turns white. I dried it, made the urn top, dried that, put it in the kiln. I usually preheat soak for 12 hours but it all seemed pretty dry, even the new piece that I put a heart onto, so I only soaked for 7 hours.

 

When I opened the kiln the next day, my B-Mix urn had exploded, taking three other urns with it. Ugh. It know it was that one, because there was nothing left and everything around it had damage on the side facing it.

 

I have decided that I am never using B-Mix again. My teacher loves it, she doesn't find it tempermental at all, but I think I get my pieces into the kiln more quickly, as I am making to sell. I'll stick to the 65, 60 and 80, thank you. 

 

Nancy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started with B-Mix. I abandoned it very quickly for Highwater's Little Loafers. It is imo a lot better than B-Mix. I don't even know how B-Mix is still around, all I hear are terrible things about that clay body. I don't throw white stoneware anymore, but if I did I would still use Little Loafers. I never had any cracks or handles pop off, and I was very new when I changed to this clay. I got lucky because I went to buy B-Mix they were out, and I got little loafers instead. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many white stoneware clays like B-mix are very fine-grained due to the overly high percentage of ball clay in them. This makes them prone to cracking unless they are well constructed and relatively even in thickness, even more so than porcelain which has a much worse reputation for cracking. It also makes them dry more slowly since the particles are so tightly packed, so the preheat will need to be longer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never had problems getting handles to stick, etc. But I don't like B-mix because it doesn't really feel like clay to me. It's kind of rubbery. I once saw some old footage of Bernard Leach talking about clay consistencies, and about how he felt some newfangled clay mixes weren't really clay, they were "pastes." His disgust was evident, and that snippet seems to have stuck with me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never had problems getting handles to stick, etc. But I don't like B-mix because it doesn't really feel like clay to me. It's kind of rubbery. I once saw some old footage of Bernard Leach talking about clay consistencies, and about how he felt some newfangled clay mixes weren't really clay, they were "pastes." His disgust was evident, and that snippet seems to have stuck with me.

 

That's the high amount of ball clay. It's overly plastic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started with B-Mix. I abandoned it very quickly for Highwater's Little Loafers. It is imo a lot better than B-Mix. I don't even know how B-Mix is still around, all I hear are terrible things about that clay body. I don't throw white stoneware anymore, but if I did I would still use Little Loafers. I never had any cracks or handles pop off, and I was very new when I changed to this clay. I got lucky because I went to buy B-Mix they were out, and I got little loafers instead.

 

Ok, so,it's not just me. As I said, at the studio where I take classes, everyone loves it! I'm getting a complex that it's just me!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I never had problems getting handles to stick, etc. But I don't like B-mix because it doesn't really feel like clay to me. It's kind of rubbery. I once saw some old footage of Bernard Leach talking about clay consistencies, and about how he felt some newfangled clay mixes weren't really clay, they were "pastes." His disgust was evident, and that snippet seems to have stuck with me.

 

 

That's the high amount of ball clay. It's overly plastic.

Thanks, Neil. I skimped on the drying time.

 

Do you know the difference between Laguna 55, which was just recommended to me, and the 65 I have been using. The 65 is stiff to throw, or maybe I just got a little drier batch, but it went from wheel to kiln with no issues.

Best,

Nancy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey,

I tried a B-mix for a while and tried to use it without the cracks and disappointments, without much luck. I went to High Waters Helios and never looked back.

 

Comments I've heard about B Mix is that you're suppose to use less water, and you either love or hate B Mix.... I'm the latter.

 

See ya,

Alabama

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.