Porcelain

[Ivar]

Reading this topic I got very jellous of you people... I live in Croatia, and here if I want something beside standard earthenware or stoneware, I need to order it from other countries, and it costs so much that you couldn't believe it.

Same thing was with porcelain. I ordered it from Germany, just 50 kg cost me more then 500 USD without thransport cost, custome fee and taxes. And when I started throwing it was perfect, but all of the work cracked either during drying process or firing. So, I stoped with it....it was very frustrating, and now I need some time off from procelain.

All what is left I will use for slip casting.

 

In any case, i am sure that problem is not in porcelain itself, but in my lack of expirience with it.

 

 

 

[TJR]

Buckeye;

I know this won't probably help you as I am in Canada. I use a Plainsman porcelain called P580. I have also used porcelain from Tuckers in Oakville, Ontario[outside of Toronto]

The trick with porcelain is to keep your studio clean, esp. your wedging table. Scrub it down first as you don't want any iron tranfering over to your clay. You will see a sreak in the finished piece. It's fun to throw, but has no real wet strength, kind of like throwing putty. Glazeseat on it though.

TJR.

[neilestrick]

Standard 257 (c10) or 365 (c6) ar two of the best throwing porcelains I've ever used, and I've tried dozens. I make 45 pound planters with no warping or cracking. Laguna Babu is also very nice, and Highwater Helios.

[Craig]

I've been using Standard 365 cone 6 for years with no problems. Excellent to throw, translucent, reduction and oxidation.

 

www.craigrhodes.us

[timbo_heff]

The Elaine's Crystal from Sheffield Pottery is fantastic !

Used by many pros.

Grolleg, true porcelain, not a semi-stoneware body.

It is a Coleman formula. If you know him, he will vouch for it's excellence.

Also available in a cone 6 version

 

In deference to full disclosure I do work there, but just sharing the opinions and reviews of the many potters who use it everyday to make their living.

 

Expect as with most true porcelains, lots of shrinkage and trickiness attaching multi part pieces including handles.

Try letting it get dryer than normal before attaching. A little molochite in your attaching slip is another helper in this regard.

-tjh

[natalie at perth]

Since I started all I have used is Stoneware and I am thinking of trying some Porcelain. Anyone know of a good porcelain that throws well and fairly easy to work with? any tips or advice for working with porcelain?

 

 

 

Hi Buckeye

I dont know what brands of porcelain you get in U.S.A. as I am from Perth Australia - but I have found porcelain to be quite challenging, as not much water may be used, that is no problem for myself, but I have friends who have problems in this area. It seems you have to start small to practice, as you cant fiddle about too much, - straight up to a fine cylinder, then shape out without too much twisting (this can happen easily) it is like anything the more you practice the better you become, the rims of your bowls can be made fairly thick-ish as you can turn them back before you turn the bottoms. You can decorate and carve into the 'finished'bowl with a sharp dentist tool or small dremmel, of course you must wear a mask for this work, rubbing back can be done when leather hard to dry, dont worry too much if the bowls warp out of shape as this is part of porcelain features and if glazed beautifully doesnt really matter, it is a wonderful medium and you will love it once you get started - I love it

[Mahnaz]

If you make your own clay, I have a recipe for a very versatile porcelain body that is pure white in oxidation and offwhite/grey in reduction. It's can also fire to ^10, but is very nice at ^04 - ^6.

 

My experience with porcelain hasn't been as difficult as a lot of people make it out to be... one thing to keep in mind is to let it dry SLOW. Cracking is the issue. I've also yet to be very successful with joinery at ^10... It looks fine at the bisque stage, but once it high fires the joining areas become very noticeable. I'm using the slip and score technique, so maybe I need to adjust my method... not really sure how I can slip and score better. I'm not being lazy about it or anything..

please give the translucent porcelain recipe. thank you

[glazenerd]

Mahnaz

 

The translucency of porcelain comes from several factors, but it is the primary use of kaolin combined with higher flux levels that create translucency.

50% grolleg, 20% silica, and 30% Nep SY will produce a translucent body at cone 6. You will need to add 2% V-gum T or Macaloid to give it some plasticity. You can also substitute 3-5% white bentonite to create plasticity as well. I do not know what products are available in your area; so I can only give you a starting point.

 

Nerd