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Transforming Medium Fire Clay Bodies Into Low Fire Clay Bodies?


arcadiax

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Hi all,

 

First off, I won't blame anybody if something fails, as long as it is not a potentially catastrophic failure that would burn my studio down or destroy my electric kilns lol...

 

I have on hand, buckets of recycled medium fire cone 6 clay bodies of various commercial mixes. I can't be exactly very specific because they were provided to me free of charge and I took these 5 gallon buckets in to see if I could put them to good use.

 

The buckets all have just simple indications of their type, in example:

 

- Navajo

- B-mix

- Grey

- Porcelain (I do not think it is true porcelain because these are all cone 6)

- Red

 

I was just curious of what to add to each specifically or even to all generally if I wanted to make these fire at low fire - cone 04 - 02? I do not mind buying large quantities of other needed materials and trying it out, if the ratio of addition or exchange is large. I hate letting things go to waste (Have around 50 gallons of these recycled clay) but I don't exactly have experience firing any higher so want to stick to low fire for now plus all my glazes are for low fire clays.

 

i will also be making these into slip as that is my main application, slip casting. I understand clays with high iron content do not deflocculate well, but am open to all suggestions as long as these do not go to waste in the end.

 

I have used some for mold making and plaster casting retention walls but still lots left and clay can be expensive brand new.

 

If you told me to recycle these and that there is no hope...I may just do that in the end I guess lol...

 

Thanks!

 

- Steven

 

 

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Doesn't B mix have enough bentonite to mess with deflocculant?

 

I have no idea lol...that's why I am here with puppy eyes asking for help. I guess I am just seeing if I can salvage these guys. Actually, because I received these clays around 2 years ago, they've been in storage in my studio since. When I first got these guys, I think I turned 1 or 2 into slip with addition of Darvan - can't remember which one but they were one of the lighter colored clays - either the B-Mix or Grey. I also turned one of the Navajo's into slip as well.

 

They fired out very nicely but I had zero experience back then so I did not know these would not vitrify at low fire even though when I took them out, they sounded really nice with the spoon test. Clanked like a glassware. I guess I was not even close to maturation but inexperienced fooled me and just by touch they felt wonderful.

 

18% frit 3124, except the red.

 

Sounds great nerd, I'll give it a whirl.

 

Nerd, off topic a little, but I have question about Frit as Flux spray cover coat for decal work.

 

These are all leaded and was given away as well to me by a school - 3396, 3466, 3489, 3304. 

 

I was just curious, if you knew which kind of these frits work really well as a light fusing layer of sorts. I don't know if you know alot about decals, but I usually add a thin layer of flux on top of the decal image to help it bond better with my ceramic image works. I've always purchased these aerosol flux solvent cans but was thinking of maybe using some of my own frits and mixing my own with a solvent perhaps and than using my airbrush to apply. 

 

I don't really know much about these different types of frits or if these are even the right kind to use in the first place.

 

Thanks Nerd~~

 

Life is short how much testing time have you got??How about giving it all to a cone 6 potter?

 

I have given some away already, but still have lots left. I think I am in no rush to test and I can use these as it comes. 

 

Thanks for the suggestion though Mark!

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Life is short how much testing time have you got??How about giving it all to a cone 6 potter?

 

 

And by the time you've worked out how to fix it, cast it, fire it and glaze it, it will all be gone and you'll have to start at the beginning with something new.  

 

There is an old saying "there's no such thing as a free  *********"      lunch, bucket of clay, put your own words in here.

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