Slipware clay body and slip recipe

[jafa5]

My partner (Becs) is keen to start making some slipware so I am going to prep some clay and slip for her and just thought I'd ask what people are using for the clay bodies, slips and top glazes.  Also I wanted to ask what other people do in regards to process, applying slip on wet, leather or biscuitware for instance.  Any pros and cons would be appreciated.  We've been looking at some traditional English and Korean pottery and love it's rustic qualities and contrasting colours.

I have a bucket of terracotta slaked down (dug out from my work and fires a lovely red) and was going to make a simple white slip recipe for low fire . I think these are the common body and slip types, all low fire.  I'd be really keen to play with slip recipes and wanted to ask if there would be issues if I were to incorporate oxides or stains into the slip?  Or is that something weI should leave for the glaze? 

Is there much difference between applying the slip on a wet body, leather, dry or biscuit?  Also if there is any benefits if it's applied by brush or dipped? Too thick, too thin... Endless list of questions until we start testing and finding out haha. 

It seems to me that these could quite easily be made with a single firing.  Anyone tried this? 

We also have some stoneware buff and I was wondering if you can create slipware using a stoneware body and fire to cone 6 or higher?  Is this likely to work?  I'm not sure what the interaction of the clay body and slip would like at higher temperatures.

Cheers, 

Liam

 

 

[Min]

Getting the slip on the pot as soon as possible while the pots are still leather hard, or softer if possible, is the safest way to go. If the pots are too dry the slip will likely flake off or develop cracks, or the pot can crack, also the slip won’t bond with the pot as well. On the other hand you don’t want the pots so wet that they sag or soften too much when the slip is applied. Dipping a pot in slip requires really careful timing or the pot will split from all the added moisture. There are slip recipes that are formulated to go on dry greenware or bisque if thats what Becs wants to do.

Yes, colouring slips with oxides / carbonates or stains is something you can do. Ball park rough amount for stains would be 10%, then adjust from there, 3 -5% copper carbonate for copper greens, 0.5 to 2% cobalt carb for cobalt blues (if you use cobalt oxide you would use about 1/3 less, cobalt oxide speckles), 5 - 20% red iron oxide for browns. 

The clay body and the slip need to have similar shrinkage or during drying and firing it may peel or flake off. If you use a light clay body you can use it for making into coloured slips since it will fit the clay body.

Yes, cone 6 clay with slips will work too. Your lowfire clays might work as slip or might not. Have to try and see. If they don’t work then a slip from a cone 6 clay will work or a ^10 porcelain or you can mix up a slip recipe.

Sieve your slip, mix it up to about heavy cream consistency and try some tests brushing on 1, 2 and 3 coats. I’ld start with some test pots, brush, dip or trail your terracotta slip onto leather hard and see what happens. Check for cracking/flaking while it dries, bisque and glaze fire and check for fit.

 

[jafa5]

Awesome thanks Min!