Black Throwing Body For Functional Ware

[CATRIONA]

Hi.

I'm looking for a throwing body, not too smooth, which will fire black in colour, in oxidation or reduction. It would need to be suitable for functional wares and happily go to 1280'C. Does anyone have a recipe they might share.

Many thanks.

Catriona

[neilestrick]

If you're willing to fire cone 5, Standard Ceramic #266 is a beautiful black body that throws like a dream. Don't push it to cone 6 or it will bloat.

[Marcia Selsor]

What is in it? Black bodies usually contain manganese...a toxic chemical that penetrates skin, can be inhaled from fumes from the kilns, and can be ingested through dust. Suppliers need to show the ingredients. It is a serious thing to know about.Marcia

[bciskepottery]

Standard 266 MSDS http://www.standardceramic.com/MSDSsheets/266.pdf

[neilestrick]

It's a high iron body, certified non-toxic like all their clay bodies. It does strange things to glaze colors because of all that iron, but it's gorgeous on its own.

[Mossyrock]

I have used Black Raven before and liked it. http://www.stonemountainclay.com/333_Black_Raven_Stnwr.html

[bciskepottery]

"It does strange things to glaze colors because of all that iron, but it's gorgeous on its own."

Awesome with an iron red glaze and Roy/Hesselberth's Bright Sky Blue.

[neilestrick]

"It does strange things to glaze colors because of all that iron, but it's gorgeous on its own."

Awesome with an iron red glaze and Roy/Hesselberth's Bright Sky Blue.

 

 

Good to know! We haven't done a lot of glaze testing with it, because my glazes are cone 6 and it bloats at 6. Some of my students have tested some commercial glazes, but not many.

[earthenware]

Have a look at this one... its a gorgeous black -

 

Cassius Basaltic Clay - Aardvark - Cone 5/6

 

http://shop.clay-pla...--cone-5-6.aspx

[bciskepottery]

Here's the MSDS . . . and, yes, it does contain manganese dioxide. Kiln needs to be vented when firing this one. Better at cone 5.

 

http://www.aardvarkclay.com/pdf/clays/black_clays.PDF

[Diana Ferreira]

I use a local black clay - the window to get it black before it blisters is very small. It is a ###### with even underglaze (some colours) but I love it none the less. I am able to get a very dense red on it with underglaze, and the contrast is amazing.

[Guest JBaymore]

Standard 266 MSDS http://www.standardc...Ssheets/266.pdf

 

 

I would say that MSDS from Standard is pretty darn minimal, at best. We KNOW that any clay body will contain a certain amount of respirable silica... and that Standard listing for that clay body material is completely missing the usual language for that constituient. (see the other MSDS listed in this thread for a more typical statement on that silica component.)

 

That lack of much info most anywhere on the form, to me, brings into question any of the rest of the info contained there-in.

 

Unfortunately, there are MSDSs and then there are MSDSs. Not all of them are as well done as others. And there is (unfortunately) little enforcement of the accuracy of these sheets.

 

One way manufacturers can get around some of the potential health and safety issues is looking at the products in the WET state. "Certified safe" when wet does not necessarily mean it is safe when it is in the dry form. When respirable microcrystalline silica is wet.... there is of course no inhalation hazard because there is no airborne dusting component when it is still wet.

 

Also, the potential leaching of any toxics out of the final fired product is not covered by anything in the MSDS.

 

Additionally, the suppliers / manufacturers do not indemnify the manufaturer using their raw materials (the potter) from any contingent product liability to the end user of the items produced. It is up to the potter to perform due diligence and to do all necessary technical testing to assure that the product is suitable for the intended use under the Laws of Merchantability and other applicable product liability statuates.

 

 

best,

 

........................john

[bciskepottery]

Many of the MSDS I've checked are sorely lacking in details. Its not as if listing the contents would reveal any great proprietary information. In this case, at least we could tell it did not have manganese in the clay body.

 

And, wouldn't it be great if manufacturers of glazes posted on their website unity formula information, Si/Al ratios, and COE data . . . and its not like they don't know that, its necessary to formulate the glazes to begin with -- so its in their records and files. And, no proprietary info would be revealed by posting that info.

[Mudslayer]

I am using 266 now, have several pieces drying, but was told, and shown an piece that was fired to ^6, the upper rim was glazed with Potters Choice Blue Rutile and the rest of the pot was left raw. I had used this before and fired to ^5, but it came out dark brown, whereas this piece came out black. What do you mean when you say it "Bloats". I plan on bisque firing to 04.

 

also, can anyone tell me what glazes do look great on this clay. I know that clear does not look good at all, but the only 2 glazes i know of are Blue Rutile and Blue Midnite.

 

 

thanks