Additives To Cone 6 Clay To Make It Cone 10

[Colonel Potter]

I hate to see good clay being thrown away. I work at a place where I can process a lot of clay quickly. All of my 20 glazes are cone 10. Any one have methods to add something to cone 6 b mix to make it fire to cone 10.

 

I don't sit idle so for my first 50 pounds I added 10% EPK, 10% fire clay to the dried and broken up b-mix. Do you think that will work to cone 10? I will let you know.

[Marcia Selsor]

When I was in Latvia as a guest of the Soviet Artists Union in 1991 (immediately after the break up of the Soviet Union)

I was given a lump of earthenware and a lump of Chamotte and told to make something for the International Show at the end of our residency.

I mixed the two lumps with an equal addition of Baltic sand and tested it. It fired to ^10.

Chamotte is a high fire hand building clay used but artists of the former Soviet Artists Union for large subway murals or Opera house murals..

It is very high temperature and full of huge chunks of grog.

It sound like your additives of Fire Clay and EPK are on the right track. Test fire some first. That is whatI would have suggested to add to the ^6 clay.

Gold Art is a good plastic stoneware clay in case you lose too much elasticity.

[Colonel Potter]

Thanks Marcia, I forgot that I also added 10% white grog molochite because I tend to throw bigger pots. Thanks, you basically have me thinking this is not impossible and quite doable. Russia. My professor friend has been going there every other year since 1985. Wow lots of change there. Beautiful country.