Standard 563?

[Nancy S.]

I wanted a whiter ^6 clay body, so I got a box of Standard 563 to try out. But I can't seem to get it to "grow legs," as someone else here called it -- when I try to throw higher than a few inches, it starts to sag and flop and fall apart.

 

I thought I was using too much water, so I tried using less. Still can't get a decent large bowl out of it before it collapses.

 

Am I just too impatient and need to let the clay stiffen up a bit more before I use it? Or is this clay just not good for some things?

 

Thoughts appreciated....

[oldlady]

highwater in NC makes a great white stoneware used by lots of people to both throw and handbuild. it is available in baltimore if not closer to you. the name is Little Loafers.

[Pres]

I wanted a whiter ^6 clay body, so I got a box of Standard 563 to try out. But I can't seem to get it to "grow legs," as someone else here called it -- when I try to throw higher than a few inches, it starts to sag and flop and fall apart.

 

I thought I was using too much water, so I tried using less. Still can't get a decent large bowl out of it before it collapses.

 

Am I just too impatient and need to let the clay stiffen up a bit more before I use it? Or is this clay just not good for some things?

 

Thoughts appreciated....

 

 

I got a sample of the SC 563, 25#. It is a very buttery clay, and really doesn't take a whole lot of water. It did not have enough tooth for me, but I was able to throw reasonably high with it-20". However, I throw quite dry and pretty thin. This clay did not need water to throw, just a bit to center.

[Nancy S.]

I wanted a whiter ^6 clay body, so I got a box of Standard 563 to try out. But I can't seem to get it to "grow legs," as someone else here called it -- when I try to throw higher than a few inches, it starts to sag and flop and fall apart.

 

I thought I was using too much water, so I tried using less. Still can't get a decent large bowl out of it before it collapses.

 

Am I just too impatient and need to let the clay stiffen up a bit more before I use it? Or is this clay just not good for some things?

 

Thoughts appreciated....

 

 

I got a sample of the SC 563, 25#. It is a very buttery clay, and really doesn't take a whole lot of water. It did not have enough tooth for me, but I was able to throw reasonably high with it-20". However, I throw quite dry and pretty thin. This clay did not need water to throw, just a bit to center.

 

 

Tooth? (As in grog, or something else?)

 

So if you don't use water to throw, how do you keep your hands slippery enough to keep the clay from dragging??

[Biglou13]

No one throws abloutely dry, if they do they should put it on you tube.....

 

What many are referring to is instead of wetting clay or hands with water or sponge. Use already available slip created from centering ........

 

Careful this may cause you to throw out your splash pan.....

[Pres]

I wanted a whiter ^6 clay body, so I got a box of Standard 563 to try out. But I can't seem to get it to "grow legs," as someone else here called it -- when I try to throw higher than a few inches, it starts to sag and flop and fall apart.

 

I thought I was using too much water, so I tried using less. Still can't get a decent large bowl out of it before it collapses.

 

Am I just too impatient and need to let the clay stiffen up a bit more before I use it? Or is this clay just not good for some things?

 

Thoughts appreciated....

 

 

I got a sample of the SC 563, 25#. It is a very buttery clay, and really doesn't take a whole lot of water. It did not have enough tooth for me, but I was able to throw reasonably high with it-20". However, I throw quite dry and pretty thin. This clay did not need water to throw, just a bit to center.

 

 

Tooth? (As in grog, or something else?)

 

So if you don't use water to throw, how do you keep your hands slippery enough to keep the clay from dragging??

 

 

When I say tooth, I mean that I like clay that has more feel or a little roughness not one that feels like butter. As to water with throwing, I center with water, make a couple of pulls with less, then pull with none shape with enough to lube the tool. This clay was not easy to work with for me, so I did not get it. I used the 240 and 240G until this last load as I am now firing a darker clay body.

[Nancy S.]

Careful this may cause you to throw out your splash pan.....

 

 

Ha! I think I'm a loooong way from that.

[Nancy S.]

I wanted a whiter ^6 clay body, so I got a box of Standard 563 to try out. But I can't seem to get it to "grow legs," as someone else here called it -- when I try to throw higher than a few inches, it starts to sag and flop and fall apart.

 

I thought I was using too much water, so I tried using less. Still can't get a decent large bowl out of it before it collapses.

 

Am I just too impatient and need to let the clay stiffen up a bit more before I use it? Or is this clay just not good for some things?

 

Thoughts appreciated....

 

 

I got a sample of the SC 563, 25#. It is a very buttery clay, and really doesn't take a whole lot of water. It did not have enough tooth for me, but I was able to throw reasonably high with it-20". However, I throw quite dry and pretty thin. This clay did not need water to throw, just a bit to center.

 

 

Tooth? (As in grog, or something else?)

 

So if you don't use water to throw, how do you keep your hands slippery enough to keep the clay from dragging??

 

 

When I say tooth, I mean that I like clay that has more feel or a little roughness not one that feels like butter. As to water with throwing, I center with water, make a couple of pulls with less, then pull with none shape with enough to lube the tool. This clay was not easy to work with for me, so I did not get it. I used the 240 and 240G until this last load as I am now firing a darker clay body.

 

 

Ever try Standard 181?

[Pres]

Ever try Standard 181?

 

 

Yes, a few years back, but as it was not a ^6 body, but a ^6-10 body I was not completely happy with the vitrification of the body, after glaze firing. Also did not have the same ring as my ^6 pieces did.

[OffCenter]

Ever try Standard 181?

 

 

Yes, a few years back, but as it was not a ^6 body, but a ^6-10 body I was not completely happy with the vitrification of the body, after glaze firing. Also did not have the same ring as my ^6 pieces did.

 

 

I avoid clay companies that put bogus maturing points on their boxes. Claiming that a clay is mature at 6 through 10 is just a way of getting more potters to use that clay. That clay is either underfired at cone 6 or overfired at cone 10. It probably matures at cone 10 and that is what they should put on the box.

 

Jim

[neilestrick]

Try Standard's new #630. Wonderful throwing body. No grog, but does have fireclay. It's basically the cone 6 version of #182. I would avoid #181 if you're having trouble with the #563.

[Nancy S.]

Try Standard's new #630. Wonderful throwing body. No grog, but does have fireclay. It's basically the cone 6 version of #182. I would avoid #181 if you're having trouble with the #563.

 

 

Hm, I may give that a try! What IS fireclay, anyway? Does it give the clay a "groggy" feel?

 

Not that I need thermal shock properties for what I'm trying to do, per se, but I may want to try the 630 for other projects in the future.

[Nancy S.]

Ever try Standard 181?

 

 

Yes, a few years back, but as it was not a ^6 body, but a ^6-10 body I was not completely happy with the vitrification of the body, after glaze firing. Also did not have the same ring as my ^6 pieces did.

 

 

Not happy with the vitrification how? Did the glaze not fit properly?

[neilestrick]

Fireclay is a refractory clay that is often used in high fire stoneware bodies. It has some tooth, but not so much that you'll feel it when throwing. If you sponge the surface a bunch it will get rough, though. That little bit of tooth goes a long way toward making a body easier to throw and less prone to crack or warp.