Mid Range Clay, Low Fire Glaze

[MMB]

Wanted to make something functional. I havent pushed my old paragon as far as ^10 and I also dont have any cones at the moment to keep track if I were to try. I have some ^7s and know my kiln can do that temperature so I was thinking of making some mugs to use. Im a little limited at the moment being I dont have any raw materials to make up a clear glaze to match my clay body. I do have some dinnerware safe 06-04 clear glaze I could use. I know the troubles when it comes to the right fit between clay body and glaze. I wanted to bisque to a higher temp to have the mugs stronger in the end. Being that the clear glaze is low fire do you think Id come across cracking? Or since its lowfire would there be less shrinkage? The two bodies will be a red highfire and I wanted to try Matt and Daves midrange porcelain.

[Denice]

Wanted to make something functional. I havent pushed my old paragon as far as ^10 and I also dont have any cones at the moment to keep track if I were to try. I have some ^7s and know my kiln can do that temperature so I was thinking of making some mugs to use. I'm a little limited at the moment being I dont have any raw materials to make up a clear glaze to match my clay body. I do have some dinnerware safe 06-04 clear glaze I could use. I know the troubles when it comes to the right fit between clay body and glaze. I wanted to bisque to a higher temp to have the mugs stronger in the end. Being that the clear glaze is low fire do you think Id come across cracking? Or since its lowfire would there be less shrinkage? The two bodies will be a red highfire and I wanted to try Matt and Daves midrange porcelain.

 

I'm not sure if I understand your question, but you should stick with a glaze that is the right cone for your clay. The food safe glaze you have is safe at 06-04 not cone 6, it could have fine crazing not easily seen, cracks or just run off the mugs on to your shelves. Coyote has a clear cone 6 premix glaze that is food safe. I have never heard of bisquing higher to make your pieces stronger, I do know if you bisque too high it makes it more difficult to glaze them. Denice (Wichita, KS)

[TheSmartCat]

If you don't fire your ^7 body to maturity the chances are good that even with a mature low fire glaze your cups etc. are going to leak. You could try firing up to ^7 and glazing at the highest cone of your low fire glaze. They will be difficult to glaze. Have your glaze a little thicker and at room temp and warm your pots in the oven. The glaze may still slide off the pots. Bisqueing high and glazing low is always a crap shoot. Fire the pots on slabs or something other than directly on your kiln shelves.

[MMB]

I guess after a couple of days I recognize my misdirection. Thank you guys for the correction. Tryn to re teach myself to make up for the past few years.

[whimsysodafire]

Wanted to make something functional. I havent pushed my old paragon as far as ^10 and I also dont have any cones at the moment to keep track if I were to try. I have some ^7s and know my kiln can do that temperature so I was thinking of making some mugs to use. Im a little limited at the moment being I dont have any raw materials to make up a clear glaze to match my clay body. I do have some dinnerware safe 06-04 clear glaze I could use. I know the troubles when it comes to the right fit between clay body and glaze. I wanted to bisque to a higher temp to have the mugs stronger in the end. Being that the clear glaze is low fire do you think Id come across cracking? Or since its lowfire would there be less shrinkage? The two bodies will be a red highfire and I wanted to try Matt and Daves midrange porcelain.

 

 

you can always fire a high fire clay body at a lower temp. but you can never fire a low fire temp clay higher due to the fact of melting. normally the one thing you should worry about is that you should really formulate the clay and the glaze at the same temp to reduce the risks of crazing but it should not be too worrisome. i have fired a cone 10 stoneware clay body with a cone 04-06 amaco glaze and it came out beautifully. personally i would not bisque at a higher temp due to the fact that the higher you bisque at the less porous the clay body will be so the less glaze the clay will be absorbing.