jolieo Posted April 27, 2015 Report Share Posted April 27, 2015 Hi Perhaps this is redundant (already done- i couldn't find it) , or no one but me is interested, but... How about we have a commercial and own recipe clay review? Someone with more experience could perhaps help shape the format, i am so inexperienced. I do see a lot of calls for clay, just thought it would be fun to have it in one place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synj00 Posted April 27, 2015 Report Share Posted April 27, 2015 I think you should get a bag of some locally available clay and start from there. See which one works best for you. I started out trying to throw with Raku clay body and it was very frustrating to me. I ended up using a locally sourced clay body from Stone Mountain Clay called Jackpot. At the proper moisture level it is a joy to work with. I've never used any of the other clay bodies like Leguna or others, well.. because I don't see a need to really. I will try porcelain one day. What types of work are you trying to create? This will play an important factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted April 27, 2015 Report Share Posted April 27, 2015 Just north of Orlando is Laguna/axner. In Oviedo FL. I should think you could find what you are looking for by calling or visiting there. Otherwise, you might try this link for Fl listings: http://pottery.about.com/od/ussuppliers/tp/Florida-Pottery-Suppliers.htm best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted April 27, 2015 Report Share Posted April 27, 2015 Highwater makes clay in Clearwater. http://www.highwaterclays.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=573 I use their Little Loafers and Red Rock as primary stoneware clays for Cone 6. I also use Standard's 266 for Cone 6. In the past, I've used Standard's 112 -- terrific for throwing and hand-building and 308 -- good for hand-building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiselleNo5 Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 I am currently using all Laguna clay fired to ^ 5/6. WC-379 B-Mix -- Beautifully smooth and pleasant, almost buttery, for wheel throwing. It's a stoneware but has the feel of porcelain. It can be little tricky to throw if you're used to groggy or sandy clay or if you're a beginner. I didn't know this and I learned on B-Mix from Day 1 ... talk about making things harder for myself! Cons: Tends to warp when slab or hand building and even when wheel-thrown, it dries unevenly. I've found that it really does better drying slowly in a lidded container. I still like it, though! The fact that it's this finicky and I still use it should tell you something. WC-403 Speckled Buff -- this is a new clay for me. I love throwing with it. This clay has a wonderful, almost "plastic" feel to it, really nice to throw and for hand building. I haven't glaze fired the pieces made with it yet but it's supposed to fire a peachy tan with little brown flecks and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it comes out. WC-400 Moroccan Sand -- I have used this clay the most. It fires to a nice taupe. It has sand in it, so it holds up well for slab building and wheel throwing. If you're carving, it can get a little grainy but you just smooth it with a damp finger and the sand goes back under the surface. I'm very fond of this clay. Laguna has a line of Moroccan Sand glazes made specifically to use with it and some of them are really lovely. WS-5 White Stoneware -- This one is a little gritty for wheel throwing and has a little higher absorption rate, so not good for functional ware. But for decorative items and slab building it's fantastic. It holds it's shape really nicely without much warping even doing flat sided boxes, etc. WC-365 Hawaiian Red 2 -- This clay will stain your hands and fingernails for days. But it is so absolutely dreamy to throw that you won't even mind. The pieces practically throw themselves. It's a bit groggy but oh so cooperative on the wheel. Haven't had a piece or a handle warp or crack yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolieo Posted April 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Thanks for the reviews! I am not looking for a clay right now for me. I find this endlessly entertaining, and I see people posting here looking for different clays so I thought why not. I have not fired any of mine yet. I tried little loafers. I like the feel, very creamy ,but it kept melting - one minute perfect , the next way too much water. I just recen go a bag of Rae's smooth from Laguna. It is darker, but I am seriously in love. It is moist and soft without absorbing too much water. When I rib it , it holds its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJR Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 I use Danish White from Laguna. Cone 10 reduction. I also use Plainsman clays from Medicine Hat, Alberta. My school clay is M340 from there. TJR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biglou13 Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 i make my own this is a cone 10 or higher porcelain based body designed for wood fire but performs well in soda and gas ill post my other clays later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerdry Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 I use standard clays. 266: a deep brown. beautiful unglazed too, and I love what it does to bright glazes. Throws nicely, but a bit finicky in firing as it can bloat. Seems to do best at cone 5. 112: my go to clay but I hate that it doesn't fit some of the coyote glazes which are my favorites. I love underglaze work on 112 with a satin clear glaze over. 553: great buff color that also looks good unglazed. Throws nicely. Have tried bunches of others but would have to think about it...probably don't remember enough about them to give a good review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Right now my primary is H570 from Plainsman. All the pain in the @ss of porcelain, but not white or translucent It's kind of thixotropic, which means it loosens up a fair bit the more you work with it. I find it's a lot nicer if you do the bulk of your wedging the night before. I just spent the morning working with P600, also from Plainsman. It wedges and throws nice, but we'll see how it trims, dries and fires. First experience with porcelain... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Right now my primary is H570 from Plainsman. All the pain in the @ss of porcelain, but not white or translucent It's kind of thixotropic, which means it loosens up a fair bit the more you work with it. I find it's a lot nicer if you do the bulk of your wedging the night before. I use their M370, their ^6 version of the H570. I actually like throwing it, fairly white, can be fussy with handles and drying plus takes forever to dry. 370 also needs low expansion glazes so lots of glaze testing to get them to fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayaldridge Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 I've been throwing nothing but Standard 130 porcelain for many years. I like it-- at 8 it's translucent thin, but it stands up well to higher heat ranges-- I once fired to 11-12 in a wood-fired groundhog kiln and it held its form well. But I've heard a dreadful rumor that Standard is discontinuing it. Need to call and find out the terrible truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 (All the pain in the @ss of porcelain) My porcelain(Daves porcelain from Laguna) is not a pain but a joy to work with. Me thinks stoneware users get way to spoiled not paying enough attention to the process(when to handle and dry slow) and still have the work pass through fine.Porcelain is just not as forgiving.Not a pain. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobias loveless Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 hello all. first timer here i have been working on a clay formula or 3 for about 4 years and trying to get some input on how many potters actually like the clay there are using. to this point i have made a white porcelain/stoneware clay that dose not warp while drying,[ with utilitarian wares ] no need to wire off plastic bats . [ released its self ] air drying. [ no need to cover it up ] and so far doesn't have any cracking issues. [ example ], i threw 25 4.5 lbs 12 inch plates on plastic bats, air dried them , did not wire them of the next day some had already released themselves and were as flat as the bat. trimmed them all. bisqued them and fired to cone 10. i would appreciate any comments . thanks tobias Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeU Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 My comment: WOW! (Where do I send the check? LOL) Pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavy Fire Studios Posted May 7, 2015 Report Share Posted May 7, 2015 ARGH Wrote a great review of my clays here using my phone, and some booger from my insurance company called and erased EVERYTHINGGGGG... *ahem* Okay. Round two. I exclusively use clay from Clay Art Center in Tacoma, Washington. I am a lowfirer, and I hated it until I found these clays! They are, hands down, the very best lowfire bodies I've ever used. Here's my review on my three loves: Xtra White: Bright candy-cane white lowfire body. Throws like silk and handbuilds wonderfully! Super plastic and not prone to s-cracks like other lowfire whites I've tried. Great for beginners! Redart with Mica: OMG THIS CLAY. I cannot say in words how amazing this luscious red lowfire body is. I haven't handbuilt with it yet, but throwing with it is like going on vacation. I've never found an easier clay to center, and the fired results are glorious. Dat sparkly speckle! Yum! Seward Terracotta: This robust terracotta is the most thermal shock resistant I've found--not easy to come by in lowfire clays. I totally feel secure making coffee mugs out of this stuff. It's a gorgeous fire orange when finished, and deliciously easy to throw. It's also an amazing handbuilding body. Seward has it all! Also, since it has a different composition than the Redart, my glazes look different on it by a pretty substantial margin, so I get excellent varieties between the two. I fire all three bodies to ^03 to make them a bit more vitreous; my cups never pee condensation when used. That's the guinea's report. I have some not-so-good experiences with other clays, too, but I guess that's for another day. ♥ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerdry Posted May 8, 2015 Report Share Posted May 8, 2015 Tobias, welcome! Wish you a long and happy CAD forum life. We're a great group, even if I say so myself! Please take a moment to tell us a bit about yourself on your profile. Your clay sounds too good to be true. Mark, what happened to your picture. Your posts seem really wierd without a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted May 9, 2015 Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 Has anyone used WC 617/#16 porcelain by laguna clay: http://www.lagunaclay.com/clays/northeastern/wc617.php I was looking at the absorption rate on it and its stellar, also I like that its only rated for cone 6. I am having glaze fit issues with some of my glazes on my P5. Also P5 seems to be bloating if it gets slightly over cone 6. Which is rather annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 I exclusively use Highwater Clays Little Loafers. I love the feel and color of this clay it's really easy to work with and has a smooth texture that allows me to do the surface work I need on my pieces. I can throw or hand build with it. I do have to be careful how I dry things as a forced fast dry will result in cracks but that's just something I take into account when I make stuff and have learned at what rate to dry different forms. Treat it with respect and this clay will give you amazing results. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobias loveless Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 ok ,i have added some pics on my profile page. i cant figure out how to get a pick in the post pick aria . there is a pick of the clay i'm talking about in my pics , sorry for the tape on it someone broke the pot. please check out my face book page for the other recipes i'm working on tobias loveless on facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChenowethArts Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I am living in a stoneware world for the moment and use the following two recipes (Cone 10): Studio Stoneware for Wheel ThrowingGold Art 50% Fire Clay (AP Green) 30% Ball Clay (OM4) 12% Custer Feldspar 8% And depending on what I am doing I may add fine grog 5%+ Stoneware for Handbuilding Gold Art 25% Fire Clay 25% Ball Clay 25% Fine Grog 25% I'd share my porcelain recipe but that recipe and I are not speaking at this time, -Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rakukuku Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Mostly I use cone 10 Laguna b-mix with grog. It raku fires fine or highfires for little sculptures I make. Also have been using Clay Planet smooth sculpture clay. Its very white after high firing and does not crack. It has very fine grog in it. Also raku fires fine. I use laguna death valley red when i want a dark clay for unglazed figures. rakuku Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc McMillan Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I won't be very helpful as I use "Venus White" from my local supplier. It's their white stoneware blend. I like the smoothness and body. So unless you want to come to California (bring water with you) this will not be helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Bednarek Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Does anyone do slab building with low fire clays? Presently I'm using AMACO #67 and seeing ocassional cracks drying. Someone said it is because of its high shrinkage, on another forum. Othrs said I should try a high grog clay. What are others using in slab building? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiselleNo5 Posted May 19, 2015 Report Share Posted May 19, 2015 Has anyone used WC 617/#16 porcelain by laguna clay: http://www.lagunaclay.com/clays/northeastern/wc617.php I was looking at the absorption rate on it and its stellar, also I like that its only rated for cone 6. I am having glaze fit issues with some of my glazes on my P5. Also P5 seems to be bloating if it gets slightly over cone 6. Which is rather annoying. I haven't used this porcelain but I used the Oriental Pearl porcelain casting slip from Laguna and it's just lovely, vitrifies so beautifully that the unglazed foot feels like butter and it absorbs NOTHING .... but almost all my glazes craze horribly on it, even Laguna glazes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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