Roberta12

yes-many around here are using #6 tile in glazes one to one In a clay body it would also be the same 

So glad you had a great visit to AMOCA and finding the Sawdust Festival. I had several memorable experiences at AMOCA, including meeting some of the late ceramic greats, Paul Soldner and Don Reitz.
If you're out again in the summer, a great all-day excursion in Laguna is to start at the Sawdust Festival, then 1 block down the street to the Art-a-fair, then across the street to the ticketed Laguna art festival show.  Your ticket gets you a free entrance to the Art-a-fair and to the evening performance of the pageant of the master's which is an unbelievable performance in an outdoor amphitheater.  Famous paintings and sculptures are performed by a live cast who are costumed and painted that with special lighting "turn" into the actual look of the real painting or sculpture. The show always ends with DaVinci's, "Last Supper". Prior to the show they have an outdoor lawn picnic area with tables where many bring in large basket feasts or just wine and snacks while enjoying a free show of live music (alternating and may famous artists) This is central to the surrounding art displays that you can continue to peruse until showtime. There are several food vendors inside as well as a great restaurant, the Tivoli Terrace. This a great day of art that leaves the art enthusiast well satiated. 

I started out wanting to be a art teacher,   I didn't get to attend college until I was older.   I decided to concentrate on clay instead of teaching.   I had my studio for 15 years when I went back to finish my degree.   I taught some art classes in my son's school,  sold some pots  and did portraiture sculpture  during that time period.   When I graduated from college  I closed my decorating business  that I had for 20 years to concentrate on my work.   I had  my mother,  father,  niece  and other relatives die that year,   my husband and I decided that life is too short  and I should be in the studio working.    I started selling my work at galleries  before I graduated,  so I at least had money for supplies.    I  haven't sold any work since Covid,  most of the galleries around here closed and didn't reopen.   I don't care about selling work anymore,   I will let my son deal with it  when I am gone.   Right now I am headed out to my studio,   I have a mural to finish before I head into a new direction  with my work.   Yesterday I picked up a 25lb bag of clay off the floor and ran it thru the slab roller.   I flipped it over after I laid sheet rock on it and cut the tiles.   I am a 70 year old woman who has Multiple Sclerosis,   working with clay makes you STRONG.   At this stage of my life strength is more important than money.  Denice

I have been a full timer makin g full time income on pottery money for most of my 50 years. I have had some other interests also which brought in income but its minor  (diving jobs ,underwater photo sales ,writing .My wife and I have had separate finances with a joint account to run the home/food. Clay can be a great gig but you have to be motivated more than most .

Hi Johnny, welcome to the Forum!
The product is "... technical porcelain stoneware.." slab?
Which product/finish? Looks like there are only a few that are one solid color, the others have a pattern/variegation.
All the Calacatta in the catalog ("Book 2023") have some variegation.
Any road, consult with the installer and/or product rep might be in order.
My guess, it would be possible to stain the material, however, looks very stain resistant.
Is the material matte or polished finish? Was all the cutting/polishing dust buffed off?

I missed the question about plaster the first time I read the question. Like Min suggests a "pottery plaster" is your best bet. #1 Pottery is United States Gypsum (USG) pottery plaster. Georgia Pacific (GP) also makes a pottery plaster, K60. They're the same thing so either works for your application. (For many years #1 was only available in 100lbs. bags so I switched, to K60, when my back told me to do so.)
Seeing that you are posting from CA I went to the Plainsmen website and looked up M340. It looks like they made some changes to the clay body, recently, so that MAY explain some of your problems. Plasticity can sometimes be a fickle thing so testing different making methods is really your only solution. The website comment, "You should have few problems drying smaller pieces but care and attention are necessary when making larger pieces" kind of jumps out at me. 
If it seems like an endless process perhaps another clay body might be worth trying?
Good luck
 

It could be the shape of the mold or it could be the thickness or thinness of the clay.  I agree with @Jeff Longtin about the Pam.  Try cloth as he suggested or cornstarch.  
 
 

buying permanent shelving can be expensive if you shop for pottery equipment.   if you can get used baking racks, the kind you see in supermarket baking areas, you can save a great deal of money.   spend the savings on thick drywall shelves to fit those rolling racks.  mine have lasted for over 25 years and yes, i am the only one using them but they are still perfect.  at 18 by 26 inches, they hold a lot of work and the racks vary in height and spacing between suports.   restaurant supply stores are great, the  heavy plastic quart size soup holders make great glaze containers.  use sharpies for labelling them and hair spray to remove any excess  labels as you get into using them.
a variety of wheels are inexpensive at harbor freight and make simple plywood into rolling supports for boxes of clay and other heavy items.  cut the plywood to fit under tables or other stationary storage and buy wheels that let you get the most storage out of the way.  size the plywood boards so you can lift them if necessary.  four wheels on the corners and one in the center work well with heavy stuff.
  window or cabinet handles make it easy to pull them out when needed.

Hi Kelsey and welcome to the forum!
I'ld ask the clay manager at Tacoma Clay Art Center about this.  I'll pm you her email address, she might be able to help.  Let us know if she can explain it, it's interesting.

The linked video doesn't seem to work as video for me, it's just a few images that don't show the process of the image above. Brough was asked in a few posts how she does it but didn't answer. Doesn't look like a subtractive process. Perhaps slip trailing done on paper then pressed against the inside of the mold then the white porcelain poured in? Just a guess. I'm sure she spent a lot of work to achieve success with her process.

I have a Northstar table top slab roller which has been a workhorse for me for 9 years.  16"   Yes, I definitely can get the right thickness each time.  I would assume the Bailey would perform well also.  I use canvas for some things if I want the texture, but one of our members here on the forum told me about using printers blankets.  I like the smooth texture.  I just discovered that you can buy them on Amazon! And I have also used Slab Mat before.   But if you want a nice smooth texture you simply use a rib and smooth out any texture or wrinkles or whatever.  
Roberta

I have a Northstar table top slab roller which has been a workhorse for me for 9 years.  16"   Yes, I definitely can get the right thickness each time.  I would assume the Bailey would perform well also.  I use canvas for some things if I want the texture, but one of our members here on the forum told me about using printers blankets.  I like the smooth texture.  I just discovered that you can buy them on Amazon! And I have also used Slab Mat before.   But if you want a nice smooth texture you simply use a rib and smooth out any texture or wrinkles or whatever.  
Roberta

I have a Northstar table top slab roller which has been a workhorse for me for 9 years.  16"   Yes, I definitely can get the right thickness each time.  I would assume the Bailey would perform well also.  I use canvas for some things if I want the texture, but one of our members here on the forum told me about using printers blankets.  I like the smooth texture.  I just discovered that you can buy them on Amazon! And I have also used Slab Mat before.   But if you want a nice smooth texture you simply use a rib and smooth out any texture or wrinkles or whatever.  
Roberta

I have a Northstar table top slab roller which has been a workhorse for me for 9 years.  16"   Yes, I definitely can get the right thickness each time.  I would assume the Bailey would perform well also.  I use canvas for some things if I want the texture, but one of our members here on the forum told me about using printers blankets.  I like the smooth texture.  I just discovered that you can buy them on Amazon! And I have also used Slab Mat before.   But if you want a nice smooth texture you simply use a rib and smooth out any texture or wrinkles or whatever.  
Roberta

Hello! I have been rolling out my clay by hand for a couple years now but have had issues with wrinkles and uneven slabs so I am planning on buying the Bailey 16” Table Top Slab Roller. Does anyone have any experience using this? Any tips I should know? I need a very smooth surface with no texture. Is canvas best to use with this or is a slab mat better? I also need a pretty precise thickness for my work. Any suggestions for achieving the right thickness every time?

I have worked with a decal company with original logos and script etc.  They usually send a copy to be proofed.  They are also knowledgeable about their product.  Another suggestion for @Joe from Chagrin Falls is to have a potter create the plates and have a painter/watercolorist paint directly on the bisqued plates with underglaze.  Then the potter can clear glaze then fire.  I have a friend who has worked with me before.   Just a thought.

Callie, thank you for chiming in... I don't think it is 2 mm thick glass... I will measure it, but I do like the idea of using wood and trying this first with a torch.  Likely 1/32"  thickness or .80 mm. 
I need 4 windows slumped... 
I need to go to talk to the local guys about getting fuel for my glass blowing torch...   and will try to find a glass forum.
Tamra
 
 
 
 
 

Hamer suggests the gaze layer inside isthick, even thicker than base of pot.
Smash the pot to see if the turned base is thinner tgan rest of pot.
Body contracts more than glaze and so cracks.
Maybe wipe pots with indian ink when come out of kiln,may show the crack actually exists then,or it can happen later. 

Yeah, no, pottery plaster will break down in a kiln firing. Would be better to make a clay form and use that after bisque firing it.

@NancyE, sorry for the late reply, I was away for a bit.
Since the beginning of this year I've had problems with 2 different claybodies from 2 different manufacturers. First issue was bits of metal in the clay which doesn't sound like your issue. Second problem was with a claybody that included small chunks of rock which sounds like it might be the same issue you are finding. This clay was from Tacoma Clay Art Center and the clay tech and I had several productive emails back and forth about it. Image below of a couple of the small chunks of rock I dug out of the clay. Is this similar to what you found?
Rae (clay tech at Tacoma Clay Art Center) and I both ran sieve tests on it and found chunks like this. Rae let me know they are having troubles with all their claybodies that contain Lincoln 60, to the point that they are running QC tests on all the new batches of it. She ran samples through a 60 mesh sieve and 4% of it didn't pass through. I would ask Aardvark if the Black Mountain contains Lincoln 60, might be a place to start.

Wow, that's a lot! Equivalent to adding grog.

That glaze does not have any Gerstley Borate. There is no way it would look like that unless you under-fired it. The fact that you can put another glaze on top of it and it is still mostly on the test tile means there is definitely no GB, unless that other glaze on top has absolutely no frit in it?
So if you wanted to replicate that glaze and figure out what it is, I would do this.
1. Since you said you had a few unlabeled bags, I would mix up that exact glaze but missing the 50% GB.
2. Figure out how many cups you want to use, so say its 10 attempts to figure this out. Measure out 100ml of glaze with the mystery recipe but don't include the Gerstley Borate. Instead leave that out. But use the same amount of water you would have used if it was in there.
3. Measure out 10ml with a syringe into each cup, making sure you stir well before each one. I use a milk frother for this...
4. Take your 10 mystery attempt materials that look similar to Gerstley Borate that you might have used instead. Put 50% weight(the missing GB amount) of the mystery chances into each cup. You will have to do the math on this to figure out what this should be, but it isn't difficult at all.
5. Glaze a test tile or a little test dish or whatever you want in the 10 mystery glazes and make sure to record everything.
6. Fire it all on the exact same schedule with the same load mass that you did for the first tile.
7. Pull out the results and keep any of them that look similar to the original tile, go from there.

I use stencil paper, what I would call a thin cardboard like binder dividers. I cut the image or pattern with exact knife

thank you roberta and wildflower!  
i knew for a long time there was something worthwhile in pomona but did not know what it was.  thought it was a clay supplier, don't know why.  good info, sent to my friend jan who lives nearby.  we traveled all over britain back in 2002 visiting potteries and had a great time.  thanks.  (i drove, she shifted gears.)
craft contemporary  sounds like a good place to visit as well.   i hope it works for jan.   looking forward to a great time.  thank you.
 

Most glazes I’ve used benefit from slaking overnight before sieving. Given Tony says that Tile 6 “is relatively impermeable to water compared to other kaolins, it is thus the last choice for casting bodies,” I’m curious what the comparison is between the glazes a week later.  
Side by side, there seems to be a few more impurities in EPK than Tile 6. While the flux comparisons have some variation that might need watching in a glaze formula, the silica and alumina balances are close enough that part might not matter. 
Tile 6  is known for its plasticity in clay bodies, which I can confirm from personal use. The plasticity may have an effect on some high clay glazes where shrinkage could affect application, but that’s theory on my part, and if someone knows better, speak up. 
As to why a material might be washed and another isn’t: we have to remember that potters are a secondary market for almost all of the materials we use. EPK I think gets used to make glossy magazine paper. If tile 6 is mined for something else, the washing may not be necessary. 
Edited to add:
Links to Digitalfire materials pages for comparison. 
Tile 6 writeup
EPK writeup