Mug Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I have been looking for a good clay to make face mugs, jugs, and would like to keep the clay at cone 6 for functional ware What I use now has roughly a 13% shrink. I use a porcelain clay for the eyes and would like a shrink rate that is close. Currently tried Standards 240, 240g, Nutmeg and turners best porcelain I live in NE Ohio and have a few suppliers within driving distance The 240 or 240g is what I have been using for throwing and sculpting. I'm not really happy with the clay. I like the nutmeg and the porcelain. Any suggestions would be great Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I have used the 112 at my home studio and the 225 at my HS. Both of these clays work for all sorts of techniques, throw well, and are a true ^5-^6 firing clay. I am also using the hazelnut, and have used the 240 in the past. I was put off by the 240 in the beginning because it was so smooth. However, I found that I could throw pretty large with it, and it held up well in the firings. I did find that a slower cool down at bisque and glaze would alleviate early problems I had with it. I compress quite a bit, and this clay would get a spiral crack on large pieces and look like a spring! Cool effect, but not good for functional ware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mug Posted February 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 The 225 sounds like it might be close to perfect. I would like to find a white clay that will make the underglazes pop. The nutmeg is great, but the brown stains everything requirring a seperate work area. The 563 is on my list to try, but standards descriptions leave alot to be desired. I had S cracks with the 240 and the 240G. Orenting the clay sideways on the wheel after kneeding and letting the clay dry evenly seemed to eliminate the S cracks. My kiln is insulated well and takes a long time to cool. I feel lucky to have missed that problem firing 240 has been a succsess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nancy S. Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I haven't used 225, but Standard's 563 ("Creamy White Stoneware") is VERY creamy. It's buttery and soft, yes, but it can't take on a lot of water before collapsing. (At least, that's the way it was for this newbie....) So I can't give it a ringing endorsement for throwing. Handbuilding, maybe. 240 worked well enough for me, but it isn't WHITE white to make the underglazes pop; it has more of an "antique" sort of look. Also, what underglazes are you using? I found that the Amaco Velvets get a little more "diluted" in the ^6 firing compared to a ^06 firing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mug Posted February 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I am using the amaco velvets. I made my own samples, and fired to cone 6. The violet colors and some of the reds blew out at cone 6. The different shades of the violets at bisque became indistiguishable. Sounds like the 563 may be out. Currently I have no loyalty to Standard ceramic. Amaco or Laguna Clay are other options, but I'm not real familar with their clays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 You could consider applying a porcelain slip over your white stoneware to give it a "whiter" look. And, the porcelain slip will help "pop" the underglaze colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nancy S. Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 You could consider applying a porcelain slip over your white stoneware to give it a "whiter" look. And, the porcelain slip will help "pop" the underglaze colors. Oooh! Great idea! Should the slip be applied at leatherhard? Should the porcelain have a similar shrinkage rate to the white stoneware, as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nancy S. Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I am using the amaco velvets. I made my own samples, and fired to cone 6. The violet colors and some of the reds blew out at cone 6. The different shades of the violets at bisque became indistiguishable. Sounds like the 563 may be out. Currently I have no loyalty to Standard ceramic. Amaco or Laguna Clay are other options, but I'm not real familar with their clays. Yep. And the blacks/grays will get a weird greenish cast unless they're pretty thick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 Oooh! Great idea! Should the slip be applied at leatherhard? Should the porcelain have a similar shrinkage rate to the white stoneware, as well? I've had no problem using a slip made by slaking down Highwater's Helios porcelain (Cone 10) and using it on Cone 6 clay bodies (Highwater's Little Loafers and Red Rock). I do apply at leatherhard so it has a good opportunity to bond. No issues with different shrinkage rates (Little Loafers is 10%, Helios is a good 13%) -- but I think that is due to the thin application of the slip. You could use other types of porcelain and make into a slip, or make one from scratch. Helios is a grolleg based porcelain, so it is really white. I also use Amaco Velvets, fired to cone 6. Application thickness is key. Some colors do fade or burn out, others seem more reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 You could always ask SC for samples of clays you are interested in. Whenever I purchase from them, I ask for a sample or two of a clay I might want to try in the future. They have been very good with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mug Posted February 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I have some porcelain slip here and will give it a try. I'm working on a couple of pigtailed girl mug sculptures where that may be the perfect technique. The sculptures that we are making are one off's and have a lot of texture detail so I'm not really sure how well that may work for the other sculptures. SC offered to ship a sample or two about a month ago. It never came. I'm not an established long term customer with them at this time, and I'm thinking that it was forgotton. My next trip to Pittsburgh may prove more fruitfull. We have another supplier in Kent Ohio and Laguana in southern Ohio they are all about a 45min drive. I have made a few visits to the Pittsburgh store and the employees at the clay place were nice. Over the past few months I have been trying to nail down the best clay for what we are making. Hopefully my ducks may be in some sort of order in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 Try the standard 630. It's a white stoneware with fireclay, so much more forgiving than the 240. It doesn't have grog unless you want it, but isn't totally sooth due to the fireclay. But you really won't feel the texture while throwing. The 240 tends to be finicky, and much more prone to S cracks. The 112 is great if you want a brown/tan clay with speckles. It's also available without speckles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mug Posted February 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 I was looking at the 630. The description is not the best. I have read a little about mullite, and it seems to have some interesting propertys. "The 630 is so much more forgiving than the 240" ...sounds like a winner! Would anyone reccomend a Columbus clay, or a Miller/ Laguana clay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.