Jonathan Kaplan on mon 8 jul 96
Karl is correct (of course) when he presents the clay as the source of the
problem in drying tile.But I'll add some other stuff.
Read Lawrence's Ceramic Science for the Potter. This book is chocked full
of all the information that results in solutions for various potter's
problems.
The biggest problem that none of us really take time to address is drying
of our wares and what we can do to dry them better and more evenly. I'll
not go into the many problems and what one could encounter such as
differential dring, case hardening, etc., but know full well that drying of
ceramic pieces is a very important and overlooked process. Hey, let's just
leave it uncovered for a few days and fire it on up...right? Not.
But for those who use commercially prepared bodies are at a disadvantage in
that because most companies don't let you know what is in the body, the
drying could be problematic. In my experience, while most bodies will
indeed dry fully, in time, there are some useful additions that our
industry counterparts use to accelerate drying, promote green strength, and
decrease warping. Hey, the mineral water has to go out somewhere, so why
not help it along with the beneficial additions (for drying as well as
firing) with wollastonite and pyrophyllite? This stuff works. Been using it
for most of my pottery life in one form or another.
Try it and post the results.
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan
http://www.craftweb.com/org/jkaplan/cdg.shtml
(aka "Scooter)
jonathan@csn.net
Ceramic Design Group Ltd./Production Services Voice:
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"Arrive on time, tell the truth, be a good listener, and don't
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