Leigh Whitaker on fri 30 mar 07
I've just been using the standard clay that they use in our classes, which
is Standard #153. It's a buff that fires from cone 4-10. I've got a box of
Standard #104 that's a red earthenware which fires from cone 04-4. I got this
with the intention of making a coiled udu drum, but I never got around to
it, and it's just been sitting around for 5 months. I did just throw some last
night, because I wanted to see what it was like (very scratchy). I'd also
like to get some white stoneware (so I can experiment with mixing colorants
into it) and maybe try some porcelain sometime in the near future.
For the earthenware- what kind of things can I make out of it? I made some
planters, but can I make mugs and other things just like with stoneware?
Will they be less durable? Are they still dishwasher, microwave, oven safe?
Those of you who throw different types of clay... how separate do you have
to keep them all? Like for the earthenware, do I have to make sure there's
no contamination between that and the stoneware? Should I wedge on different
boards? I know I need different slop buckets, but how clean does my splash
pan need to be? Say, just for argument sake ;o), that I threw some of the red
earthenware but my splash pan had a small amount of the stoneware trimming
scraps in it. Should I just throw the earthenware slops away that got mixed
with that? Hypothetically speaking, of course. LOL.
Now for porcelain... Those of you who throw it, how does it compare to
stoneware? I've just been throwing for about 4-5 months, so should I just focus
on the stoneware until I have more experience? Is porcelain very difficult
to work with? My local supplier has Standard #213 which is a cone 6
porcelain, and #257, which is a "grolleg porcelain" cone 8-10 (significantly more
expensive than the #213).
Thanks!
Leigh
************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
Carole Fox on fri 30 mar 07
Leigh-
I have thrown with both the Standard 213 and 257. I found the 257 to throw
better and to be more translucent when thin. The 551 (cone 6) is also nice.
Often, a supplier will be willing to send you a sampler of different clays
so that you can try them and decide for yourself. Sometimes they will cut
you a price break. Even if you have to pay full price, it may be worth it
to test several clays and see which is your personal favorite.
The earthenware clay comes with or without grog and if you want a smooth
earthenware, order the smooth version (103). You can also get a white
earthenware (105). many potters use earthenware to make functional pieces.
I would be concerned about contaminating the porcelain clay or white
earthenware with an iron bearing clay. Of course it is best to recycle
different temperature clays separately, but I wouldn't worry about a smidge
of earthenware from a dirty splashpan getting into the 153.
Carole Fox
Silver Fox Pottery
Elkton, MD
silverfoxpottery@comcast.net
Chris Trabka on fri 30 mar 07
Leigh,
Porcelain can be very fussy and very demoralizing. However, there is a way
to get the feel of it gradually. Wedge about 50% porcelain and 50%
stoneware together and start with that. As you gain experience and the feel
of the clay increase the percentage of porcelain and decrease the
percentage of stoneware. This is a way of making small steps to you goal
without jumping off the cliff.
Chris
>Now for porcelain... Those of you who throw it, how does it compare to
>stoneware? I've just been throwing for about 4-5 months, so should I
just focus
>on the stoneware until I have more experience? Is porcelain very
difficult
>to work with? My local supplier has Standard #213 which is a cone 6
>porcelain, and #257, which is a "grolleg porcelain" cone 8-10
(significantly more
>expensive than the #213).
Leigh Whitaker on sun 1 apr 07
In a message dated 3/30/2007 12:37:29 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
trabka@COMCAST.NET writes:
Leigh,
Porcelain can be very fussy and very demoralizing. However, there is a way
to get the feel of it gradually. Wedge about 50% porcelain and 50%
stoneware together and start with that. As you gain experience and the feel
of the clay increase the percentage of porcelain and decrease the
percentage of stoneware. This is a way of making small steps to you goal
without jumping off the cliff.
Chris
That's a cool idea, I wouldn't have thought of doing that. Do you actually
fire the stuff, or is it just for practice?
Leigh
************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
Leigh Whitaker on sun 1 apr 07
In a message dated 3/30/2007 12:36:42 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
asilverfox@COMCAST.NET writes:
Leigh-
I have thrown with both the Standard 213 and 257. I found the 257 to throw
better and to be more translucent when thin. The 551 (cone 6) is also nice.
Often, a supplier will be willing to send you a sampler of different clays
so that you can try them and decide for yourself. Sometimes they will cut
you a price break. Even if you have to pay full price, it may be worth it
to test several clays and see which is your personal favorite.
The earthenware clay comes with or without grog and if you want a smooth
earthenware, order the smooth version (103). You can also get a white
earthenware (105). many potters use earthenware to make functional pieces.
I would be concerned about contaminating the porcelain clay or white
earthenware with an iron bearing clay. Of course it is best to recycle
different temperature clays separately, but I wouldn't worry about a smidge
of earthenware from a dirty splashpan getting into the 153.
Carole Fox
Silver Fox Pottery
Elkton, MD
silverfoxpottery@comcast.net
Thanks Carole! I'll have to see if I can get my supplier to do that. I was
harassing this guy in the studio, trying to get him to agree to split a
block of porcelain with me. LOL. Oh, and they don't carry the 551, or at least
it's not on their website. I'll have to remember to ask them if they have
that.
Thanks again,
Leigh
************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
Chris trabka on sun 1 apr 07
>That's a cool idea, I wouldn't have thought of doing that. Do you
actually fire the stuff, or is it just for practice?
>
Leigh,
The clay I use is a 50/50 mix of domestic porcelain and high fire white
custom blended by Continental Clay. With custom blending I get the amount
of moisture I like in the clay.
Chris
Veena Raghavan on sun 1 apr 07
Leigh,
I have mixed Highwater P!0 and Highwater Helios 50/50, bisqued, glazed, and
fired it to cone 9-10 in reduction, and the mix worked well. It has to be
wedged really well, so it gets truly mixed. I did this, because the rims on my
thin-rimmed carved bowls in Helios alone were warping. This mix did not warp and
took the glazes well.
Hope this helps.
Veena
In a message dated 4/1/2007 6:46:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
Sleighwhitaker@AOL.COM writes:
>
> That's a cool idea, I wouldn't have thought of doing that. Do you actually
> fire the stuff, or is it just for practice?
>
> Leigh
VeenaRaghavan@cs.com
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