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veegum in my porcelain

updated sat 26 apr 08

 

Hank Murrow on thu 24 apr 08


On Apr 24, 2008, at 7:34 PM, Digital Studio wrote:

> Hank,
> Thanks for your help! I also found a celadon in the archives that I
> used
> on both my white stoneware and this porcelain. The celadon on the
> porcelain is just amazing, but something interesting is different
> between the celadon on white stoneware and porcelain, the white
> stoneware celadon crazes and is greener than the porcelain that
> doesn't
> craze and is a little more blue. Because the celadon is great on the
> porcelain, that's why I started to make more, haha!
> The porcelain is supposed to be a cone 6 translucent, so we'll see if
> that works.
>
Dear Kendra;

If you want the blue celadon, get rid of titania in both body and
glaze. Craig Martell has this color hammered. There is enough iron in
the remaining material to give the color. I soak in Oxidation during
cooling around 1800F to develop the satin surface I prefer.

Cheers, Hank

Kendra Bogert on thu 24 apr 08


I found this great recipe for Porcelain in the archives:

 

E.P.K. kaolin 20
Grolleg china clay 20
Kentucky ball clay 5
Nepheline syenite 30
Gerstley borate 5
Flint 20
Add: VGum-T 3%

 

Since we don't have grolleg kaolin here, I just used EPK for all of the kaolin/china clay. I'm currently at a standstill making a bucket of this porcelain because as I was measuring out 180 grams of Veegum (I used our very old Veegum Pro) and I have about 150 grams left in the whole studio... and I don't know if I should add it in or not... help me out!

I know that Veegum is some kind of bentonite and I thought of adding enough bentonite to get to my 180 grams, but I don't know if that would work or not.

Would the 30 grams I'm missing have a huge effect on the porcelain itself?

(A quick response would be helpful, thanks everyone!)

 

-Kendra

 

 


Hank Murrow on thu 24 apr 08


Dear Kendra;

The 'missing' Vee Gum will not be a problem for you. If you use it in
the future, get Vee Gum T for maximum plasticity. if you sub grolleg
for all the kaolin, you can achieve wonderful celadons on that body.
Are you firing at cone 6? I ask because of the Borate in the recipe.

Cheers, Hank


On Apr 24, 2008, at 4:20 PM, Kendra Bogert wrote:

> I found this great recipe for Porcelain in the archives:
>
> E.P.K. kaolin 20
> Grolleg china clay 20
> Kentucky ball clay 5
> Nepheline syenite 30
> Gerstley borate 5
> Flint 20
> Add: VGum-T 3%
>
> Since we don't have grolleg kaolin here, I just used EPK for all of
> the kaolin/china clay. I'm currently at a standstill making a
> bucket of this porcelain because as I was measuring out 180 grams
> of Veegum (I used our very old Veegum Pro) and I have about 150
> grams left in the whole studio... and I don't know if I should add
> it in or not... help me out!
> I know that Veegum is some kind of bentonite and I thought of
> adding enough bentonite to get to my 180 grams, but I don't know if
> that would work or not.
> Would the 30 grams I'm missing have a huge effect on the porcelain
> itself?

Digital Studio on thu 24 apr 08


Hank,
Thanks for your help! I also found a celadon in the archives that I used
on both my white stoneware and this porcelain. The celadon on the
porcelain is just amazing, but something interesting is different
between the celadon on white stoneware and porcelain, the white
stoneware celadon crazes and is greener than the porcelain that doesn't
craze and is a little more blue. Because the celadon is great on the
porcelain, that's why I started to make more, haha!
The porcelain is supposed to be a cone 6 translucent, so we'll see if
that works.

-Kendra

Hank Murrow wrote:
> Dear Kendra;
>
> The 'missing' Vee Gum will not be a problem for you. If you use it in
> the future, get Vee Gum T for maximum plasticity. if you sub grolleg
> for all the kaolin, you can achieve wonderful celadons on that body.
> Are you firing at cone 6? I ask because of the Borate in the recipe.
>
> Cheers, Hank
>
>
> On Apr 24, 2008, at 4:20 PM, Kendra Bogert wrote:
>
>> I found this great recipe for Porcelain in the archives:
>>
>> E.P.K. kaolin 20
>> Grolleg china clay 20
>> Kentucky ball clay 5
>> Nepheline syenite 30
>> Gerstley borate 5
>> Flint 20
>> Add: VGum-T 3%
>>
>> Since we don't have grolleg kaolin here, I just used EPK for all of
>> the kaolin/china clay. I'm currently at a standstill making a
>> bucket of this porcelain because as I was measuring out 180 grams
>> of Veegum (I used our very old Veegum Pro) and I have about 150
>> grams left in the whole studio... and I don't know if I should add
>> it in or not... help me out!
>> I know that Veegum is some kind of bentonite and I thought of
>> adding enough bentonite to get to my 180 grams, but I don't know if
>> that would work or not.
>> Would the 30 grams I'm missing have a huge effect on the porcelain
>> itself?
>
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--
Kendra Bogert
www.digital-studio.biz
641-208-6253

Michael Wendt on fri 25 apr 08


Kendra,
I consider 3% VGum-T to be way too much.
In a 300 LB batch of Helmer Based porcelain:
140 Helmer Kaolin
10 OM4 Ball Clay
75 200 mesh Silica
38 A 270 Nepheline Syenite
38 Custer Feldspar
I add 0.75 LBS of VGum-T BUT...
be sure to slake the VGuM-T in warm
water and blend it till smooth. I age it
a day or two to be sure it is fully slaked.
Putting dry bentonite in a body is a big
mistake in my view since it wins up as
discrete local pockets which are not
performing to their full potential when
compared to far less fully slaked bentonite.
This is not a problem with glazes because
they are made with excess water, but again,
they should be aged a few days BEFORE
they are screened to assure the bentonite
is fully slaked as sometimes you will screen it
partially out if it is a bit agglomerated.
Bottom line, use the amount you have,
just slake it.
Regards,
Michael Wendt
Wendt Pottery
2729 Clearwater Ave.
Lewiston, Id 83501
U.S.A.
208-746-3724
wendtpot@lewiston.com
http://www.wendtpottery.com
http://UniquePorcelainDesigns.com