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rudolph staffel's clay body

updated mon 7 mar 11

 

angela Varga on thu 3 mar 11


OK, this is my first time and I don't know how this subject is going to l=
=3D
and in=3D20
the right category.

Does anyone know Rudolph Staffel's clay body? The translucent clay body f=
=3D
or=3D20
the "light gatherers?"

Or, can I get a recipe for a clay body that will be mature and translucen=
=3D
t at=3D20
low or midrange fire temps?=3D20

Thank you,
A Varga

Liz Gowen 1 on thu 3 mar 11


I took a guest semester at Tyler school of art my Junior year of college. I
was luky enough to have Rudy as a teacher. From what he told me he was
constantly changing his clay body using any thing and everything to make it
more translucent. I had fired a piece in their cone 10 firing where I had
made porcelain decorative inserts into a stoneware body. I was mixing up
different porcelain body's and one of them when fired became extremely
vittrified and started to run out of the stoneware socket. Some how, of
course, my records left a bit to be desired, and I wasn't sure which one
this was. He kept after me for weeks trying to get me to figure out the
recipe. It was what he was working towards. I don't know that he ever had
the best or even that many pieces made of the same body.
Your best bet for a translucent body is probably southern ice which
I think is high fire but I also believe there is one with a similar name
that is fired to cone 6. I think they are quite fussy to work with. Perhaps
others that have used it can fill you in. Good luck.....Liz Gowen

Subject: Rudolph Staffel's clay body

Does anyone know Rudolph Staffel's clay body? The translucent clay body for
the "light gatherers?"

Or, can I get a recipe for a clay body that will be mature and translucent
at low or midrange fire temps?

Thank you,
A Varga

John Britt on fri 4 mar 11


Can't get to it right now but email me and I will get you a body recipe,=3D=
20=3D
=3D20

John Britt
johnbrittpottery@gmail.com

Karen Gringhuis on fri 4 mar 11


Based on conversation w/ a friend who studied ceramics w/ Staffel,
everything Liz said is correct & she's stating it politely. He appar=3D
ently
used "anything and everything" in his constantly varying bodies. "Fussy =
=3D
to
work with" could be translated "danger of meltdown."

Regardless of Staffel's wild approach, translucent bodies GENERALLY:
---- have lower % of clay i.e. can be a bit less plastic so macaloid is a=
=3D
dded
---- are fired hotter=3D20
---- can have a hair trigger point between translucency and meltdown

Cushing's HANDBOOK has a recipe for C/6 Translucent Body:
=3D20=3D20
Grolleg 25% // Tile #6 kaolin 25% // Kona F-4 spar 28% //
Frit #3124 12% // Flint 10% // Macaloid 2%=3D20=3D20
For greater translucency, switch to Frit #3134

The HANDBOOK also incl. the C/9-10 recipe for Reeves Translucent Porcelai=
=3D
n.
If you don't have the book, it's a great resource. (For info on how to =
=3D
get
one, write me back.)

Good luck!

Karen Gringhuis

angela Varga on sat 5 mar 11


Thank you for your help. I'll start testing


I found a recipe for Bone China on Answers.com
china clay 37.5%
bone ash 37.5%
feldspar 20%
quartz 5%

...but no firing temperature. Further research turned up this information=
=3D
.

the firing of translucent bone china. Since a glass phase forms at 1256=3D2=
0=3D

[degrees] C in a narrow temperature range, controlling the firing=3D20
temperature is crucial. If the maximum temperature is too low, there is n=
=3D
ot=3D20
enough glassy phase to obtain the translucency. On the other hand, if thi=
=3D
s=3D20
temperature is too high, deformation of the product can occur.

Angela Varga

Steve Mills on sat 5 mar 11


To which I would add: use of Cones with your Controller is essential - Belt=
&=3D
Braces!

Steve Mills
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk
Sent from my Ipod touch

On 5 Mar 2011, at 14:42, angela Varga wrote:

> Thank you for your help. I'll start testing
>=3D20
>=3D20
> I found a recipe for Bone China on Answers.com
> china clay 37.5%
> bone ash 37.5%
> feldspar 20%
> quartz 5%
>=3D20
> ...but no firing temperature. Further research turned up this information=
.=3D

>=3D20
> the firing of translucent bone china. Since a glass phase forms at 1256=
=3D20=3D

> [degrees] C in a narrow temperature range, controlling the firing=3D20
> temperature is crucial. If the maximum temperature is too low, there is n=
o=3D
t=3D20
> enough glassy phase to obtain the translucency. On the other hand, if thi=
s=3D
=3D20
> temperature is too high, deformation of the product can occur.
>=3D20
> Angela Varga

John Britt on sun 6 mar 11


White Vitreous Body 1 cone 05/04
30 Grolleg
20 EPK
20 OM-4
20 Frit 3124
10 Talc
2 Macaloid

White Vitreous Body 2 cone 05/04
12 Tile 6
20 EPK
26 C&C Ball Clay
10 Nepheline Syenite
28 Frit 3124
2 Gerstley Borate
2 Macaloid

www.johnbrittpottery.com