Sheilah Bliss on mon 14 dec 98
Hi Ken -
Pulled out my old "Ceramics-A Potters Handbook -- 5th Edition by Glenn C.
Nelson, and found the thixotropic formulae. Fascinating stuff! I've been
telling myself for a huge time now that I'm gonna make some of this.... wish
I'd take myself seriously.
Apparently, Carol Jeanne Abraham gets credit for discovering it by doing some
"experiments in the particle suspensions of various clay bodies" and came upon
thixotropic clay. Thixotropy is "the property exhibited by some gels of
becoming fluid when shaken or stirred and setting again to a gel when allowed
to stand. In a clay body this means that the clay becomes fluid when
manipulated, then sets up again when the motion is stopped." The pictures of
this stuff look really intriguing. You don't even work it like "regular"
clay.
Listed are both Cone 5 and Cone 9 clay bodies:
^5 ^9 '
25 25 Kentucky Ball Clay
15 15 Spodumene
15 15 Kona F-4
15 15 Kaolin (EPK)
10 25 Flint (silica)
20 5 Ferro Frit #3110
Also listed is a glaze for thixotropic clay body:
(Cone 5, crazes at Cone 9)
16 Kaolin (EPK)
24 Nepheline Cyenite
60 Fetto Frit #3124
The book explains how to manipulate the clay - kind of pulling and shaking it
at the same time - with pictures. Probably a good idea to get the book. ( I
found a copy at a used book store....)
If you get around to creating this stuff and working with it, hope you
let us know how it turns out. I'd love to hear about it!
Sheilah
Bliss Pottery
BlissPots @ aol.com
Cheryl L Litman on tue 15 dec 98
I saw this question come in - about recipes for thixotropic clay. I
wasn't going to ask, but my question is why? What would you do with it,
what's it good for?
Cheryl Litman
Somerset, NJ
email: cheryllitman@juno.com
On Mon, 14 Dec 1998 08:41:59 EST Sheilah Bliss
writes:
>----------------------------Original
>message----------------------------
>Hi Ken -
>Pulled out my old "Ceramics-A Potters Handbook -- 5th Edition by Glenn
>C.
>Nelson, and found the thixotropic formulae. Fascinating stuff! I've
>been
>telling myself for a huge time now that I'm gonna make some of
>this.... wish
>I'd take myself seriously.
>
>Apparently, Carol Jeanne Abraham gets credit for discovering it by
>doing some
>"experiments in the particle suspensions of various clay bodies" and
>came upon
>thixotropic clay. Thixotropy is "the property exhibited by some gels
>of
>becoming fluid when shaken or stirred and setting again to a gel when
>allowed
>to stand. In a clay body this means that the clay becomes fluid when
>manipulated, then sets up again when the motion is stopped." The
>pictures of
>this stuff look really intriguing. You don't even work it like
>"regular"
>clay.
>
>Listed are both Cone 5 and Cone 9 clay bodies:
>
> ^5 ^9 '
> 25 25 Kentucky Ball Clay
> 15 15 Spodumene
> 15 15 Kona F-4
> 15 15 Kaolin (EPK)
> 10 25 Flint (silica)
> 20 5 Ferro Frit #3110
>
>Also listed is a glaze for thixotropic clay body:
>(Cone 5, crazes at Cone 9)
>
> 16 Kaolin (EPK)
> 24 Nepheline Cyenite
> 60 Fetto Frit #3124
>
>The book explains how to manipulate the clay - kind of pulling and
>shaking it
>at the same time - with pictures. Probably a good idea to get the
>book. ( I
>found a copy at a used book store....)
>If you get around to creating this stuff and working with it, hope you
>let us know how it turns out. I'd love to hear about it!
>
>Sheilah
>Bliss Pottery
>BlissPots @ aol.com
>
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Sheilah Bliss on wed 16 dec 98
In a message dated 12/15/98 8:01:55 AM, you wrote:
<<---------------------------Original message----------------------------
I saw this question come in - about recipes for thixotropic clay. I
wasn't going to ask, but my question is why? What would you do with it,
what's it good for?
Cheryl Litman
Somerset, NJ
email: cheryllitman@juno.com
>>
Hi Cheryl -
Ooohhh! I wish you could see the pictures in the book of this stuff. I see
it as just one more amazing versatility that clay can lend itself to... some
folks like slab work, some like wheel work, some like coil work....
Thixotropic clay produces some gracefully abstract, organic lines and flows
..... almost like ropes or vines twisted together, only you can form "things"
with it. She shows a covered dish and wall pieces. I tend to yum up on
abstract stuff .... thixotropic clay may not appeal to folks oriented toward
more classical tastes, but then again, you never know.
Also, guess I wasn't real clear.... The quotes from the book I posted just
explained the nature of the clay, but not the rest of the process. Once you
manipulate the clay to the shape and form you want, you let it dry and
stiffen-up like you would any other clay, then fire it. Just like other
clays, it's only going to be maliable (or fluid or gel-like) when the water
content of the clay is sufficient. As the moisture dissipates, the clay stops
being willingly flexible and workable.
Is there anyone on the list who's actually worked with Thixotropic Clay? It'd
be great to read someone's actual experiences.
Sheilah Bliss
Bliss Pottery
BlissPots@aol.com
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