Janet Kaiser on wed 29 sep 99
--- Alisa and Claus Clausen wrote:
> Dear UK potters,
> I have recently been working with 3 clay bodies from the above factory.
All are cone 6 stonewares. With every bisque, almost every piece has at
least one crater created in the surface where you can see there is a chunk
of white chalk that forced the blow up. I do not know what the correct term
for this is. Here we say "chalk springing". This clay is purchased in 25
bricks and of course premixed
>snip<
>I see that there are at least 2 ceramic suppliers in Stoke-on-Trent. Is
that a big ceramic supplier area? I have the possibility to contact the
clay supplier, but I am interested in hearing from you (plural) if you have
ideas about causes of the problem.
>
> Alisa in Denmark
Hi Alisa!
You do not actually mention the name of the firm who supplied you.
Stoke-on-Trent is the name of the great English pottery town so well known
for ceramic production and centre of the area known as "The Potteries". All
Staffordshire pottery comes from this area, which stretches from Tunstall in
the north to Longton in the South. From being just one centre of many
producing peasant pottery in the 16th to 17th centuries, Staffordshire rose
to being the centre of ceramic production. Creamware, (a major contribution
to world ceramics) originated there and was exported to Europe and the
world. Of course Wedgwood is probably the most famous producer, but many
other famous makers and manufacturers were based there.
Although long past its heyday, Stoke-on-Trent still produces pots and has
many clay-related firms and suppliers. But I hazard a guess at yours was
"Potclays". Right? Well, potters all over the UK have been having BIG
PROBLEMS BIG TIME for well over 18 months with various clays supplied by
this company.
The problem you describe sounds like the same problem to me and is known as
"LIME POPPING". There is no cure as far as I know, so all the wedging in the
world will not help!
The Craft Potters Association really put the managing director of Potclays
through the third degree after many potters had been working in the dark for
months. It even put some out of business, because whenever Potclays were
told about the problem, they said that the clay must have been contaminated
in the potters studio.
It took a very long time for the penny to drop and for concerted group
action! (Potters nearly always work in isolation, right?) Anyway, the long
and short of it is, that you can send any clay back to them and get a
refund. Not many do this because the cost is often more than the clay is
worth. Especially as you would be sending it back from Denmark...
Which brings up the question: Are Potclays now exporting a product UK
potters would not touch with a barge pole? Ah! Ha! Sell it to silly
foreigners? Quite a thought! Eh?
What you cannot do (as far as I know) is solve the problem... It is in the
clay and cannot be got rid of. Sorry about this bad news. It is a sad
reflection on the supplier, who is well aware of the problem, but refuses to
accept any responsibility. It was against the background of this extremely
serious problem, that I recently had a mild rant about "bloating" on this
list. Bloating can be controlled, lime popping cannot!
It would be interesting what an enquiry to the UK Department of Trade and
Industry from you in Denmark would do? Especially as a product with known
problems has been exported and you have been "conned". It would probably pay
you to ask Potclays how they want to talk themselves out of that!
Of course, I may be jumping the gun about this and defaming them for
nothing, but they have not done their industry any good at all and my few
disparaging words could not make much difference... A whole lot stronger
language has been used by working potters all over the UK, I can assure
you!!
Good luck with your research and let me know how you corner this very
slippery customer, er, I mean supplier.
Janet Kaiser
P. S. How about a tile or two from Denmark for The International Potters
Path? http://www.the-coa.org.uk Just one danske tile from Inge Poulsen so
far...
Torgeir L. Henriksen on thu 30 sep 99
------------------
I have the same problem with 1109 clay from Potclay .Ihave been using this
clay for 15 years and have called my supplier today about this lime popping
problem.
Torgeir leander Henriksen
Galleri Thomasgaarden
N-7374 R=F8ros
Norway
tlf:47-72412470 fax 47-72412945
e-mail:torghenr=40online.no
home-page http://home.sol.no/=7Etorghenr/
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
--- Alisa and Claus Clausen =3CAliskin=40mail.dk=3E wrote:
=3E Dear UK potters,
=3E I have recently been working with 3 clay bodies from the above factory.
All are cone 6 stonewares. With every bisque, almost every piece has at
least one crater created in the surface where you can see there is a chunk
of white chalk that forced the blow up. I do not know what the correct term
for this is. Here we say =22chalk springing=22. This clay is purchased in =
25
bricks and of course premixed
=3Esnip=3C
=3EI see that there are at least 2 ceramic suppliers in Stoke-on-Trent. Is
that a big ceramic supplier area? I have the possibility to contact the
clay supplier, but I am interested in hearing from you (plural) if you have
ideas about causes of the problem.
=3E
=3E Alisa in Denmark
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