DeBorah Goletz on fri 19 jan 01
John Baise - welcome to the list - you don't necessarily have to fire to
cone 10. Some clay bodies are frostproof at lower temperatures. I've made
frost proof tiles with a cone 6, and a cone 1 clay body. There's
information in the archives about how to test clay bodies to insure they are
frostproof, and you can get absorbtion rate information from your
distributor.
I've used setters for low-fire tiles, but found the frostproof claybodies
I've used tend to warp in a setter. I fire them directly on a kiln shelf.
Drying the tile between gypsum is effective. I don't place mine in a drying
box (with a pan of water under them???). Be aware that gypsum board gets
soft as it absorbs the moisture from the clay so stacking it very tall (and
heavy) may compromise the strength of the board which may bend when you lift
it after a couple days. Depending upon the thickness of the tile, I drape
plastic over the gypsum sandwich for a day or two then remove the plastic
and let them sit for a couple more days before removing the gypsum board.
Good luck with your project.
DeBorah Goletz - in the NJ snow belt - dreaming of spring lilies.
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