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tile clay recipe

updated mon 8 dec 03

 

Mark Mondloch on thu 19 jul 01


C 9-10 Tile Clay- for our bench/table tiles and larger scale throwing
(bird-baths &sinks)

dump in mixer:
1-2 bucket scrap clay slop
4 cups glaze/slip slop
2 cups vinegar

add as is:
2 rolls toilet paper(minus the tubes mixed in 1/2 bucket water w/ jiffy
type mixer)
10 lb nepheline synenite and
7 lb 160 mesh flint (mixed first into 1/2 bucket water)

mix for awhile then add:
17 lb Cedar Heights bonding clay (screened into mixer)
25 lb AP Green fireclay ( screened into mixer)
50 lb Cedar Heights Goldart clay
20 lb 35 mesh kyanite
10 lb 60 mesh Calomo grog

I may have to add some water if too dry. I try to mix it on the wet side and
leave it age in the open mixer for a week or so running it a little while
every other day or so. Then it gets pugged and stored in the damp box.
Please understand I'm not putting this out there as some kind of 'perfect
recipe'. It's just what I currently use and I adjust it all the time- the
advantage if you mix your own! I single fire this with little warpage or
cracking problems. Known shortcomings - high sulfur release and the need to
screen some ingredients.

Comments welcome,
Sylvia

Mark & Sylvia Mondloch
Silver Creek Pottery & Forge
W6725 Hwy 144
Random Lake ,Wi 53075
silvercreek@execpc.com
http://www.silvercreekpottery.com

Llewellyn Kouba on thu 4 dec 03


Mark,

Hi! I have one of your letters from an older post and I am currently making
tiles for my outdoor shade garden. Someone advised me to use up to 15- 20
& grog in the clay body. I constructed a plaster mother mold (two sizes,
the largest being 9 x 13 inches). I am ready to pour/press my clay.

This is the formula I am using. I am about out of AP Green and only
learned or recall recently that the mind closed so I will be switching to
another stoneware but for now I am using this recipe: (short batch cut in
half from 100 lbs)

Ap green 15#
Gold Art 15#
Kentucky Ball SGP 5#
Custer Fledspar 3.5#
ECC English China Clay 10#
Iron Oxide 1#

I want the tiles to be strong. I ordered some Molochite 30/80 mesh. I am
adding 3# of it to my mix and the remainder of the grog (4#) with a regular
small size grog. Do you think this will be too much grog? Firing to cone
9. What does the Kyanite do? If I added some how much would you recommend
putting in? Hope this isn't too confusing. Any input would be appreciated.
This body above I have worked with in the past for a long time but no
longer can as the AP green is no longer available.

Llewellyn Kouba
Abbey Pottery ND USA.


At 10:59 AM 7/19/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>C 9-10 Tile Clay- for our bench/table tiles and larger scale throwing
>(bird-baths &sinks)
>
>dump in mixer:
>1-2 bucket scrap clay slop
>4 cups glaze/slip slop
>2 cups vinegar
>
>add as is:
>2 rolls toilet paper(minus the tubes mixed in 1/2 bucket water w/ jiffy
>type mixer)
>10 lb nepheline synenite and
>7 lb 160 mesh flint (mixed first into 1/2 bucket water)
>
>mix for awhile then add:
>17 lb Cedar Heights bonding clay (screened into mixer)
>25 lb AP Green fireclay ( screened into mixer)
>50 lb Cedar Heights Goldart clay
>20 lb 35 mesh kyanite
>10 lb 60 mesh Calomo grog
>
>I may have to add some water if too dry. I try to mix it on the wet side and
>leave it age in the open mixer for a week or so running it a little while
>every other day or so. Then it gets pugged and stored in the damp box.
>Please understand I'm not putting this out there as some kind of 'perfect
>recipe'. It's just what I currently use and I adjust it all the time- the
>advantage if you mix your own! I single fire this with little warpage or
>cracking problems. Known shortcomings - high sulfur release and the need to
>screen some ingredients.
>
>Comments welcome,
>Sylvia
>
>Mark & Sylvia Mondloch
>Silver Creek Pottery & Forge
>W6725 Hwy 144
>Random Lake ,Wi 53075
>silvercreek@execpc.com
>http://www.silvercreekpottery.com
>
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Snail Scott on fri 5 dec 03


At 02:23 PM 12/4/03 -0700, you wrote:
>I am
>adding 3# of it to my mix and the remainder of the grog (4#) with a regular
>small size grog. Do you think this will be too much grog?

No.


What does the Kyanite do?

Think of kyanite as a grog with anti-thermal-shock properties.


>This body above I have worked with in the past for a long time but no
>longer can as the AP green is no longer available.

AP Green is just a coarse fireclay; nearly any other will
work as a substitute. I switched to Hawthorn Bond when I
quit using AP Green, but other clays will do as well.

-Snail

Mark & Sylvia Mondloch on sun 7 dec 03


Hi Llewellyn,

How much grog/kyanite you put in depends on how much plasticity you're
willing to give up. You're at about 14% grog right now. You could add
another 10% kyanite on top of that, or if you don't want to go that coarse,
you could just replace some of the 14% grog with kyanite. Though I think of
35Mesh kyanite as a replacement for grog, the texture is more like flat
little particles instead of the sharp roundish grog so I find I can tolerate
a higher percent in my clay.

I like using a combination of grog, kyanite, and a little bit of paper pulp
in my tile clay. Cuts down shrinkage and warpage significantly.

good luck,
Sylvia

>
> Hi! I have one of your letters from an older post and I am currently
making
> tiles for my outdoor shade garden. Someone advised me to use up to 15- 20
> & grog in the clay body. I constructed a plaster mother mold (two sizes,
> the largest being 9 x 13 inches). I am ready to pour/press my clay.
>
> This is the formula I am using. I am about out of AP Green and only
> learned or recall recently that the mind closed so I will be switching to
> another stoneware but for now I am using this recipe: (short batch cut in
> half from 100 lbs)
>
> Ap green 15#
> Gold Art 15#
> Kentucky Ball SGP 5#
> Custer Fledspar 3.5#
> ECC English China Clay 10#
> Iron Oxide 1#
>
> I want the tiles to be strong. I ordered some Molochite 30/80 mesh. I am
> adding 3# of it to my mix and the remainder of the grog (4#) with a
regular
> small size grog. Do you think this will be too much grog? Firing to cone
> 9. What does the Kyanite do? If I added some how much would you
recommend
> putting in? Hope this isn't too confusing. Any input would be
appreciated.
> This body above I have worked with in the past for a long time but no
> longer can as the AP green is no longer available.
>
> Llewellyn Kouba
> Abbey Pottery ND USA.