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john's clay and ash mix

updated thu 19 jun 03

 

Lily Krakowski on wed 18 jun 03


If you said what the clay in there is it would help a bit. Nor do you say
what the intended firing temp of that clay is.

Now one has to take guesses.

Ok.

If it is brown and scaly you either are on the way to developing a dragon
(OY!) or the glaze is underfired.

If the speckles come from the body they are likely to be iron or manganese.

I would suggest:

That you wet down the whole thing to slurry and mix it up very well, so that
the whole bucketfull is uniform.

Then dry the whole thing out and start making some tests.

1. Add more woodash. This should help if you are at higher temps.

2. Add nephsy, cryolite, soda spar --do straight line blends with each of
these, and then blend the best.

3. Try adding boral frits, and other fluxes. In a piece I did on Twice
Fired Glazes (c.6 and refired c.04) my basic clay was RedArt...but I had
good luck with RA, mixed with ash and talc, Frit 3185, Frit 3134, also
Dolomite. Also Bone Ash.

One more caution. Separate out 4 or 5 volumes of your mix. I suggest 500
grams. Then you can work them independently of each other...it makes it
easier.

This all was electric and all was at c.6. The refired often were IMHO !
stunning!





Lili Krakowski
P.O. Box #1
Constableville, N.Y.
(315) 942-5916/ 397-2389

Be of good courage....