Deeclay@AOL.COM on thu 16 feb 06
FYI - Miami Clay Company in Miami, Florida has filed for Bankruptcy and has
closed it's doors after over 30 years of serving South Florida and the
Caribbean with it's clay needs.
Anyone interested in opening a Clay Supply company in this area is very
welcome.
Come on down and enjoy our wonderful climate and friendly potters.
Millard Balfrery on sat 18 feb 06
It doesn't suprise me that Miami Clay went out of business. I bought several
hundred pounds of thier #15 black clay body. I really liked it- it fired to a
true black at c5 ox. The problem is (was) that it appeared that they didn't
test thier products, as previous shipments of #15 were quite satisfactory, the
last 200lb was terrible. It developed gas bubbles on any pots 3/8" wall
thickness or greater- looked like warts! Also pots would warp under thier weight. I
also had issues with thier #9 brown, any flat pots 10" in diameter and up would
crack in bisque or high fire like being cut with a knife.
I sent several e-mails to them describing the mentioned defects in thier
manufacture of moist clay- no acknowledgement whatsoever. Last month my wife and I
went to Axner's outside of Orlando. What a nice store- hard to find- but
outstanding customer service. I bought 900lbs of three different stoneware bodies
from FREE samples that they sent me. I ordered 300lbs of three different clay
bodies from test pots I brought with me. So I don't get mixed up I brought
three bisqued pots that I scratched the name and number on each bottom from the
test samples- Bob's 5791, Elisabeths 4678, Sophies 4687. When I Ordered each
with the number after the name I was advised that the number was only used for
the TESTING OF EACH BATCH- what a novel idea!
So for the next while I'll have to make the 160 mile trip (each way) to
Orlando, as South Florida now is without a ceramics supplier.
Thanks for the tip, as I was loading the truck up Monday coming with
defective pots and left over moist #15 and headin south
Mill
millcharlie@wmconnect.com
Frank Colson on mon 20 feb 06
Mil- Yeh! Miami Clay has been my special supplier of my own clay formula
for more than 20 yrs. Then, about a year or two ago, the owner (name
escapes me?) died and his brother took over the business. That's when the
whole place started to fall apart. I prepaid for a ton of my mix but never
received it to this date! Anyway, that's all water over the dam now. The
fact is that there is now a great opportunity for a good
reliable supplier in South Florida. So, if anyone wants to work their a...
off, this is really an area for fulfillment, as they supplied many areas in
the Caribbean and even parts of South America.
Frank Colson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Millard Balfrery"
To:
Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2006 9:01 PM
Subject: Re: Miami Clay Co. out of business
> It doesn't suprise me that Miami Clay went out of business. I bought
several
> hundred pounds of thier #15 black clay body. I really liked it- it fired
to a
> true black at c5 ox. The problem is (was) that it appeared that they
didn't
> test thier products, as previous shipments of #15 were quite satisfactory,
the
> last 200lb was terrible. It developed gas bubbles on any pots 3/8" wall
> thickness or greater- looked like warts! Also pots would warp under thier
weight. I
> also had issues with thier #9 brown, any flat pots 10" in diameter and up
would
> crack in bisque or high fire like being cut with a knife.
>
> I sent several e-mails to them describing the mentioned defects in thier
> manufacture of moist clay- no acknowledgement whatsoever. Last month my
wife and I
> went to Axner's outside of Orlando. What a nice store- hard to find- but
> outstanding customer service. I bought 900lbs of three different stoneware
bodies
> from FREE samples that they sent me. I ordered 300lbs of three different
clay
> bodies from test pots I brought with me. So I don't get mixed up I brought
> three bisqued pots that I scratched the name and number on each bottom
from the
> test samples- Bob's 5791, Elisabeths 4678, Sophies 4687. When I Ordered
each
> with the number after the name I was advised that the number was only used
for
> the TESTING OF EACH BATCH- what a novel idea!
>
> So for the next while I'll have to make the 160 mile trip (each way) to
> Orlando, as South Florida now is without a ceramics supplier.
>
> Thanks for the tip, as I was loading the truck up Monday coming with
> defective pots and left over moist #15 and headin south
>
> Mill
> millcharlie@wmconnect.com
>
>
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Mark Issenberg on mon 20 feb 06
I am really upset about Miami Clay going out of business. Kenny , Steve and
Lee were neighbors growing up. They lived around the block. Lee and i did some
sailing years ago on Biscayne Bay. I used to like sailing on Biscayne Bay
till Jet Skis showed up. Killed the quiet...
Any way Kenny ran Miami Clay for years he had some issues. He was always a
good clay supplier, Miami Clay made my own clay when i was doing cone 6 and i
used #2 when Istarted doing cone 10. There where no problems. Kenny killed
himself and his brother Lee took over, Lee killed Miami Clay.. Very sad,, I
helped on Saturdays at the South branch for a while. It was fun seeing clay
buddies on the Saturdays I worked..
Mark
Lookout Mtn
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