Charlie Cummings on fri 12 may 06
Charlie Cummings Clay Studio Cone 1 Earthenware Recipes
I=92ve been enjoying exploring earthenware for=20
almost six years now. When I moved to Fort Wayne=20
I spent about 6 months developing clay and glazes=20
for cone 1. In the past I have kept my recipes=20
proprietary for selfish and business reasons.
I=92ve received an incredible number of calls and=20
emails in the past couple of days. All were=20
asking for more information about cone 1 clays=20
and glazes. For the sake of promoting something=20
I sincerely believe in, I'm going to share some=20
of my recipes and knowledge here.
Many commercial earthenware clays will go to cone=20
1-3. Test them. Linda Arbuckle gives the=20
procedures for testing clays at the bottom of=20
this page: http://www.lindaarbuckle.com/handouts/earthenware_h.html
I saw a commercial source for cone 1 glazes a few=20
years back, but I can't seem to find it now. I=20
hope they are still selling them.
The clay:
CCCS Throwing Cone 1-3+
Redart 60
FHC 20
XX Sagger 10
Talc 5
Neph Sy 5
Fe2o3 .25
Barium carb .25
This body was formulated to be very plastic. It=20
has a fine grain. If you are used to throwing=20
fireclay-based bodies, you will think your hands=20
have gone numb. It feels sort of like the most=20
incredibly forgiving porcelain you have ever=20
thrown. It can be re-wetted from nearly bone dry=20
back to a plastic state. My students get away=20
with things that most clay bodies would never allow.
This body is 90% clay. Redart is the primary=20
flux. Shrinkage is 12% (5% to Dry =967% in glost=20
firing.) Porosity is very low. Less than 1%.
Bisque to cone 08. A higher bisque will tighten the body too much.
Glaze fire to cone 1 to 3. The cone temperatures=20
are very close in this portion of the firing=20
range. I fire to cone 1 slowly to allow the=20
glaze and clay more time to mature. Fast firings=20
and small kilns may require firing as high as=20
cone 3 to achieve the same results. I fire a 20=20
cubic L&L stuffed full of work with the computer=20
controller set to slow glaze and a 10 minute hold=20
at temperature. Firing is the key. Electric=20
kilns require skill to get the best results too!
I=92ve used this clay to throw very large work with=20
very good results. Tiny things work too!
Downsides: It can be a little sticky. If you cut=20
things off the bat and leave them in position=20
till they get to leather hard, they may re-adhere.
When fired this clay is very dense. It rings=20
like porcelain. When covered by my color base=20
glaze, it can be played like crystal. It is=20
hard, but not brittle. I like to scare my=20
students..I mean show my students how strong the=20
clay is by beating one of my plates on the corner=20
of a wooden table. I wouldn't dare do that with=20
anything I have made in stoneware.
CCCS Handbuilding Cone 1
Redart 35
FHC 15
Hawthorne 5
Neph sy 5
Talc 5
Missouri 20f 10 (grog)
Missouri 35f 10 (grog)
Missouri 50f 20 (grog)
This is a hand-building clay. It shrinks a total=20
of 8%. My glazes fit it well, so I sometimes use it for functional work.
Glazes:
Cone 1 clear
Frit 3124 80
Tile-6 10
Flint 10
This glaze is perfectly clear if applied=20
extremely thin. If you put it on slightly too=20
thick, it will blister. It also settles to stone=20
in the bucket. A great glaze if you spray. (A=20
friend gave me this recipe. I think he is a friend...)
CCCS slight amber clear cone 1 (tested, but not proven)
Frit 3124 80
Redart 20
One of my studio members was examining Victoria=20
Christen=92s earthenware bowls in our recent Bowl=20
exhibition.=20
http://www.claylink.com/B=
owls2006/11christen.html=20
She noticed that the clear glaze had a slight=20
amber color in thicker areas. She asked if we=20
could develop an amber/clear. Suddenly I had a=20
brainstorm! Replace the flint and kaolin in the=20
troublesome recipe above with Redart. The glaze=20
software said it was nearly a chemical match for=20
the original glaze. Tests look very=20
promising. It didn't blister, it looked=20
beautiful, and it doesn't turn to stone in the=20
bucket. We are trying this glaze on actual pots in the next glaze firing.
CCCS Color Base cone 1-3
Frit 3134 50
6-tile 20
Flint 30
This is the base for most of my glazes. It is=20
somewhat shiny. I like it that way and I don't care what anyone else=
thinks!
Chrome does well at less than 1%. Cobalt=20
1%. Black iron oxide works better than red=20
iron. Copper looks beautiful but causes the=20
glaze to bubble and shiver. Rutile can be=20
unpredictable. I use titanium dioxide=20
instead. Mason stains give great colors. Add 5%=20
6-tile if you want to use encapsulated cadmium stains.
I mix them to close to 46 on the hydrometer. The=20
metal oxides effect the thickness and each=20
variation is adjusted within a range of 45-48.
I always layer my glazes. I like the way they=20
break when layered. I dip for at least 3 full=20
seconds for each coat. Thin pots need=20
longer. The glaze goes on thick. I've found=20
that fritted glazes tend to thin as they=20
fire. Three layers of glaze is generally a bad=20
idea. The rule in my studio is, =93if you insist=20
on using 3 layers, the third layer must be=20
applied only on the top 1/3 of the pot."
See this glaze in action at:=20
http://www.claylink.com/Di=
nner2004/cummings.html
Or=20
http://www.claylink.=
com/Earthenware2005/Cummings2.html
See what my studio members have done with it at:
http://www.claylink.com/cccs2006.html=
=20
(Actually all of our glazes and clays are represented in this show.)
I use a black glaze under this glaze on most of=20
my pots. I have to keep some secrets.
Majolica:
CCCS Majolica 2 cone 1-3
Laguna Borate or Gerstley 10.35
Neph Sy 8.15
Tile 6 5.65
Whiting 9.75
Flint 24.1
Frit 3124 37.5
Tenn# 10 4.5
Superpax 15
Colorants
Parts by volume
3 parts frit 263 + 1 part colorant + 1 part liquid laundry starch
Mason 6023
Mason 6001
Mason 6528
Mason 6108
Mason 6650
Mason 6024
Mason 6025
Mason 6433
Mason 6393
Mason 6374
Mason 6407
Mason 6006
4 parts frit 263 + 1 part colorant + 1 part liquid laundry starch
Mason 6223
Mason 6204
Mason 6389
Mason 6026
3 parts frit 263 + 2 part colorant + 1 part liquid laundry starch
Mason 6387
This glaze is based on the fine research done by=20
Linda Arbuckle and everyone who contributed to=20
her handout I picked up at a workshop in 1994 or=20
95 in KY. My studio members tested many=20
variations and combinations before settling on=20
this glaze. It is surprisingly well=20
behaved. The stains recipes are our concoctions.
Slips:
ST 26 Slip 1000g batch 2000batch
6 tile 312 624
Tenn# 10 ball 312 624 (Don=92t substitute!)
Neph Sy 250 500
Flint 325 125 250
Add =BC teaspoon darvan 7 =BD teaspoon
Colors
Yellow- ferro yellow 15%
Black- ferro 3794 black 15%
Red/orange- intensive red 12%
Blue- gs-62 12%
Green- peacock green 5%
Bluegreen- cobalt 1.5% + copper carb 2%
Grey =96 6650 5%
Very white. Doesn=92t like to be more than 1/8=94=20
thick on my clay bodies. Can cause glaze problems if applied too thick.
New Glazes:
I taught a cone 1 glaze development class at my=20
studio this spring. I=92m amazed by what my=20
students came up with. We are testing several=20
luscious matt glazes, ash glazes, sculptural=20
glazes, glazes that look like stoneware, glazes=20
that look like earthenware, and glazes that look=20
like stoneware but have the colors of=20
earthenware. Since we are still testing, I don=92t=20
want to share them for fear that they will turn=20
out to be duds. Maybe I=92ll put them up on my website in a few months.
Disclaimers:
I think there is a wealth of undiscovered unique=20
glazes in the soft stoneware range. (Cone=20
01-4) Explore. If you find something exciting, please share.
Feel free to use these glazes and clays. Test=20
them first. They work for me=85they may not work=20
for you. You'll have to put some thought and=20
work into making this work for you. Stepping off=20
of the well-trodden ceramic path requires a lot=20
of learning. Many of the materials you know well=20
at other temperatures are wildly different at this temperature.
Learning new things is fun.
Charlie Cummings
Charlie Cummings Clay Studio & Gallery
4130 South Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
Charlie@claylink.com
260-458-9160
www.claylink.com
Linda Ferzoco on fri 12 may 06
Charlie,
Since I've just had a workshop with Stephani
Stephenson, I'm just beginning to explore earthenware
clay and glaze possibilites. Your decision to post
some of your claybody and glaze recipies is very
generous and I thank you a bunch.
Linda Ferzoco
Pacifica, California
Stephani, I forgot to get a sample of white clay that
I saw outside my hotel window. Some poor gardener was
clearly trying to put a plant in the ground and all he
had under about an inch of topsoil was an inpenetrable
layer of white clay. Check it out Stephani! Go
around to the back of the hotel to see what I mean.
--- Charlie Cummings wrote:
> Charlie Cummings Clay Studio Cone 1 Earthenware
> Recipes
Paul Herman on fri 12 may 06
HI Charlie,
Thank you for posting your recipes for cone one. It's a real treasure =20=
trove, and very generous of you.
I see the only body fluxes you add are Nepheline Syenite and talc. =20
I'm interested in possibly using a couple of local clays for low fire =20=
and was wondering what fluxes I could add to the body. Do you know =20
what others might be used? I seem to remember reading about the use =20
of frits as lower temperature body flux, but it made the clay have a =20
very short firing range.
I'm making a new folder for earthenware posts.
Best,
Paul Herman
Great Basin Pottery
Doyle, California US
http://greatbasinpottery.com
On May 12, 2006, at 1:34 PM, Charlie Cummings wrote:
> Charlie Cummings Clay Studio Cone 1 Earthenware Recipes
>
> I=92ve been enjoying exploring earthenware for almost six years now. =20=
> When I moved to Fort Wayne I spent about 6 months developing clay =20
> and glazes for cone 1. In the past I have kept my recipes =20
> proprietary for selfish and business reasons.
>
> I=92ve received an incredible number of calls and emails in the past =20=
> couple of days. All were asking for more information about cone 1 =20
> clays and glazes. For the sake of promoting something I sincerely =20
> believe in, I'm going to share some of my recipes and knowledge here.
>
Charlie Cummings on fri 12 may 06
Hi Paul,
My understanding of the role of talc in a lowfire body is one of a
filler that helps make the body more dense, not really a
flux. Nepheline Syenite is a weak flux at cone 1. I would try these
before resorting to frits.
I've read the same thing about frits as a body flux. I haven't tried
it, but I have given the idea a lot of thought. I would try small
amounts of a frit that fuses close to the temperature at which I want
the clay to mature. Potential solubility and its effect on the clay
is a may be a concern. Some frit information:
http://lagunaclay.com/volumev/frit.pdf
Have you tested the clays by themselves? It would best to know the
properties of the clay before you try to design a body around
it. Will the clay vitrify by itself? Does it bloat if
over-fired. What is the porosity and shrinkage at the intended
firing temperature? I take an empirical approach. I start by firing
the materials by themselves to see what happens.
In the end, I think the best advice I can give you is try it.
Charlie
At 07:20 PM 5/12/2006, you wrote:
>HI Charlie,
>
>Thank you for posting your recipes for cone one. It's a real treasure
>trove, and very generous of you.
>
>I see the only body fluxes you add are Nepheline Syenite and talc.
>I'm interested in possibly using a couple of local clays for low fire
>and was wondering what fluxes I could add to the body. Do you know
>what others might be used? I seem to remember reading about the use
>of frits as lower temperature body flux, but it made the clay have a
>very short firing range.
>
>I'm making a new folder for earthenware posts.
>
>Best,
>
>Paul Herman
>Great Basin Pottery
>Doyle, California US
>http://greatbasinpottery.com
lee love on sat 13 may 06
--- In clayart@yahoogroups.com, Charlie Cummings wrote:
> Learning new things is fun.
You said it Charlie! Open minds are a wonder to behold! They are
so different than ones that have all the answers and simply adjust
reality to fit them...
Thanks for all the info. It is not directly translated into
Japanese materials, but I have printed it out and will use it for
reference.
Also, your work is unique and beautiful. I especially like the
look of the black glaze used under other glazes.
--
Lee In Mashiko, Japan
http://mashiko.org
http://seisokuro.blogspot.com/
Heidy Freyre on mon 15 may 06
Thank you very much for sharing your glaze recipes. I am a beginner just
getting ready for testing my first self mixed glazes. And I live in the
heart of Europe where earthen ware seems much more appreciated and common
than in the US.
Could somebody tell me what tile 6 is? And with what material could I try
to replace it in case it is not available here?
heidy
On Fri, 12 May 2006 16:34:36 -0400, Charlie Cummings
wrote:
>Charlie Cummings Clay Studio Cone 1 Earthenware Recipes
>CCCS Color Base cone 1-3
>
>Frit 3134 50
>6-tile 20
>
>Flint 30
>
>
>This is the base for most of my glazes. It is
>somewhat shiny. I like it that way and I don't care what anyone else
thinks!
>
Paul Herman on mon 15 may 06
Heidy,
6 Tile clay is kaolin.
Best,
Paul Herman
Great Basin Pottery
Doyle, California US
http://greatbasinpottery.com
On May 15, 2006, at 12:55 AM, Heidy Freyre wrote:
> Could somebody tell me what tile 6 is? And with what material could
> I try
> to replace it in case it is not available here?
>
> heidy
>
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