TECHNICAL INFORMATION
BODY
| Fired To Cone10/12
|
% |
| Granite (With Iron Removed)
|
20 |
| 20 mesh Frenchman Clay |
80 |
| x
|
x |
Ball milled to pass 200mesh, this body has more in
common with China than with vitreous Stoneware. The same body is used for
Casting and Throwing. To defloculate Frenchman Clay Caustic Soda and Sodium
Silicate are combined.
Since the middle of 2007 we have been importing all our raw materials. Hodges Minerals took the decision to close it’s clay operations, so the body we were accustomed to using for many years was no longer available.
Our current body consist of Ball Clay, Potash Feldspar and milled Silica and we now use Soda Ash and Sodium Metasilicate as defloculants.
Want to findout more about our working methods?
| New Body
|
% |
| Ball Clay
|
45 |
| Potash Feldspar (200 #) |
15 |
| Milled Silica (200#) |
40 |
| x
|
x |
|
MAIN GLAZES
| LOCAL MINTY WHITE
|
% |
| Granite (With Iron Removed)
|
50 |
| Limestone |
20 |
| Imported Ball Clay |
10 |
| Potash Feldspar |
5 |
| China Clay |
5 |
| Zircon |
10 |
|
| CELADON |
% |
| Granite (With Iron Removed)
|
50 |
| Limestone |
20 |
| 20 mesh Frenchman Clay |
10 |
| Quartz |
20 |
|
x |
x |
|
x |
x |
|
| CLEAR GLAZE
|
% |
| Potash Feldspar (imported)
|
40 |
| Limestone |
20 |
| China Clay (EPK) |
20 |
| Quartz |
20 |
| x
|
x |
| x
|
x |
|
| OPT |
% |
| Granite (No Iron Removed)
|
50 |
| Limestone |
20 |
| 20 mesh Frenchman Clay |
10 |
| Quartz |
20 |
| x
|
x |
| Add Titanium Dioxide |
10 |
|
| IRON GLAZE |
% |
| Granite (No Iron Removed)
|
55 |
| Limestone |
10 |
| 20 mesh Frenchman Clay |
10 |
| Quartz |
25 |
| x
|
x |
| Add Local Iron Oxide |
20 |
|
| MAT WHITE |
% |
| Potash Feldspar (Imported)
|
50 |
| Limestone |
20 |
| China Clay (EPK) |
20 |
| Zircon |
10 |
| x
|
x |
|
x |
x |
|
|
Other glazes are made by adding stain to the Clear Glaze or the Celadon.
For example the Shine Black is made by adding 2.5% Cobalt Oxide, 2.5% Woodland
Brown Stain and 2.5% Iron Oxide to The Celadon. Glazes are usually milled
for 1hr. and sieved through 45mesh before they are used. |
PYROMETRIC CONE MIX
| MATERIAL |
Pts |
Pts |
Pts |
| China Clay (EPK) |
5 |
6 |
7 |
| Potash Feldspar |
5 |
6 |
7 |
| Whiting |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| x |
The cone mixture is made up into a plastic state, shaped
by hand and dried for each firing. The method of preparation is as important
as the composition of
the cone mix. If the ingredients are poorly blended
the cone
will bend early, behaving like a coarse body.
|
|
