What Clay to Use

Hello Everyone,

I am currently teaching pottery workshops. I was wondering what
everyones opinion on clay was. What are your opinions on local clay in
comparion to commerical clay? We sure do have lots of clay around
Atikokan!!!

Thanks
www.atikokanartcentre.com

"Atikokan Arts" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello Everyone,

I am currently teaching pottery workshops. I was wondering what
everyones opinion on clay was. What are your opinions on local clay in
comparion to commerical clay? We sure do have lots of clay around
Atikokan!!!

Hi.

I'm kinda a newbie, but that also means that I have a fresh memory of clays
during the learning process. I think the most important thing in a clay for
beginners is ease of use. A plastic clay that is kind to the touch - without
too big "bits" in it that will scratch the surface when you are just
sponging off the finished product. Also, if you are teaching on the wheel -
pleeeeese use a clay that does not absorb water too quickly and doesn't have
too large abrassive bits in it. We newbies spend a long time trying to
center - I nearly buffed all the skin off the side of my left hand when I
used my teacher's preferred clay. Fine for her - she centers in a minute - I
spent 10-15 and wasn't in center then either.

That's my input - look for qualities of the clay, rather than locations. You
want your students to enjoy the learning process. They will meet enough
challenges along their way - "lousy" clay shouldn't be one of them :-)

Marianne

"Bubbles" wrote in message
...

"Atikokan Arts" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello Everyone,

I am currently teaching pottery workshops. I was wondering what
everyones opinion on clay was. What are your opinions on local clay in
comparion to commerical clay? We sure do have lots of clay around
Atikokan!!!

Hi.

I'm kinda a newbie, but that also means that I have a fresh memory of
clays during the learning process. I think the most important thing in a
clay for beginners is ease of use. A plastic clay that is kind to the
touch - without too big "bits" in it that will scratch the surface when
you are just sponging off the finished product. Also, if you are teaching
on the wheel - pleeeeese use a clay that does not absorb water too quickly
and doesn't have too large abrassive bits in it. We newbies spend a long
time trying to center - I nearly buffed all the skin off the side of my
left hand when I used my teacher's preferred clay. Fine for her - she
centers in a minute - I spent 10-15 and wasn't in center then either.

That's my input - look for qualities of the clay, rather than locations.
You want your students to enjoy the learning process. They will meet
enough challenges along their way - "lousy" clay shouldn't be one of them
:-)

Marianne


Not bad input. For throwing I think a good fine plastic terracotta is good.
Seems to have more tooth than fine white clays.
For hand building a white slab clay is good for domestic ware, but for
sculpture and coiling something strong and grogged IMO )

"Xtra News" wrote in message
news
Not bad input. For throwing I think a good fine plastic terracotta is
good. Seems to have more tooth than fine white clays.
For hand building a white slab clay is good for domestic ware, but for
sculpture and coiling something strong and grogged IMO )

I am using a white clay that has very fine (I think 0.2 mm) grog, which
means that it is so fine, that it doesn't act like sandpaper when I am on
the wheel, but it is still great for hand-building also - and very plastic.
I wanted to use only one type of clay, since I have a teeny workshop and
little space for handling 2 separate clays in the recycling process. Also
makes for easier storage and cleanup, etc.

Here's the spec for the stoneware clay, in German

Apollo Steinzeugton 1000 - 1300°C

Westerwälder Steinzeugton ( WM2502 ), sehr fein schamottiert

Hervorragender Drehton, sehr plastisch, gute Standfestigkeit, auch für sehr
grosse Stücke. Einfach und gut im Trocknen. Guter Glasurträger. Raku
möglich.

Technische Daten
Rohbrand 960 - 1000°C
Brennbereich 1000 - 1300°C
Sintertemperatur 1220°C
Brennfarbe weiss - hellcrème - hellgrau
Trockenschwindung ca. 5%
Brennschwindung bei 1000°C ca. 5 %
Brennschwindung bei 1300°C ca. 5 %
Beimischung ca. 25% Ton-Hardstoff,
Körnung 0 -0.2 mm


Marianne

I think you're on about clay gathered in it's natural state - from sea or
lake shore. I have done this.

It was hell on earth to cut it out from the beach and transport it to a
vehicle - our wheelbarrow sank into a rut as it is very heavy. It wasn't
very much either. Hysterics combined with histrionics, got us there.

Then you have to dry it out, and smash it into powder form. This you sieve
to remove stones, sand and debris. It is then slaked in a bucket of water.
Then you have numerous pouring off the water, and removing the liquid clay,
leaving as much sediment behind as you can. Then comes the placing on
plaster batts and the wedging. Traditionally, you then dig a pit and store
the wrapped clay in the pit for as long as you can. It becomes more plastic
and useful with time.

Chinese Potters would do this for their Grandchildren, whilst they
themselves, used the clay stored for them by their Grandparents.

I think it is a great 'one off' exercise from a learning point of view, but
is so labour intensive, it does not become the cheap source you think it
should be. On the other hand, you may find you have a marvellous clay. It
is cheaper and less painful just to buy it ready pugged.

Mine I shall use for sculpture work, that does not get fired but makes
excellent models for casting in ciment fondue.

Hope it helps.
Roz

"Bubbles" wrote in message
...

"Xtra News" wrote in message
news
Not bad input. For throwing I think a good fine plastic terracotta is
good. Seems to have more tooth than fine white clays.
For hand building a white slab clay is good for domestic ware, but for
sculpture and coiling something strong and grogged IMO )

I am using a white clay that has very fine (I think 0.2 mm) grog, which
means that it is so fine, that it doesn't act like sandpaper when I am on
the wheel, but it is still great for hand-building also - and very
plastic. I wanted to use only one type of clay, since I have a teeny
workshop and little space for handling 2 separate clays in the recycling
process. Also makes for easier storage and cleanup, etc.

Here's the spec for the stoneware clay, in German

Apollo Steinzeugton 1000 - 1300°C

Westerwälder Steinzeugton ( WM2502 ), sehr fein schamottiert

Hervorragender Drehton, sehr plastisch, gute Standfestigkeit, auch für
sehr grosse Stücke. Einfach und gut im Trocknen. Guter Glasurträger. Raku
möglich.

Technische Daten
Rohbrand 960 - 1000°C
Brennbereich 1000 - 1300°C
Sintertemperatur 1220°C
Brennfarbe weiss - hellcrème - hellgrau
Trockenschwindung ca. 5%
Brennschwindung bei 1000°C ca. 5 %
Brennschwindung bei 1300°C ca. 5 %
Beimischung ca. 25% Ton-Hardstoff,
Körnung 0 -0.2 mm


Marianne

Roz Lacey wrote:
I think you're on about clay gathered in it's natural state - from sea or
lake shore. I have done this.

I once dug a small amount of clay from the lot on which a friend was
building a house and used it as a glaze for a housewarming gift pot.
The glaze was brown and a bit gritty, but not bad. It probably would
have been a clay at cone 04 but it was a glaze at cone 6, and I didn't
need more than a couple buckets of the clay to start with.

Janet

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 07:44:33 -0500, Janet Price
wrote:

Roz Lacey wrote:
I think you're on about clay gathered in it's natural state - from sea or
lake shore. I have done this.

I once dug a small amount of clay from the lot on which a friend was
building a house and used it as a glaze for a housewarming gift pot.
The glaze was brown and a bit gritty, but not bad. It probably would
have been a clay at cone 04 but it was a glaze at cone 6, and I didn't
need more than a couple buckets of the clay to start with.


My experience exactly, with "garden clay" from our yard. I did
test it at c/04 and it was a nice pink clay. The small amount of
sand in it wasn't a problem since I am a hand-builder, but it
also had plenty of lime specs that caused "lime pops" after
firing. So, since the digging was a lot of work (and since the
amount available from the garden was limited anyway), and
since it had to be sieved pretty fine to get rid of the lime, I
use it only as a glaze. Instead of a mediocre low-fire body,
I get a nice c/6 glaze (about like Albany Slip?) that
will go a lot farther for the effort it took.

Best regards,



Bob Masta
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