Comment

Comment by P. Cooper on March 3, 2012 at 3:23pm

Highwater has an earthenware called Bella's Blend that claims cone 6. I just started cone 6 firing using stoneware and had to make an earthenware peice for my aunt and decided to try the leftover Bella's at cone 6. The glazes I'm using worked as well on it as on my stoneware and it vitrified very well. If you fire it any higher than cone 6 you can have some trouble, obviously.

Comment by pat parker on March 3, 2012 at 2:44pm

I use Highwaters desert buff and it is made for cone 5/6.  I have had no problems with it at all.  By the way, I also use vinegar and no slip to attach my handles.  I have never, knock on wood, had one crack off:>)

Comment by Maggie Jones on March 3, 2012 at 2:26pm

Thanks for all the comments on clay...now I have food for research. Clays to investigate. I have been using Highwaters desert buff and it is acceptable, but I want something with better vitrification at cone 5/6. 

Drying slow is always good. Cotton sheets or fabric of any type sometimes works better than plastic.

Comment by Joe Shaw on March 3, 2012 at 10:47am

I use Laguna's Frost and Clay Planet's Icelia porcelain. Both fire to translucent. I've suffered with cracking with both clays until I got a grip on the damp-box and controlling the drying.

Comment by Joe Shaw on March 3, 2012 at 10:41am

I use slip to attach handles and the like. I "wiggle" them in place. What I've found is that it's necessary for me (I work with porcelain) that my pieces dry slowly. My wife and I went to a restaurant supply store and we found an old two door stainless steel cooler/refrigerator for dirt cheap. Plastic interior, shelves and (most importantly) doors with gaskets in good shape. I really need to slow down/control drying especially when doing slip decoration. This applies to handles and such also. When one recycles clay as I do, vinegar can be an issue, it helps to create and ungodly stench in the slip barrel.

Comment by Sharon Ivy on March 3, 2012 at 10:41am

I can never remember to buy soda ash, so also use just water with vinegar and have never had problems with cracking as I did when using slip.  No scoring, just water/vinegar on each piece to be joined and, as George said, "wiggle and lightly mush the parts together".  I like things done as simply as possible, as long as they work.

Comment by George Lewter on March 3, 2012 at 10:04am

I'm not using porcelain (b-mix 5). I stopped slipping and scoring about 6 months ago. I use 2 parts water to 1 part white vinegar painted on the surfaces to be joined and I just wiggle and lightly mush the parts together. I have a concern about the sodium silicate in magic water causing a glaze to not absorb at the same rate (thickness) as on pure clay.

Comment by Wanda Manning on March 3, 2012 at 9:53am

Just attended a two day seminar with Steven Hill and he does not use anything but magic water to attach his handles. He made the comment when he used slip he could get cracks also

Comment by Tracy Minarik on March 3, 2012 at 9:15am

Steven uses Standard 257 porcelain.  I use it now also, but have trouble attaching handles.  Everything seems to crack.  Been doing handles on cups for 15 years. Don't get it??  I'm going to try some "Magic Water" by Tony Clennell next.. We'll see........

Comment by Chris Lively on February 28, 2012 at 4:50pm

Try Standard clays. Check their website for descriptions. I believe he uses 551, a very plastic porcelain. 563 might be what you're looking for.

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