Puuurple clay, puuurple clay~

[sorce]

minerals and salts

I'd bet you can get a slight color difference of end product from places of severe difference.

I'm just here this time, because I keep forgetting I watched this the day before this thread came out.

Freaking Nice!

Dave Chappelle is a Hero!

Sorce

 

[AZbonsai]

I am obsessed with replicating authentic Japanese and Chinese clay bodies

Are you just winging it with your ratios or have you been able to find actual recipes? Do you read Japanes or Chinese? It would be interesting to research clay compositions from Japan or China without losing something in translation. Very impressive @NaoTK thank you for sharing your work!

 

[Pitoon]

I know nothing about pottery... but I do know a few things about bad water, and how different water (from the tap) can be from location to location.

Do you test your water? If your water is hard or soft does it matter? Or are the level of minerals and salts too low to make an appreciable difference when working with ceramics?

Interesting you mention that........we have a private well and the water is high in calcium. I installed a water softener to help mitigate this (water spots and softer water for the bath), But now the water has a higher salt content (due to the salt pellets) and i can notice a difference in the plants that have fertilizer and those that don't when i water. I've thought about one day getting a large cistern to capture rain water and use that for the plants.

*****Sorry for getting off topic*****

 

[sorce]

*****Sorry for getting off topic*****

Unless of course this is exactly what Naotk needed to know to fix a problem! Thoughts spark thoughts spark perfection.

Sorce

 

[NaoTK]

Are you just winging it with your ratios or have you been able to find actual recipes? Do you read Japanes or Chinese? It would be interesting to research clay compositions from Japan or China without losing something in translation. Very impressive @NaoTK thank you for sharing your work!

I am winging it, just comparing the look to my actual Japanese and Chinese pots. Even if you know the exact chemical composition, without the actual raw materials the final product will not resemble the real thing. Tokoname and Yixing became ceramic centers because they have abundant natural clays. Even within Tokoname there are many sub-types of clays. And even within Tokoname some artists import clay from China for that look. Thanks for reading

 

[NaoTK]

The Yi Xing clay formulas are published,

If you have the sources/formulas I'd love to see!

 

[Anthony]

Can you find this book -

The Stonewares of Yi Xing - K.S. Lo

https://www.amazon.com/Stonewares-Yixing-Ming-Period-Present/dp/0856671819/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2SL085DET0S88&dchild=1&keywords=the+stonewares+of+yixing&qid=1595434949&sprefix=the+stonewares%2Caps%2C328&sr=8-1

I forgot one property - the fired bodies can be porous.
Hence why the teapots are never washed with soap.
Good Day
Anthony

*please note the Chinese have moved on - spoke to a Chinese Clay Engineer
in 2000, on-line - then he disappeared, China closed the doors.

 

[sorce]

I was watching a thing about sinkholes, many in China. I think it asked "what would you do if you found yourself in the middle of a sinkhole?"
..

I was like.....

Grab some clay out that bitch!

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Couple things....

This is just some reclaim treated the same, bone dried, add extra water so the pressure helps, mix, sit mix, sit, mix....I work outside when I have company, till someday I feel like syphoning off the water mixing and pouring it in brand name jeans. Jeans more expensive then I wear! Lol! They were free!

I let this one sit out too long, but it's still useable


Inside out leaves less fabric trimmings to pull out. This is right side out.

I've been practicing my spiral wedging with such large clumps. Fun!

Water....

I keep a bucket of "stank" water in the sink as a clay trap. This water is good to add to the mix.

Just as aligned with our recent talk of bacteria in soil, I believe bacteria has immense impacts on the plasticity and other working characteristics of clay. Which translates through each process.

Case Study, someone who bleaches their clay to rid the smell, but then has every other problem possible. Stupid!

If you haven't peruse Washington Street Studios on YouTube. We can learn about bonsai from the great information they've compiled.

Sorce

 

[JoeR]

Couple things....

This is just some reclaim treated the same, bone dried, add extra water so the pressure helps, mix, sit mix, sit, mix....I work outside when I have company, till someday I feel like syphoning off the water mixing and pouring it in brand name jeans. Jeans more expensive then I wear! Lol! They were free!

I let this one sit out too long, but it's still useable
View attachment 317735

Inside out leaves less fabric trimmings to pull out. This is right side out.

I've been practicing my spiral wedging with such large clumps. Fun!

Water....

I keep a bucket of "stank" water in the sink as a clay trap. This water is good to add to the mix.

Just as aligned with our recent talk of bacteria in soil, I believe bacteria has immense impacts on the plasticity and other working characteristics of clay. Which translates through each process.

Case Study, someone who bleaches their clay to rid the smell, but then has every other problem possible. Stupid!

If you haven't peruse Washington Street Studios on YouTube. We can learn about bonsai from the great information they've compiled.

Sorce

Bacteria affecting clay plasticity, this stuff just gets more and more complex. Starting to feel like I need a degree in chemistry and mineralogy at this rate!! Great thread.

 

[Anthony]

Oh, I forgot to say, the information in Mr.Lo's book
is formula - oxides, not recipes - say % feldspar or kaolin.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[sorce]

I think it was Anthony who first taught me the plant leg trick.

Let me tell you a bit about the END, of the process. Mostly as guided by information from FB groups, forums, and delivering clay to end users in all settings.

It ends with people trying to open the kiln before it cools, because they have to get stuff to a show.
Before around 500F, things break at the formation/activity of Cristobalite.

This firing was too fast for the same reason.
Bad glazes, uneven maturation of clay.

Things blow up in a fast firing. You know how many experienced people are still blowing stuff up? It's laughable.

People in public kilns bitch about needing stuff so they tend to fire too fast. Fire private.

Going back in time, drying is too fast. Pieces get broke. Unfortunately, many flaws* don't show up till firing, wasting space the whole time it is there and unseen. Many kilns are loaded with stuff that won't survive, but because we can't see it, we don't know...they don't know....fuck that!

Building or throwing, sculpting etc, should be done as fast as possible, while paying attention to the important things *. I believe this is too individual to speak on further.

But here is the "making the clay" part that I want to talk about.
The more time we allow for this process the better too.
You know some Chinese Porcelains are aged for 8 years or more?

They recommend at least a month for stoneware.

Point being...the more the we allow for every process, the better and EASIER, more successful everything becomes.

By allowing the pressure of the water to work for me, saturation is quick, dust free, and easy.

My chicken fence mixer.




I went out to mix this more today.
You can see what I so far believe to be bubbles risen, where the oxygen allows for first algae growth, making them darker. Sometimes the little red bloodworms are still in the local clay.

Anyway, in order to not be late for that show, we have to be one month ahead from this making clay point.

I don't understand how it is possible that people run themselves so thin, merely by not working towards an earlier beginning, allowing the time.

I realized my reclaims are a bit short, so rather than jump to changing the recipe, I will first add more stank water and let them age longer.

Time is a Myth.

Sorce

 

[Anthony]

@sorce ,

you know K uses an iron pigment palette in oil painting

White [ Buff Titanium - Fe / Tio2 ]
Iron Yellow
Iron Orange
Iron Red [ warm ]
Iron Red [ cold ]
Iron Purple
Iron Black
Iron Green [ 2 types ]

When we searched for clays , we found the Teds, Purple, Green and Black
as layers in the sand pit.

We can fire up to 90 % of the body, ball mill and add back to
the 10 % body to make for fast firing shapes.
Just Sharing
Anthony

 

[sorce]

Couple things I've come up with in the last couple days.

I used this DE in a sack trick on some local slip, took all the water out, and remained good wet.




With minimal pickup by the sack.



Used that DE sack trick with a small test batch of clay with more water in it, left outside for just one day, and I was able to roll that semimixed very wet batch up in a wet cloth, thoroughly mixing it and slowly drying it out. "Wedging in a wet cloth" if you will. Your mix method kept my spirits up in what I thought was going to be a bogus mission. Thanks for that!

Today, I needed another hand to leg a groggy large batch. The rain barrel volunteered.





The ring helped keep even pressure so it wouldn't fall in. It was a little too much for this trick, but it worked with a couple oh shit ohshits.

Turns out it was easier to just clip it on the rack, which is how I got the last bits of grog in.
The leg on the right.



The left is porcelain reclaim, which is acting her usually self. I have a hard ball in the center. Found out yesterday porcelain can get dilatant.

I watched another interview with Phil, he is like a Ceramics Super nerd! My kind of guy!

One pant leg of properly cut designer jeans should be left with the ability to button up and hang! Haha!



Cheers!

Made my first 2 Bonsai Pots with my own Clay yesterday! The clay is so perfect!...so far!

Sorce

 

[NaoTK]

@sorce Really cool stuff! I didn't know about that DE technique. I'm looking forward to seeing your new pots.
I saw your river dig in the other post; you are lucky to have that resource and I'm glad you are exploring it. I'm in Oregon near Portland. We have lots of rivers and streams but our top soil is rather young geologically speaking and not suitable for ceramics. Our rocks are mostly young basalt which means we cant lay down the kind of kaolinic clay deposits you see in the midwest.

My favorite education resource is digitalfire. https://digitalfire.com/article/list I have to re-read everything multiple times until it clicks, but its worth it.

I will post new pots in a couple weeks. I have a large kiln which is great for firing big stuff, but then it takes a couple months to fill the damn thing with pots. Cheers

 

[sorce]

That DE trick is ours exclusively! Ha!

young geologically

I have been engulfed in the certain floods as of late, makes sense since the slate was washed clean.

Basalt can be used for glazes yes?

I, as you, and every good Potter, know digital fire!
I recently tried to sign up for insight live, but met an unwelcome wall of subscriptions, etc...$...meh.
Dude definitely knows his stuff. The first glaze I made was a recipe from there, I am making my home dishes with it! The only screen shots I don't delete when seeking space are ones from digitalfire!

Crazy cuz since Glazy, I realized home made glazes are better .....and now, homemade clays are better too...duh?! Our economy survives off of laziness exclusively! It's ridiculous!

Here's to that New Flood! Hahahaha!

Oh...my still drying new pots.



Sorce

 

[NaoTK]

@sorce Very nice! love that first pot, very refined and delicate with all the subtle details.

Yes, laziness. You can buy clay from the store, glaze from a bottle, stamps, put it in a kiln and push start like a microwave and out comes a boring pot. keep climbing my friend

 

[NaoTK]

Here are two new pots with two different formulas. I think they are getting better. Once I can control the process well I will make innovative new forms. That's the plan anyways.

This first oval is 44x34x7cm (17x13x3" freedom units) and is the same recipe as my first post. This time I burnished the surface. The high iron content makes a dark syrupy surface and it turns metallic in flame.



This 2nd pot was a surprise for me. It is a different recipe than the above pot. I burnished it and under-fired it 2 cones this time and the result was an interesting dry, orange peel-like surface. The mottling comes from my uneven burnishing technique, but I will make it more even next time. This one really looks "antique" Chinese and I can't wait to make more pots. 44x34x11cm (17x13x4.5")

The white balance sucks but the last photo close up is the most accurate color reproduction.





See you next month

 

[Anthony]

Nicely done !

 

[zanduh]

I could read experimentation topics that go into crazy amounts of detail like this all day!