[Lucille Oka]

It will work out. Don't get discouraged. Ceramics has a way of making itself happen. The alternatives will show up and it will be an "AHA!!" moment. Tell us when it comes.

[neilestrick]

JLowes, on 16 November 2011 - 02:09 PM, said:

After working with Standard 365 Cone 6 porcelain a good bit and wondering why folks always seemed to have more trouble with it than I, my last firing stopped all that thought. I made a plate using a plaster form made for the wheel to throw and shape, then partially dry the porcelain. When I took the plate off the plaster it was firm and non-yielding, and I let it go to bone dry under plastic over a coupl of weeks. I fired it this past weekend, and as it happened in kiln loading the plate ended up on a half round shelf by itself, overhanging the edge. When I pulled the plate out it was severly warped, and a sizable chunk of the foot was plucked off by the kiln shelf (which was kiln washed by the way.) There was also a glaze incompatilibity issue on the overlap of a steadfast clear and Opulence Midnight Blue (always a good glaze before) that caused crawling of the glaze.

Fortunately for me, I have worked a lot with this porcelain and will again, but a first timer might have run kicking and screaming from porcelain forever. I may use stoneware for my plates though, lol.

John

Overhanging the edge of the shelf was the problem, not the clay. Any time a foot is not fully supported it will cause warping, especially in bowls and plates. The plucking was also a case of the foot being over the edge. I make 20 pound platters and 45 pound planters with Standard 365 with no cracking or warping problems. The glaze issue was more likely due to the glazes than the clay- variations in thickness, or the moisture level of the first layer when applying the second layer. Give the clay another chance.

[neilestrick]

buckeye, on 30 October 2011 - 11:13 AM, said:

Since I started all I have used is Stoneware and I am thinking of trying some Porcelain. Anyone know of a good porcelain that throws well and fairly easy to work with? any tips or advice for working with porcelain?

Since you're in Ohio, Laguna would probably be your best bet for a clay supplier. Their Babu is wonderful stuff. The biggest issue my students have with porcelain is that it absorbs water very quickly. So work quickly when centering and pulling, then scrape it down with a metal rib to get all the water and slurry off, and take your time shaping.

[Mark C.]

I use and recommend laguna's Daves porcelain-Costs are about the same for b-mix a white stoneware-it throws almost as well as b-mix
Babo is fine -costs much more and unless you need the translucent qualities it would be a waste of $.Dave's has more leg than Babo
WE use about 10 tons per year of Daves and it is the workhorse of my production
I have tried over 20 porcelains over the years and

If you want to hand build with white ware I would recommend half and half from Laguna

All these clays are cone 10
Mark

[macdoodled]

Buckeye- Last item done with nara paper clay cone10 - not so happy. Lots more cost - The final product wasn't that much lighter... glaze application was not much different looking to me . The thin edges at the bottom chipped after bisque and during glazing application even after glaze and fire. The final blah flat greyish color at least is only on the bottom -is also well ...blah.

I have a larger item to glaze and fire once I'm back to school I used the texture to it's advantage -lots of ripped edges .
This one may make me happier with it.... we shall see in a few weeks.

I do want cook up the rest of I the stuff I got and then get more babu .

Please post if you have experimented with any of the porcelains yet!

[Ivar]

Reading this topic I got very jellous of you people... I live in Croatia, and here if I want something beside standard earthenware or stoneware, I need to order it from other countries, and it costs so much that you couldn't believe it.
Same thing was with porcelain. I ordered it from Germany, just 50 kg cost me more then 500 USD without thransport cost, custome fee and taxes. And when I started throwing it was perfect, but all of the work cracked either during drying process or firing. So, I stoped with it....it was very frustrating, and now I need some time off from procelain.
All what is left I will use for slip casting.

In any case, i am sure that problem is not in porcelain itself, but in my lack of expirience with it.

[TJR]

Buckeye;
I know this won't probably help you as I am in Canada. I use a Plainsman porcelain called P580. I have also used porcelain from Tuckers in Oakville, Ontario[outside of Toronto]
The trick with porcelain is to keep your studio clean, esp. your wedging table. Scrub it down first as you don't want any iron tranfering over to your clay. You will see a sreak in the finished piece. It's fun to throw, but has no real wet strength, kind of like throwing putty. Glazeseat on it though.
TJR.

[neilestrick]

Standard 257 (c10) or 365 (c6) ar two of the best throwing porcelains I've ever used, and I've tried dozens. I make 45 pound planters with no warping or cracking. Laguna Babu is also very nice, and Highwater Helios.

[Craig]

I've been using Standard 365 cone 6 for years with no problems. Excellent to throw, translucent, reduction and oxidation.

www.craigrhodes.us

[timbo_heff]

The Elaine's Crystal from Sheffield Pottery is fantastic !
Used by many pros.
Grolleg, true porcelain, not a semi-stoneware body.
It is a Coleman formula. If you know him, he will vouch for it's excellence.
Also available in a cone 6 version

In deference to full disclosure I do work there, but just sharing the opinions and reviews of the many potters who use it everyday to make their living.

Expect as with most true porcelains, lots of shrinkage and trickiness attaching multi part pieces including handles.
Try letting it get dryer than normal before attaching. A little molochite in your attaching slip is another helper in this regard.
-tjh

[natalie at perth]

buckeye, on 30 October 2011 - 12:13 PM, said:

Since I started all I have used is Stoneware and I am thinking of trying some Porcelain. Anyone know of a good porcelain that throws well and fairly easy to work with? any tips or advice for working with porcelain?

Hi Buckeye
I dont know what brands of porcelain you get in U.S.A. as I am from Perth Australia - but I have found porcelain to be quite challenging, as not much water may be used, that is no problem for myself, but I have friends who have problems in this area. It seems you have to start small to practice, as you cant fiddle about too much, - straight up to a fine cylinder, then shape out without too much twisting (this can happen easily) it is like anything the more you practice the better you become, the rims of your bowls can be made fairly thick-ish as you can turn them back before you turn the bottoms. You can decorate and carve into the 'finished'bowl with a sharp dentist tool or small dremmel, of course you must wear a mask for this work, rubbing back can be done when leather hard to dry, dont worry too much if the bowls warp out of shape as this is part of porcelain features and if glazed beautifully doesnt really matter, it is a wonderful medium and you will love it once you get started - I love it