[trina]

Hi there,

Can anyone share ideas with me about 'homemade' grog. I have some chimney bricks which I am considering bashing up and adding to some low fire terracotta clay body.
Thanks in advance



Trina

[TJR]

It's possible to bust up old bisque ware to make grog and I'm sure you can break up bricks as well.
Couple thing to consider;
1. What temperature were the bricks fired at? If you put them in your clay will they blob out the side? Make a test fire of some on a broken kiln shelf first.
2. How can you smash the particles small enough? This is what machines are for- like a jaw crusher and a plate mill.[found in Geology departments].
3. Then you have to sieve your grog to get the right particle size.
4. DUST!!!
I have used grog from bisque. Works great, but I don't tend to use a lot of grog for functional pots unless you are rakuing, or making sculpture.
TJR.

[Arnold Howard]

trina, on 22 February 2012 - 03:08 PM, said:

Can anyone share ideas with me about 'homemade' grog. I have some chimney bricks which I am considering bashing up and adding to some low fire terracotta clay body.

You could make kaolin grog from powdered firebricks.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com

[trina]

Arnold Howard, on 23 February 2012 - 09:11 AM, said:

trina, on 22 February 2012 - 03:08 PM, said:

Can anyone share ideas with me about 'homemade' grog. I have some chimney bricks which I am considering bashing up and adding to some low fire terracotta clay body.

You could make kaolin grog from powdered firebricks.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com

Hi there, Thanks for your reply, are we talkin powdered as in dust? I am planning to do something sculptural in terra cotto and burn it in a pit fire so I know the temps arent going to be more than whatever the fire brick was fired at. I was thinking of rice sized bits. Trina

[trina]

trina, on 23 February 2012 - 09:32 AM, said:

Arnold Howard, on 23 February 2012 - 09:11 AM, said:

trina, on 22 February 2012 - 03:08 PM, said:

Can anyone share ideas with me about 'homemade' grog. I have some chimney bricks which I am considering bashing up and adding to some low fire terracotta clay body.

You could make kaolin grog from powdered firebricks.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com

Hi there, Thanks for your reply, are we talkin powdered as in dust? I am planning to do something sculptural in terra cotto and burn it in a pit fire so I know the temps arent going to be more than whatever the fire brick was fired at. I was thinking of rice sized bits. Trina

So I smashed up my fire brick wacked it into my clay, decided to make two very large tiles / masks and am now hoping for the best. I did only use the finest dust and will use the rice sized bits for my original idea.... will keep you posted . Trina

[neilestrick]

My only question is: WHY? You can buy red grog, and have a much more consistent product than you can make yourself. If you do make your own, it's best run it through a screen to get the right particle size. Generally, clay bodies will use a 30-80 mesh grog. And be sure to test. Some red bricks fire a lot lower than you'd think.

[trina]

neilestrick, on 27 February 2012 - 06:07 PM, said:

My only question is: WHY? You can buy red grog, and have a much more consistent product than you can make yourself. If you do make your own, it's best run it through a screen to get the right particle size. Generally, clay bodies will use a 30-80 mesh grog. And be sure to test. Some red bricks fire a lot lower than you'd think.

Why, well because I am too darn lazy to drive the hour and half to the closest pottery store....

[neilestrick]

trina, on 28 February 2012 - 08:20 AM, said:

neilestrick, on 27 February 2012 - 06:07 PM, said:

My only question is: WHY? You can buy red grog, and have a much more consistent product than you can make yourself. If you do make your own, it's best run it through a screen to get the right particle size. Generally, clay bodies will use a 30-80 mesh grog. And be sure to test. Some red bricks fire a lot lower than you'd think.

Why, well because I am too darn lazy to drive the hour and half to the closest pottery store....

I know how you feel....

[trina]

neilestrick, on 28 February 2012 - 05:27 PM, said:

trina, on 28 February 2012 - 08:20 AM, said:

neilestrick, on 27 February 2012 - 06:07 PM, said:

My only question is: WHY? You can buy red grog, and have a much more consistent product than you can make yourself. If you do make your own, it's best run it through a screen to get the right particle size. Generally, clay bodies will use a 30-80 mesh grog. And be sure to test. Some red bricks fire a lot lower than you'd think.

Why, well because I am too darn lazy to drive the hour and half to the closest pottery store....

I know how you feel....

So that Grog I made! Wow it so worked!!! I made some giant tiles with crazy faces I call them 'confetti people' will post the pic but too dark already. Anyway I made two, then got scared that it wouldn't work so I made another two out of paper clay knowing those would be fine, dried them for almost a month due to size and thickness and wacked on the glaze in their greenware state and fired them two days ago, kiln cooled and everything groovey! T