can ^10 clay be fired at ^6 or ^8 ?

ok i am a real newbie, but an experienced potter (finishing his MA in ceramics, a working potter) told me that I could fire ^10 clay down to ^6 if needed. What say the rest of you? Or can ^10 only be fired at ^10?

Reply to
Beowulf
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You can fire ^10 clay to any temperature, up to ^10. How vitreous it will be depends on whether or not it reached maturity, which is the cone it was designed for (^10) If you are planning on using a clay to hold liquid, use it only at the temp for which it is intended. That's what it is formulated for. But no one is stopping you from firing it lower.

That said...here's the catch :>)

HOWEVER... no one said that you could not fire a piece to the cone for which it is intended, and then glaze it with a lower cone glaze and re-fire it. Many people do this, to use a particular glaze good only for a much lower temp. You might have crazing, cracking, or other fit problems because of it, but the only way to find out is to ....test, test, test. Will a clay body be durable below the cone for which it is rated? Probably not. Will there be other problems with it down the road? Maybe, depending on what is in it.

Good luck! Wayne Seidl

Reply to
wayneinkeywest

Hi, I don't seem to get all the posts, so I found this one only as a reply (if anybody knows why..?..) However, I use what is officially ^10 clay to ^6 as a result of many frustrations with warping thinly thrown bowls. YOU CAN DO IT with THE RIGHT CLAY. You need to TEST for porosity and vitrification. If I remember correctly I have fired the clay to ^6 and ^10, weighted it, immersed in water for 24-48 hours and weighted it again. There was no difference. If you fill the bowl with water and leave on absorbent surface you will soon find out if it leaks. Try and see if it works for you Andrea

Reply to
A&V

Best to check with the supplier. Loafer's Glory, a Highwater white stoneware clay, is listed as good for cone 6-10. The absorption rate will be less at the higher cone, but I imagine their 6 rating is based on the fact that the aborption rate is low enough to prevent leakage when properly glazed. The potential problem with firing lower is that you risk that the fired clay will either leak, or over time, if used in a microwave, would absorb liquid if the glaze isn't craze free, and cause an eventual explosion of the piece.

Regards, June

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Reply to
ShantiP1

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