Hiw to mix claydo for make brown crack#

If you mix clay that has a different moisture content, it’s more likely to separate and crack when it dries. Mix Clays That Have a Similar Moisture ContentĬlay with higher moisture content will shrink more than that which is less moist.

Hiw to mix claydo for make brown how to#

Here is a great video by Ceramic Arts Network of how to make a clay shrinkage ruler. You may want to do this before mixing different types of clay to check if they will blend well together. However, if you like to approach things more systematically, you can calculate the shrink rate of different clays. Potters who mix different clay bodies often say that the best way to find which combinations work is to experiment. If one clay shrinks more or faster than the other, then they can separate out when drying or being fired.

It is also important that different clay bodies shrinkat the same rate. Mix Clays That Have a Similar Shrinkage Rate If you blend two clays that expand and contract at different rates when fired, you may encounter problems when mixing. But it also affects how much the clay expands and contracts when it is fired (thermal expansion) 1. This affects how porous the clay is and what the clay looks like when fired. The size of the silica affects how much of it changes to glass when it is fired. Silica is the glass-forming property in clay that melts when it is fire.ĭifferent clays have silica granules of varying sizes. As such you are less likely to encounter problems if you mix these different pottery clays together.Īnother related issue is the size and quantity of silica in a clay body. However, some stoneware and porcelain bodies have similar properties. The pottery will either crack, explode or separate when it is being fired.įor that reason, mixing very different clays like earthenware and porcelain is not recommended. This will create problems when your clay is in the kiln. If you mix clays that fire at different temperatures, one clay body will fuse at a different time to another. The most important criterion for mixing different types of clay is that they fire at the same temperature. If you are considering mixing different types of clay then it is important to consider the following: Mix Clays That Fire at a Similar Temperature By contrast earthenware fires at a low temperature and shrinks much less than porcelain.

The reason for this is that clay bodies have different properties and different ways of behaving.įor example, porcelain fires at high temperatures and shrinks a lot as it dries out and is fired. It is often said that it is not a good idea to mix different types of clay. What to Remember When Mixing Different Types of Clay If you are considering mixing different types of clay, then you also need to consider their different properties. However, clay is manufactured carefully so that the properties of each clay are compatible. So different clay has already been mixed up in a clay body. A clay body is a mixture that may contain one or more types of clay. The term ‘clay’ actually refers to a kind of ingredient that is used in glazes, clay bodies, and engobes.Ĭlay is a substance that is made of particular particles. It’s worth bearing in mind that a clay body may already have different types of clay in it. Wanting to create a particular effect such as marbling.Combining the properties of two or more clay bodies.To create clay with a particular color.Having scraps of clay leftover from other projects.Though there is some cross over and many of the principles are the same. This article is largely about blending clays rather than joining them. An example might be, a mug and its handle being made from different clay bodies. Or they may be joining different types of clay in one piece. When a potter mixes different types of clay together, they may be blending two or more clay bodies to make one.