Raw clay for abo pottery (build along)

[Dan K]

Fun thread!  Thx for posting. I tried making clay with my daughter last summer. Thought we did it until we did the rope test and realized our slip was too gritty for pottery. Only time I ever did this so honestly didn't know if we were right or wrong. I used a 4x4 sheet of tile underlayment as my plaster. Worked great to shed water. I set it at a slight angle and while it absorbed from the bottom, they bulk ran off into a rag. Scraped right off with no problems. After seeing this makes me want to try again.

[Jodocus]

Cool thread, nice to see you get along so well! Glazing is nice, but if you really want to go with materials you collected and processed yourself, it's going to get quite difficult. I have not done this yet, neither have I found any serious recipes. I guess you'll have to find lead and copper ores to make good glaze.

BUT, here's a video of what there is besides glazing, if you want to stay abo. Super simple means, super beautiful pottery:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkUGm87DE0k

[Zuma]

Don K,
I am guessing that you used a cement board? Good idea!
Please do try again. I would like to see something from  you
and your daughter.

Jodocus, Thanks for the video!
Yes lead was important to glazing. I think they have lead free today.
The Virginia clay from here is supposed to be heavy in lead.
I guess left from decayed uranium?
I have some activated charcoal I was thinking of mixing with some clay (on a small scale to see what happens?
Thanks for the info guys.
My pot is still drying and shrinking.
Zuma
Happy Mother's Day

[Zuma]

Every day it don't rain I get more clay dry enough for use.
Wide pans moving air and sunshine.
I tried some activated charcoal mixed with the clay.
It worked very well, dried good in balls but to quickly
flattened out.
I guess I need to down load some pics.
Zuma

[Zuma]

Well about three weeks to get it all dried to a storeable state.
(ready to block) and use minus additives. I am debating whether
to use the kill or take all day and night to do a pit fire for the pot I built?

[Zuma]

I fired the pot yesterday and here it is--
I used a small electric kill and introduced some wood slivers
at the end of firing to burn out the oxygen,
Gives the rich brown color.
Zuma

[Don Case]

Looks good, have you filled it with water? I'm still curious about the limestone

[Zuma]

Looks good, have you filled it with water? I'm still curious about the limestone

I guess it won't do any harm as the particles are so small.
I'll get a cool drink of water from it. (evaporation through the pot).
The clay really did shrink a lot.
Zuma

[Don Case]

The shrinkage came as a big surprize to me on my first try. I thought I was making a man sized coffee cup and ended up with a shot glass. Not so bad after all

[Zuma]

Lol Don,
Half of something is always better than all of nothing.
I think I fired the pot to stoneware. No limestone problems.

[Don Case]

Very nice. Glad it worked out.