Recipes

 

 

Over the past two years I have restricted myself to mainly using the three body recipes below. The surface variations achievable from these bodies, depending on position in the kiln, which kiln I'm firing and the overall pack of the kiln, generate many different faces and I am discovering new aspects achievable from them all the time. I now usually have one new body test in each firing.

 

Three main body recipes

 

High flux stoneware:

 

Hyplas 71 ball clay - 35
AT ball clay - 10
China clay - 22
Quartz - 13
Nepheline syenite - 20

 

High flux porcelain:

 

China clay - 55
Hyplas 71 ball clay - 15
Quest bentonite - 2
Quartz - 10
Nepheline syenite - 25

High flux big ware:

 

ESVA ball clay - 12
Hyplas 71 ball clay - 3
AT ball clay - 3
China clay - 7
Quartz - 6
Nepheline syenite - 7
Molochite 30-80s - 14

 

This recipe should be mixed 2 :1 with the high flux stoneware for better workability

Other body recipes which work well.

 

#.2

 

Hymod AT ball clay - 35
Hyplas 71 ball clay - 10
China clay - 22
Quartz - 13
Nepheline syenite - 20
Red clay - 10
Silica sand - 10

 

A good strong body that will take a lot of heat, quite dark but shows good flashing a little further back from the fire. Can be used for larger work, the silica sand is optional.

 

#3

 

China clay - 50
Nepheline syenite - 27
Hyplas 71 ball clay - 15
Quartz - 11
Quest Bentonite - 2

 

An addition of 5% Gabroic clay (Collected from the Roseland peninsula on the south coast of Cornwall), to this base produces good flashing with mother of pearl lustre. The ball clay content can be altered by adding parts of AT ball clay or red clay to darken the body. The finer the iron bearing clay that is added, the more lustrous the surface, if positioned in the middle of the kiln with strong flame contact.

 

#.4

Another porcelain, which works well with estuary clay or red clay in all parts of the kiln:

Grolleg china clay - 50
Nepheline syenite - 25
Quartz - 20
Quest bentonite - 5
Estuary clay - 1 - 5

The inclusion of plastic red clay also adds to the workability of this body, as it tends to be a little short.

Paul's # 6

 

China clay - 25
Hyplas 71 ball clay - 25
Hymod prima ball clay - 25
fff feldspar - 20
flint - 5

 

Black body

Hyplas 71 ball clay - 45
China clay - 15
Hymod AT ball clay - 10
Molochite 30-80s - 30
Manganese dioxide - 3.3
Red iron oxide - 3.3
Copper oxide - 1.6
Cobalt carbonate - 1.6

 

Used for saucers which are cut off a block and side fired. Very strong despite the high
fuxing of the oxides.

 

#5

Hyplas 71 ball clay - 30
Hymod AT ball clay - 15
China clay - 22
Quartz - 13
Nepheline syenite - 10
Cornish stone - 15

 

This is a good strong body which has a satin white surface with good response to flame flashing and ash accumulation.

 

 

Titanium ash glaze recipe:

 

Firebox ash - 50
Cornish stone - 30
Nepheline syenite - 30
Quartz - 50
Titanium dioxide - 10%

 

This glaze will give a myriad of colours depending on its position in the kiln. It is very fluid and moves in a very similar way to accumulated natural ash glaze. When applied as a liner it should be applied thin. If it pools too thickly it can develop a deep crazing.

 

Carbon Trap shino recipes

 

CT 1 Orton cone 10 - 15 reduction

 

Nepheline syenite - 42.5
Soda feldspar - 10.25
Hywite HK2 Ball clay - 14.32 (can be substituted with Hyplas/ESVR)
China clay - 9.5
Soda ash - 17.9

 

Fires to a white/ orange glaze with grey to black carbon trapping.

 

CT 2 Orton cone 10 - 12 reduction.

 

Nepheline syenite - 50
Spodumene - 20
China clay - 12
AT Ball clay - 8
Soda ash - 12
Red clay powder - 3

 

Fires to a rich red to dark orange to cream with strong carbon trapping. Can give a beautiful lustrous gold.

 

CT 3 Orton cone 10 -12 reduction.

 

Nepheline syenite - 52
Prima ball clay - 14
China clay - 10
Soda ash - 13
Red clay - 2

Another rich orange carbon trapping glaze very sensitive to firing atmosphere.

 

 

Kiln Building:

 

Mortar#1:

 

High alumina fireclay
Sodium silicate.

 

Mortar#2:

 

High alumina fireclay

sand or course alumina

Insulation:

 

6 parts Sand
2pts fireclay
1pt Portland cement
4pts Sawdust
10litres Pearlite

 

wadding  recipes ( All mixes are by volume):

 

A.

2 sand
2 fire clay
2 china clay
1 saw dust

 

B.

 

2 grog
2 fire clay
2 saw dust

 

C.

3 grog
3 fire clay
3 saw dust 
.5 AT clay
.5 red clay

 

D.

 

2.5 fire clay
1 alumina
1.5 sand
1 saw dust

 

E.

 

2 alumina
1 china clay
1 molochite - 30
1 saw dust

 

F.

 

. 2 silica sand
1.5 Saw dust
1 fireclay

 

G.

 

2 silica sand
1.5 Fine sawdust
1 High alumina fireclay
0.5 red clay