TYPES OF CLAY

There are heaps of different clay bodies (types of clay) that you can buy! Make sure you check what temperature your clay will need to fire to as different clays have lower/higher temperatures! firing clay to the wrong temperature will leave your pieces either under-fired (not food safe and waterproof) or in a puddle (yes pieces can melt if they’re fired to the wrong temperature). At Ceramiques we use STONEWARE clay and glaze and only offer a bisque firing and a stoneware glaze firing.

  • Earthenware (fired to around 1000 - 1100°C)

  • Midfire (fired to around 1200 - 1260°C)

  • Stoneware (fired to around 1280°C)

  • Porcelain (fired to around 1280 - 1300°C)

STAGES OF CLAY

1. WET. Fresh from the bag and the perfect consistency to make your pots from. Soft, smooshy, wet and delicious.

2. LEATHER HARD. Depending on the weather it can take as little as a few hours and up to a few days for your piece to become ‘leather hard’. If you’d like your pot to dry more slowly (recommended to reduce cracking and warping) you can cover it in a plastic bag and it will become leather hard in around 3-7 days. As the clay starts to dry, changes to the shape of your pot are no longer possible. However, this is the perfect time to carve into the clay to create surface texture. The clay has the consistency of a hard cheese or leather and is cool to the touch.

3. BONE DRY.  As the clay continues to dry it will lighten in colour and it will no longer feel cool to the touch. If your piece is not covered in plastic while drying this can take anywhere between 3 to 10 days depending on the weather and the thickness of your pot. When your pot is bone dry its ready to be fired! YAY! Your pot will be very fragile at this stage and we recommend transporting it in a box wrapped in towels or bubble wrap. If your piece breaks or cracks at this stage it cannot be repaired stuck together.

4. BISQUE. The bisque firing is the first of two firings that your pot will go through. Before it’s been fired it’s in the GREENWARE stage and after it’s been fired we call it BISQUEWARE (wanky pottery lingo but hey) The bisque firing transforms clay into ceramic, but leaves it porous enough to be able to absorb glaze. We run our Bisque firing to 1000°C. Your pot will be easy to pick up after the bisque firing but it’s still fragile - handle gently.

5. GLAZEWARE. After you have applied glaze to your pot (make sure the glaze firing temperature matches that of your clay body!) it’s ready for its final firing - the glaze firing. We run our glaze firing to 1280°C aka STONEWARE temperature. After this firing your pot will be waterproof, food safe, dishwasher safe, microwave safe and oven safe. It will be strong and ready for daily use. How bloody exciting !