Clay Bodies

Clay used in the throwing clay body as dug

Clay used in the throwing clay body as dug

Exposed decomposing tuff used to add colour to a dark clay body

Exposed decomposing tuff used to add colour to a dark clay body

Raw Materials

The clay bodies are made up from local clays with added rock dusts to flux and colour the final throwing clay. A decomposing granite is the main flux material and is used tonsure the clay vitrifies sufficiently and also adds some non plastic material to the clay body.

Ball mill used to blunge clay body materials. 

Ball mill used to blunge clay body materials. 

Clay drying trays made from plastic bread trays with cement sheeting siliconed to the base.

Clay drying trays made from plastic bread trays with cement sheeting siliconed to the base.

Processing

The body materials are weighed out into 6 kg batches which are ball milled for approximately an hour after which they are sieved and poured into a settling tub. Once settled water is drawn off and the clay moved to drying trays. When stiffened to throwing consistently the clay is pug milled and stored.                                             Back to Technical Page