Clay Recipe Problems
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Clay Recipe Problems
Recognizing Clay Recipe Problems
Even if you achieve an optimum slurry, it will not necessarily cast well if the clay recipe itself is not right. Recipes that contain a lot of fine clay minerals (i.e. ball clay, bentonite) will cast slowly because the clay is not very permeable to the passage of water and they will release slowly because the clay is stickier and will resist release from the mold (although ceramic slip with its 50% typical ball clay is an exception because the high talc in the recipe helps vent the water). They will produce ware that will shrink more and crack more. Recipes that have inadequate clay or clays of very low plasticity will shrink too little and not release from the mold. They will produce fragile ware that fractures when being removed from the mold or during handling.
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| Sheri Ann Richerson |
