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susan peterson's flameware clay body for stovetop cooking

updated fri 25 mar 11

 

DJ Brewer on wed 23 mar 11


Has anyone else tried Susan Peterson's flameware claybody? I just mixed
10 lbs of it up last night and threw a smallish bowl-pot on the wheel
with it this morning. I'm excited to try it out. I added some
thickish, cavemanish handles to the top sides of the pot. I'll bisque
and fire it to cone 10, and then just try boiling water and making
ramen in it.

Here's the recipe for the claybody:
Petalite 30%
Spodumene 20%
Fire clay 30%
Ball clay 20%

Should be fun! I've got several other flameware recipes I will be trying
out -- including ones from Robbie Lobell when the pyrophillite arrives
at the ceramic store. It's a special order.

If anyone has any other recipes or recommendations, I'm all ears. I
want to make caveman pots with cave art on them and use them. So fun!

DJ

Karen Gringhuis on thu 24 mar 11


DJ -=3D20

Cushing's HANDBOOK incl. several flameware body recipes accompanied by br=
=3D
ief
TEST instructions. It's critical to test flameware bodies.=3D20

Ideally a flameware body should have a minimum of 60% petalite of 200 mes=
=3D
h
size. You may want to halve the percentage of ball clay to lower
expansion/contraction & replace it w/ a stoneware or grolleg or Tile =3D
#6.=3D20
Consider adding 2% macaloid ("below the line" i.e. not incl. in the 100%
recipe & not bentonite) for increased plasticity.=3D20

Best not to even think of glazing these! To be secure w/ glazing you wou=
=3D
ld
have to have the glazed ware tested by a lab w/ a dilatometer, etc. Ther=
=3D
e's
a story out there from decades ago about a potter who sold glazed flamewa=
=3D
re,
the glaze popped off hitting someone in the eye who then sued and the pot=
=3D
ter
lost "everything."=3D20

Further research - someone named Ron Probst (?) once wrote an article for=
=3D

Cer. Monthly or other mag. Maybe someone on the list can point you direc=
=3D
tly
to this.=3D20

Your constant enthusiasm is wonderful!! But flameware bodies are best
approched w/ caution and serious testing.