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alberta slip vs. albany slip

updated fri 25 jun 99

 

Tony Hansen on thu 24 jun 99

Saw quite a few messages on this in the last while.
Alberta Slip has the same chemistry as Albany and by themselves both
fire to a glossy beanpot brown at around cone 8. Both react very
similarly
in glazes where they are a minor component i.e. less than 50%. They work
similarly to make black (i.e. 95% Albany, 5% cobalt). However in subtle
areas of crystallization and color response they differ, no doubt about
it.
The one big thing about Alberta Slip is that it is a lot more plastic
than silty Albany was, this is good for some applications, bad for
others.

I been doing some work for Plainsman Clays, makers of Alberta Slip I and
this week, after about 6 months of testing, Alberta Slip II will
see its first production test. Hold onto your hats! Unlike Alberta Slip
I,
it is not plastic, it is silty like Albany was. It contains more than
70% native clay. It glides on the ware like silk and you can put it on
in four thick layers without cracks. Perfect for underglaze use for
variegation like Albany was used for. But it is white! Yes, by itself it
fires to a silky matte white at cone 10R. You can add as much iron as
you
want to duplicate the color of Albany. With other colorants, opacifiers
it could become a major part of every glaze you use because of its
marvelous handling qualities. There has never been a material like this
on the stoneware market that I know of.

--
T o n y H a n s e n thansen@digitalfire.com
Don't fight the dragon alone http://digitalfire.com/plainsman