New Clay Body

Today we switched over to a new clay body.
We have been through a dozen different clay bodies over the past 30 years and many of those we used and relied on as our main body.
For about the past 10-12 years we have used a body mixed by Standard Clays. We found it worked quite well for our needs.
We want a good reliable body that throws well, works with our glazes and the way we fire.
We found out over Christmas that our supplier would no longer be selling Standard Clay and he was working on developing a body that he hoped would work for many of his customers.
 Since he is a small local business it was our hope that we could help to support him, and us, by using the clay that he would be supplying.

Mark threw some test for the last kiln and it looked as if this could be a body that would work for us.
Today after we changed over the pug mill I thought about what I had planned to throw today and decided that I needed a friendly shape to start with. I needed to have a hands on experience of my own to judge if this body and I would become friends.

My choice was to make a 1 1/4 bottle that I would push around a bit to see how well the clay would move.
I was pleasantly surprised and happy that the clay pulled up well, pushed out where I wanted it to, stood up to the pushing and collared in well.
Smooth and strong.

 

 I moved on from the bottles to some teapots bodies. It has been awhile since I have made any teapots and, again, I was pleased how this clay moved.
I know we still have to go from the small test of the last kiln to how these glaze in multiples.
I have hope for success.
This clay and I are becoming fast friends.

I'll keep you posted.
M