slump/hump & clay?

biglou13

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i watched video on tokoname pots they were using slump mold technique.
i still feel there is still much creative input, and still very much hand made.
many still value highly the the Chinese or Japanese, pots made with this technique.

it seems that most here throw and/or hand build pots
is slump/hump building frowned upon?

im total newb (3 pots in) to pottery an until i get a better understanding, plan on making simple slump/hump pots secondary to slab, pinch, and coil building, based on classic designs,with as classic an appearance i can get, un glazed.

call me traditional i think its important to have a strong rudimentary knowledge

?What readily available clay best approximates, tokoname or other classic unglazed bonsai pottery, along with firing info eg cone reduction, etc etc?

?what classical techniques/ ideals should be learned by novice? if there is a "miyagi" of pottery what would be "wax on, wax off" exercises?
 
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garywood

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As in most things that require a measure of dexterity, repetition is the key, a must. There needs to be a comfort zone for whichever method you use and enjoy. I throw, hand build, pinch and not much or any mold work but that's what I enjoy not that someone tells me that what's accepted. Higher fired clays are the standard and they need to be close to vitrification so the pot doesn't spall in freezing\thaw cycles. Most of my work is with a darker clay with grog. The firing temp you use is totally dependent on the kiln you use so if you can only fire to cone6 then get cone6 clay and not cone10. Iron Oxide is probably the most used stain in bonsai pots and tends toward chocolate in reduction and red in oxidation. Very basic, hope it helps but only time,experience and repetition is the recipe. Have fun with it.
Wood
 

biglou13

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gary thanks for the information

can you still me what clay you are using?

are you adding grog?

and do you have pictures of final color after firing?

without buying the kiln load cone 6 is what i can get here.

can you fire to 6 then at later date re-fire to 10?
 

ketoi

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I refired a few pots last week using cone 10 clay. Did the normal bisque, then stained and fired to cone 5, glazed and took it to cone 8. The reason I fired twice is I didn't want the stain to bleed into the glaze.The problem with refiring is the glaze doesn't want to adhere to the partially vitrified clay.

I've tried slumping and it was much more work than any other methods due to having to make a mold 1st before you can slump. Using molds is somewhat limiting as you'll need to have a stock of different sizes and shapes, then you need space to store all the slump forms.

As for clays, it depends where you are located, here on the west coast I used black mountain or cassius basaltic

black mountain
IMG_1272.jpg


cassius basaltic
IMG_8065.2.jpg
 

garywood

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Keith, Nice Pots!

Lou??? I used to mix all my clay and\or dig and process, mix and match, do a lot of testing.Just to have experience for what a clay mix is and what the components do. I still dig clay from a few select places that doesn't need any modification. The whole point of this is to convey a message of involvement, immersion so that the experience becomes personal. I now buy a processed clay from Trinity Ceramics called Red Stoneware cone10. I use this as a base and add Barnard clay and Mullite,instead of grog. Mullite is an aluminosilicate that makes a stronger body. I have a pugmill so this gives me an advantage over sharing studio space with someone with different clay needs.
To cover as many bases as possible here is a shot of a large oval. You can see the clay color in reduction. You can see one of the pitfalls of glazing, too hot and get a sense of some frustration that will happen at some point. If you let things like this discourage you that will be the end of ceramics for you.So, even in good time and bad times learn something and adjust, have fun with it and do a lot of reading.
Wood
 

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ketoi

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Thanks gary.

I've done that, welded a pot to the shelves a few times. Even in a controlled electric enviroment (what I use), too thick of an application or too hot and the glaze runs.

Ahhh...to have a pug mill...one day...I've tried mixing my own clay body as well, even small amounts (less than 10lbs) is a lot of work but I still do it once in a while when I want something different.
 

Bob O

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Gary, I love the glaze...... Reminds me of one that I have on a Nick Lenz pot. Is it one of your own mixtures or is it commercial? I have taken a couple of ceramics classes but only commercial glazes are available to me.

Bob O
 

garywood

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Thanks Bob, I make my own glazes, some original and some from recipes that are published. This particular one is mine and finicky and looks best when it is just ready to run. This shot is when it's a touch too hot. If you ever make your own glazes I'll be happy to help you out.
Wood
 

fredtruck

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Gary, I didn't know you made pots. This is a really fine pot, I think. I love the glaze!
 

biglou13

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gary +1 on the glaze, im interested in formula

kitoi
i like the charcoal/ burnt wood quality of or basaltic clay pot with sodium silcate? is that black finish natural?

thanks all for the 411
 
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