The Oregon Yixing project -or- New levels of crazy

[JuniperMasterRace]

Lol now I’m going to bring home some dirt next time I go out yamadori hunting. There is a small rock outcrop of green rocks near my typical collection site. How do you identify if an area is suitable for clay extraction? I’ll just have to do trial and error and fire some clay samples.

 

[NaoTK]

Just a quick update. I bought a 5 liter ball mill for grinding clay. It works pretty well and should speed up my geological explorations. Loud as hell.

I'm thinking of buying a pug mill now. Anyone have recommendations?



I've been making 20" cloud-footed rectangles! These should fire in a few weeks.

 

[chicago1980]

Just a quick update. I bought a 5 liter ball mill for grinding clay. It works pretty well and should speed up my geological explorations. Loud as hell.

I'm thinking of buying a pug mill now. Anyone have recommendations?

View attachment 350307

I've been making 20" cloud-footed rectangles! These should fire in a few weeks.

View attachment 350308

Are you using a mold for the feet?

I am very interested in speaking with you about a custom container for a Juniper in my collection.
I will submit email via your website.
Thank you

 

[NaoTK]

Another short update. I am always learning and that is wonderful.

I took my new ball mill for a spin and processed my Oregon clay with it. To my amazement, the clay becomes very plastic, enough to throw right out of the ground! Earlier I could not throw it.

So I am VERY fortunate to have found a kaolinic, high iron, and plastic clay.

100% unadulterated Oregon clay at cone 10R. The color is really cool I think. It needs feldspar additions to mature at cone 10.

 

[chicago1980]

Another short update. I am always learning and that is wonderful.

I took my new ball mill for a spin and processed my Oregon clay with it. To my amazement, the clay becomes very plastic, enough to throw right out of the ground! Earlier I could not throw it.

So I am VERY fortunate to have found a kaolinic, high iron, and plastic clay.

100% unadulterated Oregon clay at cone 10R. The color is really cool I think. It needs feldspar additions to mature at cone 10.

View attachment 352102View attachment 352100

I don't necessarily understand all that you shared, and the pot is excellent for an accent plant.

 

[Trenthany]

Another short update. I am always learning and that is wonderful.

I took my new ball mill for a spin and processed my Oregon clay with it. To my amazement, the clay becomes very plastic, enough to throw right out of the ground! Earlier I could not throw it.

So I am VERY fortunate to have found a kaolinic, high iron, and plastic clay.

100% unadulterated Oregon clay at cone 10R. The color is really cool I think. It needs feldspar additions to mature at cone 10.

View attachment 352102View attachment 352100

Could be a shohin but might be tough getting the tree out.

 

[0soyoung]

Could be a shohin but might be tough getting the tree out.

I used to think this about bag shaped pots and the like, but a sharp scythe/knife around the perimeter does some of the root pruning for repotting and then the tree readily lifts from the pot. In extremis it could be a problem but it isn't with a pot wall profile like this.

 

[sorce]

So about that yella....

Since @parharm totally set me up to hose that thread by starting 3 in one day then g'ing up Nao's with the yella....

C'mon man....you better watch your Oregon Hole! Lol!

I try so hard to not screw up those threads I like to think it makes up for @vanc...I don't know if I should tag him or not.... @Vance Wood's, what seems like inability...lol, to post a pic in em!

I think he's in protest to the idea!

Sorce

 

[NaoTK]

C'mon man....you better watch your Oregon Hole! Lol!

Thanks, sorce. I forgot all about this thread... If you don't want to cheat with the stains then I suggest iron-barium yellows.

This is a no cheat, no bamboozle, iron barium. If you want the yellow even brighter you have to add 3-5% yellow stain.
custer feldspar 20
nepheline syenite 20
silica 5
EPK 10
barium carbonate 25
dolomite 18
zircopax 6
iron oxide 4
bentonite 2



You may find it interesting that I managed to get my clay shrinkage under control with butt-loads of kyanite. The pot below has about 20% kyanite, 20% sand, and 20% grog. The shrinkage went from ~15% down to <10%. It's even less than store bought groggy clay. I couldn't get these results with sand and grog alone.

13.5 x 10.5 x 4.5"

 

[sorce]

Why do you seek such low shrink?

I'm trying to avoid Barium cause I can only get it in a bag, the stains come in nicely sealed guacamole containers that dust up less.

I want to be a ble to eat all of my ingredients eventually!

Is a body with so much "grog" still sound?
Everything I read says 10% is close to max. Of course, I don't know what for.

Sorce

 

[NaoTK]

For hand building unglazed pots we want the lowest shrinkage possible (but still matured) because that will reduce warps and cracks and improve drying properties. The plasticity and glaze fit doesn't matter much in this case.
For throwing bodies, adding too much grog etc can reduce the plasticity and make it physically harder to throw, but its normal to use upwards of 30% filler in a throwing body.

My coffee mugs are glazed with this barium glaze and none of my tumors have gotten worse

 

[sorce]

Bump!

Hey....I recently found this website, Kilnshare.com, recently uploaded my kiln, and already have a customer!

Perhaps you can faster make that new beast pay for itself!

Hopefully other potters see this, it ain't exactly thread worthy.

Sorce

 

[Crawforde]

Excellent work. Great pics. I can’t wait to get one of these in my collection.

 

[NaoTK]

Bump!

Hey....I recently found this website, Kilnshare.com, recently uploaded my kiln, and already have a customer!

Perhaps you can faster make that new beast pay for itself!

Hopefully other potters see this, it ain't exactly thread worthy.

Sorce

That is an interesting concept! Thanks for sharing. I worry about folks putting terracotta or something in there, but I guess you get to know your peeps

 

[sorce]

That is an interesting concept! Thanks for sharing. I worry about folks putting terracotta or something in there, but I guess you get to know your peeps

I'm asking for as much proof of materials as possible, keeping the stipulation of using "full meltdown saggars" even if I know for sure.

Sorce