Description

Northcote Stoneware Clay is a durable, versatile, and high-firing ceramic material (typically 1000°C to 1380°C) that becomes dense and non-porous when fired, making it ideal for functional pottery like dinnerware and vases. It is popular for both wheel-throwing and hand-building, ranging in colour from white to brown, and is often preferred for its strength, workability, and resilience.

An off white plastic stoneware body, good general hand-building stoneware for modelling and sculpting or excellent throwing characteristics for beginning throwers and makers of larger forms. This body has excellent green strength and is easily recycled after throwing. Used extensively by production potters for domestic ware, this off white body is best suited to coloured glaze decoration. Fires to white with a grey tint at 1300°C.

How to Use Stoneware Clay:

• Preparation: Knead or wedge the clay to ensure even moisture content and remove air bubbles, which helps prevent cracking during firing.
• Shaping: Use techniques like wheel-throwing, pinching, coiling, or slab building to create forms. Stoneware is often more forgiving for beginners, allowing for easier moulding.
• Drying: Allow the piece to dry slowly to “leather-hard” for trimming or, eventually, to “bone-dry” (greenware).
• Firing: Fire in a kiln, (typically between 1000°C to 1380°C)
• Glazing: Apply glazes after a bisque firing to create decorative, glossy, or food-safe finishes.

Key Characteristics:

• Durability: Very strong, often used for items requiring longevity.
• Non-porous: Unlike earthenware, it can hold liquid without being glazed.
• Texture: Often contains additives like sand or grog, which provide structural strength during forming.