Everybody, who is a potter, understands that there are certain features related to clay that determines its appropriateness for certain types of pottery. Clay that may be very useful for hand-building detailed vases may not be very suitable for throwing on the wheel. While some clays begin to melt and have a glass like glaze when the kiln is heated to a certain temperature other clays can never attain such a surface even if heated to the maximum. In many cases, potters are left dreaming of how they could have the best of both the preferred clays which are loved by many people. In other words, it means that creating your own custom blends is the way to go!

Advantages of developing own clay recipes

As you blend two or more manufactured pottery clays or incorporate other materials you have a very special clay to play with. Some benefits include:

  • If you have provisionally selected a number of working properties, consolidate them into one clay. For instance, use a very plastic throwing clay with a much stiffer carvable sculptural clay for an “all around” versatile medium.  
  • Adjust absorptivity. Introduce grog, sand, sponges or any material that would be able to support plant growth or flowers, by making the pots more absorbent. 
  • This last element suggests that it is important to control color and texture. Natural clays – the raw material which differs in color and how smooth or rough the surface after firing will be. Integrate clays and then combine oxides stains and sandy substances based on the appearance preferences.
  • Strengthen finished pieces. Reinforce clay by adding nylon fiber, paper pulp, crushed bisqueware or other strengtheners into the clay. Quicker firing also improves the durability of ‘use and throw' products since they are less prone to cracks when made from stronger material.
  • Improve throwing characteristics. Any additional of bentonite or methyl cellulose should be done on the clay when on the wheel to make it more plastic and workable.
  • Ensure that a given method yields similar results each time it is undertaken. As I discovered my kind of pottery style then it is relevant to mix large consistent batches of the special clay blend so that you don't run out before you find a better blend of clay.

Blending Basics   

Blending clays may seem intimidating at first but only requires a few guidelines to result in a useable clay:Blending clays may seem intimidating at first but only requires a few guidelines to result in a useable clay:

  1. Select untainted items as the presence of contaminants and chemicals may hinder firing within the kiln. Maintain all tools, buckets, and surfaces to remain clean to prevent the introduction of accidental textures and colors.
  2. One should always wedge additions very thoroughly into the clay, on the surface of which one is to create an addition, with a plaster bat. Wedge in one direction and fold the clay over and then wedge in a direction other than the first one. Conversely, it is necessary to divide the ball of clay and wedge and reform all ingredients to incorporate all of them into one mass. If there is not enough wedging action on the pot then it leads to cracks, weak spots, and even exploding pots! 
  3. So, first, test-fire such small samples only! Mix small approximately 100g portions of new mediums. The actual test tiles should be exposed to the normal temperature at which your production wares are fired together with the other production ware at normal firing temperatures. Evaluate the differences in shrinkage, color change, and strength to identify whether further modifications to the recipe are required.
  4. Measure accurately. Measure the clay and additions precisely with a kitchen scale or standard measuring cups to replicate the consistency in each batch. For measuring the ingredients, small electronic scales, which are easy to use and are particularly intended for potters, are helpful in speeding up the process.  
  5. Combine the moist clay with the dry ingredients. If using grog, sand, slip, or dry clay and add it to the base clay, just lightly mist the additions so that it will be easy to mix without adding too much water to the base clay.
  6. Store properly between uses. Since custom blends are different from manufactured clays, then it takes a shorter time for the custom blends dry as compared to the manufactured clays. If you have clay left over from a previous project and will use it in a short time, you should wrap it in plastic to keep the moisture content throughout the entire lump evenly. For long-term storage, wedging and moisture content measurements may need to be repeated periodically.

Example Clay Blend Recipes 

To spark some clay blending inspiration, here are two custom blend starter recipes to try:To spark some clay blending inspiration, here are two custom blend starter recipes to try:

Raku Clay Blend

  • Since raku clay is divided into two parts, the formula for this pottery is as follows: 
  • 1 part fireclay
  • 1 part spodumene
  • 1 handful straw  

Add enough water while mixing to attain good wedging consistency. For this reason, the fireclay assists in balancing raku's high shrinkage rate, leading to less warped pots and fewer cracks. Spodumene enhances thermal shock resistance which is essential in preventing cracks and explosions prevalent in raku's fast volatile firing system. A bit of straw adds some very good special smoking effects.

Mid-Range Oxidation Blend:

  • Part 3: Brown Stoneware Clay 3 parts
  • One part of the work that was created by the scholar is clay.
  • 1 part kaolin 
  • 2 parts of it being silica sand
  • 3 parts grog

This blend can be fired to stoneware temperatures whenever one intends to produce functional ware. Kaolin increases workability. Grog and sand of them taking care of roughening texture as well as of lightening color. Scholar's clay is used for developing the glazing layers to incorporate the translucency effects. Test bisque color skimage with clear glaze for the final test of the glaze. A dancer can adjust the grog/sand percentages to make alterations to bisque color and surface quality if required.

Conclusion  

As mentioned above, manufactured pottery clays are specifically mixtures that address nearly all artistic requirements, but creating your own clay recipe by mixing a variety of clay bodies offer almost endless possibilities for realizing your plan. Engaging in the particularity of raw materials allows creative input on the part of the artist. From achieving flawless porcelain, creating delicate animal figures, to obtaining that raku crackle finish, adjusting and improving clay for individual needs unveils more possibilities for any potter.