On Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:06:41 +0000, Eddie Daughton
wrote:

Bob Masta wrote:
snip
With the local clays around here (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA)
I find that they would make decent low-fire bodies, except they
tend to be full of lime bits that cause the infamous "lime pops"
after firing. They can be sieved out, but that's a lot of work
for body clay, which you use a lot of. On the other hand, they
make *wonderful* brown glazes at cone 6, and sieving that smaller
amount is no big deal... especially since I tend to sieve most glazes
anyway.

O' course you could always once fire it (if it's got lime) get it above
cone 6 and the lime melts and forms part of the body, that's why
Stoneware (once fired) never suffers from the dreaded white pits...
Hugs
Eddie

The local clay is like Albany Slip or any other low-fire clay: It is
completely melted at cone 6. So yes, the lime is part of the body,
but the body is a puddle! But it's probably true that I could use it
as a glaze without sieving out the lime, and the lime would simply
add to the glaze. However, the sieve also removes sand and other
inclusions that don't melt as readily and leave a gritty glaze
surface.

Best regards,


Bob Masta

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