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  • #1

    fireclay

    I have a question, I see allot of people looking of fire clay. I was talking to the owner of a ceramics store here yesterday he was telling me he was sold out because many people are building oven. My question to him and maybe some of you. why can;t you use regular clay they use for pottery and thin it with water, the store owner said it has feldspar and sometimes grog added to it to help it vitrify, but in a oven setting you would never reach those temperatures. Point is that fire clay is just dried clay that you add water to. I might think it might work. any thoughts
    Bill
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  • #2
    Re: fireclay

    I don't think it would work because when u fire it will crack ! I think it needs more silica , in the clay , I guess if u made a slurry to block holes it would be ok

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    • #3
      Re: fireclay

      Originally posted by william View Post
      I have a question, I see allot of people looking of fire clay. I was talking to the owner of a ceramics store here yesterday he was telling me he was sold out because many people are building oven. My question to him and maybe some of you. why can;t you use regular clay they use for pottery and thin it with water, the store owner said it has feldspar and sometimes grog added to it to help it vitrify, but in a oven setting you would never reach those temperatures. Point is that fire clay is just dried clay that you add water to. I might think it might work. any thoughts
      Bill
      Fire clay is a misleading term. For Potters it is a clay that is highly refractory ie can withstand extreme temps. For a bricklayer it is just cheap powdered clay. As we don't fire our ovens to really high temps I think any powdered clay is sufficient.
      Kindled with zeal and fired with passion.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: fireclay

        Hi David
        I don't think the term withstand is right since they want it to to make a pot or whatever, this page has some interesting info.
        Fire clay. Where to collect fireclay in nature and how. Buying fire clay.

        Bill

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        • #5
          Re: fireclay

          The term withstand is correct for a potter. If a clay body has too high a proportion of silica in conjunction with fluxes (like iron oxide) it will not withstand high temperatures (over 1200 C). It can simply melt. This of course is irrelevant for us because we never get anywhere near those temps. Hence my conclusion that any powdered clay (like bricklayers clay, that is mislabelled as Fireclay) should be ok.
          Kindled with zeal and fired with passion.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: fireclay

            Any high alumina clay will be OK. That is what makes regular clay refractory: alumina content.

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            • #7
              Re: fireclay

              If sourcing your clay through a pottery supplier ask for kaolin, but I use the cheaper version "bricklayers clay- fireclay" sourced from building suppliers.
              Kindled with zeal and fired with passion.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: fireclay

                Hi All

                I too I'm trying to source fireclay. I live in Sydney and have found two types available. I'd like to ask the experts that have made/used a homebrew mix which of the two would be suitable based on the information below:

                1. Claypave pty ltd fireclay $40 a 30kg bag

                SiO2 60-70%
                Al2O3 20-30%

                2 Bunnings sourced Unimin FireClay $14.95 25kg bag

                Kaolinite 20-50%
                Quartz (crystalline silica) 20-50%

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