How to Use Seeley's English Stoneware Slip – In-Depth

Mixing Slip: Mix slip with a jiffy mixer. Leave it for 1 hour or more to settle any air bubbles.

Casting: Fill plaster mold and let slip set up for 20-45 minutes (depending upon size of mold) to achieve desired thickness. For most stoneware designs, thickness is approximately 4-6mm. Refill mold is needed. Empty mold and let mold sit up side down for about 20 minutes. In 3-4 hours you can test to see if mold will open. Stoneware can sit in mold for most designs overnight if necessary. Large pieces might need about 6 hours. Before removing from mold, trim the spare at the pour hole. Remove rubber bands or straps carefully. Lift one half of mold off and let sit for 5 minutes. Carefully remove piece and set aside. Take this time to clean and re-strap mold. Use a wet sponge to smooth edges on piece. If the piece has a lid, dry the pieces together.

To fill any pin holes or fix imperfections: Wet inside of the hole. Using spare, trimmed ware or small amount of leather hard stoneware, dampen with water and mold it into the hole. Sand to perfection later.

Dry Cleaning: Use the traditional method for cleaning greenware with a feather knife and sponges. Be careful to clean in a well-ventilated area, wearing a mask. This method works well but is not recommended by Seeley's because stoneware dust can be harmful to your health.

*Health Benefit: A benefit to using stoneware (rather than earthenware/ceramic ware is that Dust Free Cleaning™ is an option. Click here for Dust-Free Cleaning™ instructions.

Decorating: You can decorate your stoneware piece in the greenware, soft fired, cone 04 bisque or bisque fired state. This is your choice.

To complete with high fire techniques:

1. Clean greenware, fire to cone 04 and decorate with appropriate products. Leave bottom unglazed (dry-foot). Bisque to maturity cone 5-8.

2. Soft fire greenware, clean using Dust-Free Cleaning Technique™, then decorate and bisque to maturity 5-8 using appropriate products. Leave bottom unglazed (dry-foot).

3. Check with color manufacturers for products that can be fired directly on greenware to maturity.

To complete with low fire techniques:

Use preferred cleaning method (on greenware or soft fired greenware), bisque to cone 5-8, decorate with Duncan's Concepts and fire to cone 06. Use Seeley's lead free, non toxic, low fire clear glaze. Leave bottom unglazed (dry-foot). (No need to stilt piece!)

Remember to use a food safe glaze for any surface, which will come into contact with food or drink.

Firing to bisque:

Cone firing: Use junior cone 6 in the kiln sitter. Use witness cones 5, 6, and 7 on the kiln shelf. After firing, cone 5 should be touching on the shelf, cone 6 should be bent to a 9 to 10 o'clock position and cone 7 should not have bent at all.

Controller firing: Set the controller to fire 500ºF (260°C) per hour to 2000ºF (1094°C). Then set controller to fire 100ºF (38°C) per hour to 2185ºF (1197°C). Final temperature range: 2170ºF to 2190ºF (1189ºC to 1200ºC).