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Normal Hours of Operation

Mon-Fri: 8am-4.00pm
Closed: Noon-12:30pm

We will be closed Friday March 29 and Monday April 1 for the Easter Holiday

Closed all provincial and federal holidays

Information

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Plainsman Products

Services & Information


Clays

  Low Temperature Clays
  Medium Temperature Clays
  High Temperature Clays
  Porcelains
  Other Clays
  Native Clays
  Casting Slips

Materials

  Dry Materials
  Stains
  Encapsulated Stains
  Liquids

Glazes

  Spectrum Opaque Gloss Low Fire Glazes
  Spectrum Metallic Glazes
  Plainsman Dry Glazes
  Potter's Choice Cone 5/6 Glazes
  Celadon Cone 5/6 Glazes
  Amaco Satin Matte Glazes
  Liquid Brights

Underglazes

  Amaco Velvet Underglazes

Enamelling

Equipment

 Kilns
  Electric Pottery Kilns
  Electric Glass Kilns
  Kiln Furniture
  Cones
  Elements
  Kiln Parts, Accessories
  Exhaust Systems
  Refractories
  Potter's Wheels
  Slab Rollers
  Hand Extruders
  Pugmills
  Scales
  Banding Wheels
  Air Brushes

Tools

  Brushes
  Throwing Tools
  Trimming, Turning, Cutting Tools
  Wood/Bamboo Tools
  Rollers/Stamps
  Decorating Tools
  Glazing Tools
  Ribs & Scrapers
  Ribbon/Wire Tools
  Rasps
  Knives, Needle Tools, Cutters
  Tool Kits
  Unclassified

Accessories

  Miscellaneous Accesories
  Corks/Stoppers
  Cork Pads
  Oil Lamp Accessories
  Dispenser Pumps
  Teapot Handles
  Bisque Tiles

Atmospheric Firing


Atmospheric firings, as processes, are much less predictable than typical electric or gas firing. Potters develop their own methods. Part of adopting the process is being willing to do plenty of testing to find something that works for you. The color and maturity of all our high-fire clay bodies are well documented, use this data and common sense to decide which are best to use.

The salt and soda firing processes depend on the mechanism whereby sodium vapour in the atmosphere of a kiln combines with SiO2 and Al2O3 on the surface of the clay to form a glaze. Our native high-temperature, buff-burning bodies (e.g. H550, H450) are high in quartz, thus they are inherently suitable for this. Our high-temperature porcelains also contain around 25% quartz, potters routinely use them (e.g. Jim Etzkorn has used P600 with very good success).


Firing Temperature: H550 is designed to be as vitreous as its particle-size will reliably permit. Firing higher than cone 10R could produce bloating. H450 has more margin for over-firing. The brown-burning bodies like H443 and H440 have a fairly high porosity (needed to develop the warm coloration in reduction), these can thus endure higher temperatures. H441G is our most refractory body and it develops flashing because of iron-stained soluble salts, this would likely be interesting in atmospheric firings. Except for H570, our porcelains burn at zero-porosity, there is thus a bloating danger if these are fired too high in untested atmospheres.

Make your own body: Plainsman Fireclay can be blended with about 25% Nepheline Syenite to produce a vitreous and plastic body at cone 10. After testing adjust the percentage of Nepheline to produce the maturity needed. The firelcay has more soluble salts than our other materials, these come to the surface during drying and produce flashing that will be enhanced by atmospheric firings. Add 1-3% bentonite if more plasticity is needed.


Plainsman Clays Ltd., 702 Wood Street, Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 1E9
Phone: 403-527-8535    FAX: 403-527-7508