Plainsman Clays | M332
M332 Mid Fire Clay
$40.18 / 20 kg (44 lb) Pugged
$0
Suggested retail price. In-store prices and availability may vary by location.
Mid fired, Red brown burning, Sandy, Highly plastic, Throwing clay body
Specifications
Type
Cone 6 medium temperature clay body · red brown burning · sandy throwing body
Texture
Sandy and toothy, but highly plastic
Usage
Throwing · textured surfaces
Temperature
Cone 5 · 6 · 7 – we recommend a cone 6 firing (1222 °C / 2232 °F) to maintain the warm red brown colour. Fired higher, the red becomes muted and lost.
Colour
Warm red brown at cone 6 · at cone 7 and up it fires to a light brown or grey
Shrinkage
Dry 8.5–9.6% · fired 3.2–3.7% at cone 5, 3.5–3.8% at cone 6, 3.5–4.0% at cone 7
Absorption
Cone 5 3.4–4.0% · cone 6 2.1–2.5% · cone 7 1.9–2.3%
Every figure is a measured range from the Plainsman lab, not a single nominal number. Cone equivalents are Orton self-supporting cones at 108 °F/hr.
Description
M332 is a sandy, highly plastic throwing body with real tooth and a textured fired surface. The sand in it is what you notice first, but unlike many sandy clays, it still stays responsive and plastic on the wheel.
It is a robust body with a heavy tooth – a mixture of both silt and fine clay particles, which gives texture without giving up plasticity on the wheel. It also has excellent green strength.
Working properties
- It throws well, but it can feel grabby under the hands.
- Go carefully at stress points and when you are pulling handles – this body will split there if you rush it. Keep sponging to a minimum, or you will lose the sandy surface that you bought it for.
- It needs careful drying. Turn open shapes over once they are self-supporting, and cover with cloth and plastic to even out the moisture through the wall.
Fired colour & cone behaviour
- A warm red brown at cone 6 – the colour this body is known for, and the reason we recommend firing it there.
- M332 will take a higher temperature than our other medium bodies without bloating or warping. What you lose is the colour: at cone 7 and up it fires to a light brown or grey, and the warm red is gone.
Glazes & glaze fit
- There is enough iron in the body that a transparent glaze will darken it and can muddy glaze colours. Worth testing before you plan a surface around a clear.
- Small pinholes and specks come with the territory on a sandy body. A drop-and-soak firing, or a higher bisque, usually settles them.
- For functional ware, confirm glaze fit with a boiling-water-to-ice-water immersion test.
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