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PREPARED CLAYS
We draw supplies from large open cut mines from many sites which enables us to provide a unique selection of clay bodies. Our production is based on flexibility and although we have over 60 different clay bodies in stock we are always ready to produce clays to customer's recipes or to meet specific requirements. Our fully equipped Laboratory enables us to develop clays to customer specifications.

WALKER CERAMICS CLAYS

FEENEYS CLAYS - Full Range

KEANES - PLASTIC and PAPER CLAYS

BLACK WATTLE - PAPER CLAYS

TYPES OF PREPARED CLAYS:
Slip House Bodies - These are prepared in large batches in slip form which is then finely sieved and passed over rare earth magnets . The slip is pumped into filter presses for water removal prior to pugging. Slip housing gives clay uniformity and virtually guarantees freedom from contamination.
Hand Building Bodies - Hand building bodies are produced by our machine mixing method. This gives excellent and reliable control of grog and water content but it is more open to occasional inclusion of larger or extraneous particles arising in the ingredients or during processing.
Body Development - Currently in development are a range of production bodies for the professional craftsman and specialist, high quality terra cotta bodies.
Testing Procedures - As prepared bodies are made from naturally occurring clays, they are inevitably subject to small variations from batch to batch. To take this into account, customers are advised to test the clay from a new batch on a small scale before putting it to full use.
Firing Procedures - A glazed ceramic product can be achieved by a number of different firing routines, the commonest of which are:
(a) Twice-Firing.
In this procedure, the dried clay pot is first heated to some temperature above 1000°C - the biscuit fire. Then the glaze is applied then the piece is fired again to the glaze maturing range.
(b) Once - Firing. 
In this procedure, glaze is applied to the unfired pot and then in one firing cycle the glaze and body are matured together. This process does require test work on behalf of the user as problems can arise. The gases in the greenware must be expelled; if there is glaze covering the entire pot the escaping gas can easily cause pin holing in the glaze finish.