"Soldate 60" is another clay body sold by Aardvark. Joe Soldate is a well-known ceramic artist from southern California. He developed a good clay body for clay sculptures. The original formula called for 30-mesh sand. Soldate-60 replaces that with 60-mesh (finer) sand. The clay is easy to throw. It holds its shape well.
The picture shows three tall vases with approximately the same shape. The one on the left was thrown using the clay I had brought from the Bay Area. The clay is re-worked left-overs. It is mostly "T2" with some "Sculpture Raku" and "Santa Barbara" mixed in. It's a little less than 12 inches high and about 8 inches wide at the widest part, 4.5 inches at the top.
The one in the center was thrown from "Bee Mix". This is 13 inches high, about 8 inches wide at the widest part and 4.5 inches at the top.
The one on the right is made with "Soldate 60". This is 14 inches high, 6.6 inches wide at the widest part and 4 inches at the top.
I'd be interested to know which shape you prefer. Please comment.
After Bisque Firing
The Soldate-60 tall vase did not survive the bisque firing well.
If you look closely you may be able to see the small vertical crack at the center of the top and a horizontal crack just above the fattest part of the pot on the right. Small cracks after bisque firing become large cracks after glaze firings so this pot must be thrown out
Another pot made with Soldate-60 (a bowl - not shown) survived the bisque firing. I'll show that after glazing.
