Clay Bodies in Soda Firing

Let your clay shine! Lots of clay looks great fired with no glaze in the soda kiln. Here are a few we have seen come through our firings.

Word of Warning: Clay with a lot of metal (Black clay or very dark red clay) has sometimes bloated or totally melted into a blob. Please steer clear of these in the soda firing, unless you have experience with them working in a very similar firing method.

Low Iron Clays:

Porcelains and White Stonewares: Clays with almost no iron in them do not flash a lot. This means they can turn out mostly white and shiny. Some porcelains/ white stonewares have trace amounts of iron and will flash peach, yellow, pink, or tan if they get a misting of soda.

**JAbbs**
**Clay:** porcelain
**Glaze:** HEavy Soda
**UNdrGLZ:** Black

**ANIKA MAJOR**
**CLAY:** BMIX - LAGUNA, CAC
**UNdrGLZ:** CHARACTER painting
**FLASHING SLIP:** BACKGROUND TAN IS HELMAR SLIP OVER CLAY
**Glaze:** Misting of soda

**Frank Fabens**
**Clay:** porcelain casting slip
**Glaze:** misting of soda

**APRIL STOUT**
**CLAY:** WHITESTONE - CAC
**FLASHING SLIP**: HELMAR
**SLIP:** PLUM BLACK CLAY FROM CAC
**INTERIOR GLAZE:** RCS CLEAR

**KEDAR MANKAD**
**CLAY:** HELIOS - Hughwater
**FLASHING SLIP**: HELMAR
**WASH:** COBALT WASH

**REYNOLETTE ETTIENNE**
**CLAY:** BC6 - CAC
**UNDERGLAZE:**
AMACO BRIGHT RED,
MAYCO BRIGHT YELLOW,
CAC VIVID BLUE
**INTERIOR GLAZE:** DARK TURQUOISE

**BRENNA GERLACH**
**CLAY:** BCS6 - CAC
**SLIPS:** OREGON RED & WHITESTONE
**UNdrGLZ:** brown wash on face
**GLAZE:** SODA FROM FIRING

**KELSEY NEAL**
**CLAY:** WHITESTONE - CAC
**UNDERGLAZE:** AMACO VELVET
**INTERIOR GLAZE:** RCS ROBUST CLEAR
**WASH:** COBALT CARB WASH

**artist unknown**
**CLAY:** coleman raku
**GLAZE:** Karen’s Starshine

Medium Iron Clays

Buffs, Speckled Clays, and some Stonewares fall into this family. We have the most experience with the ones shown below. The develop a beautiful array of warm colors depending on how much iron is in the clay and how much soda they receive. Where soda hits the most they are shiny and can be more muted. Many work well and flash brighter oranges with flashing slips applied thinly to bisqueware.

**charlotte morril**
**CLAY:** c- mix with speckles - sps
**Glaze:** heavy soda from firing

**EMILY TURNER**
**CLAY:** FOOL’S GOLD - sps
**GLAZE:** RCS ROBUST CLEAR

**NATALIE LUMPKIN**
**CLAY:** KLAMATH BUFF -SPS
**Glaze:** soda from firing

deb schwartzkopf
CLAY: FOOL’S GOLD - sps
**GLAZE:** shiny black/ water green

**TERRI GOODWIN**
**CLAY:** VASHON BUFF - SPS
**FLASHING SLIP:** GALLOWAY
**UNDERGLAZE:** OVALS OMBRE
**INTERIOR GLAZE:** Nan’s Clear

**EMILY TURNER**
**CLAY:** NAranja - CAC , different placements within the same kiln
**GLAZE:** Nan’s CLEAR interior

**DEB SCHWARTZKOPF**
**CLAY:** WHITESTONE FROM - CAC
**SLIP:** DAKOTA RED covering
**GLAZE:** KAREN’S STARSHINE INLAID

**Aaron Plave**
**Clay:** SPX - CAC
**Flashing Slip:** Helmar
**Glaze:** Nan’s Clear interior

High Iron Clays

These are beautiful but can bloat if they are in a hot spot or if they are in a heavy reduction spot in the kiln. We aim for light body reduction, but sometimes there are variations in the kiln. Please do not use Obsidian or Plum Black clay in the soda kiln as they have totally melted into a puddle multiple times. We have had trouble with Oregon Red slumping and bloating in the soda kiln. It has been used successfully in cooler areas of the kiln and as a slip.

Clay Bodies in the Soda Kiln

Clay Bodies in Soda Firing

Low Iron Clays:

Medium Iron Clays

High Iron Clays

Rat City Studios