Pottery In Australia Vol 39 No 4 December 2000

HANDS ON
AUSTRALIAN PORCELAINS
WALKERS SUPERTOR WH lTE PORCELAIN
Wat images does the mind conjure up when
you hear the word 'porcelain'. ExqUiSite, fine,
white, exclusive, delicate Oriental vases,
expensive European functional ware, or vitreous
bathroom products - or all of the above'
Some porcelains have claimed in their properties one
of more of these functions - but now there is a
porcelain that can be used for practically everything -
Walker Ceramics Superior White Porcelain.
SWP has characteristics that lend it to coiling, burnishing,
throWing, slabbing, casting, handbuilding, RAM pressing and
thin walled ware. It is a ball-milled body, and in industry
trials, has come back with favourable reports of it's plasticity,
whiteness, strength and translucem.y. It is also reasonably
priced - but best of aU it is totally Australian made.
Porcelains seem to be made of relatively simple
materials - hall clay, c1lina clay, feldspar and silica. TIle
process !O produce this clay Ls not a simple procedure - it
is ball milled, sieved, magnetised twice, filler pressed,
pugged through a completely stainless steel pugmill,
before being weighed and packaged.
The translucenlY of SWP is equal to any porcelain on
the market - local or im ported. The degree of
translucency is related to the iron and ticanium content -
a prerequiSite to searching for new raw materials.
To bring this claybody further into line with craft
market practice the maturation point was lowered so that
a greater palette of colours was avai lable without
compromising durability.
Glaze fit with this porcelain is very versatile - Walker
ceramics Stoneware Glaze EH30 or zinc free EH31 are
suitable. The body achieves less than 2% absorbtion at
1220"C.
The whiteness of the clay body, and the clarity of glaze
come together to foml a vessel of perfection. The highest
quality oven to tableware, resistant to microwave ovens,
chips and dishwashers can now be yours.
Janet de Boos 'found it to be the best porcelain available
in Australia for whiteness, plasticity and rranslucenlY - it is
equal ro imported french porcelains at a fraction of the
price'. The Big Duck & Fish Comp'dny (Melh) claim it is 'a
versatile clay that can be pressed, thrown or hand
moulded. Its fired durability survives the most destructive of
hotel kitchens. Its fine teXTUre gives a glossier glaze result'.
KEANE PORCELAlN NO 15
Porcellaneous stoneware
would be the most
accurate description of
our Porcelain No 15. It's
overall versatility and qualities
include, excellent plasticity
that lends itself favourably to
carving and fine detail.
Good green strength ,
exceptional working, joining
and throwing properties
which make this porcelain clay a viable option for a wide
range of uses and a wide range of potters with differing
levels of experience.
Recently, with the asistance of ChrL,topher James, we
have made some small altera tions to the thermal
expansion of the body improving the glaze fit to include
a broader range of functional glazes.
Christopher James: 'I first became aware of Keanes
Porcelain by accident at Hornsby TAFE. I had just
completed a throwing demonstration using what I
presumed to be Stoneware N07 when I was approached
by a student puzzled as to why they had to use porcelain
for this project! I then discovered I had infact been using
Porcelain No 15. I hadn't noticed any difference in the
throwing properties but once fired I could see the
potential for this body. The fired results under my
favourite celadons and clears were superior to the
porcellaneous stoneware I was using. Excellent glaze fit
for a wide range of glazes including traditional Chinese
limestone; excellent workmg and joining properties free
of the bad habits usually associated with porcelain and a
clean white break on rims and handles free of iron
spotting.
This has become my standard throwing body used to
give lovely surfaces on my exhibited forms:
44 POTIERY IN A USTRAUA + 39/4 DECEMBER 2000