Self-Absorbed | How to find your clay body's absorption | Ceramic Materials Workshop

We're diving deep into the world of clay absorption—a crucial metric that every ceramicist should understand. Ever wondered what those absorption numbers on your clay bags really mean? Whether you're a seasoned potter or just starting out, knowing how to interpret these numbers can make a huge difference in your work. Watch as Rose guides you through the entire process, from preparing your clay samples to calculating the absorption rate. You'll learn how to ensure that your clay is properly vitrified, making it durable, non-absorbent, and ready for functional use. Ceramic Materials ​Workshop is a place online to understand and explore how and why our Clay and Glazes work (and don’t work). Our materials speak for us in the home and gallery. It benefits us to learn about how to speak through our materials. Mastering the skills of clay and glaze performance helps every ceramicist, become their best self in the studio. If you'd like to read our blog article on how we make our plaster slabs for clay body testing, you can find it here: https://ceramicmaterialsworkshop.com/... You can also find the results of our Commercial Clay Body Profiling project on our Community Resources page. https://ceramicmaterialsworkshop.com/... Make sure to check out all of our Course, Workshops and Community Resources on our website at and learn more: ➤ https://linktr.ee/ceramicmaterialswor... Thanks for joining us in the workshop—let's make ceramics better, together! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 - Welcome to the workshop 00:00:11 - Absorption numbers and their importance 00:00:23 - What absorption values indicate 00:01:09 - Clay body quality and common metrics 00:01:34 - Absorption value and its relation to vitrification 00:01:44 - Vitrification and its significance 00:02:14 - Importance of zero absorption 00:03:22 - ASTM standards 00:04:58 - Absorption testing process 00:05:03 - Materials needed 00:05:36 - Step 1: Sampling the clay 00:05:51 - Step 2: Firing the clay sample 00:06:04 - Step 3: Weighing dry sample 00:06:15 - Step 4: Boiling sample 00:06:37 - Step 5: Cooling sample 00:06:55 - Step 6: Wiping and weighing sample 00:08:06 - How to calculate #ceramics #ceramicglaze #pottery #glaze #clay #clayabsorption