Goerg & Schneider 364 red stoneware clay, 25 % grog, 0–0.5 mm

Goerg & Schneider 364 – red-firing stoneware clay for hand-building and modelling

Goerg & Schneider 364 is a plastic, ready-prepared stoneware clay that fires from light to dark red. It is used for hand-building and modelling vessels, figures and sculptures. It contains 25 % grog with a particle size of 0 to 0.5 mm. The grog gives the piece stability, and the fine grain leaves the surface lightly textured but not coarse.

The clay is intended for small and medium-sized pieces and can be worked using coil, slab and pinch techniques as well as free modelling. You can use it straight from the pack. Important: it is not an air-drying modelling clay. It only gains strength and its fired colour when fired in a kiln.

What 364 is suited to

According to the manufacturer, 364 is an all-round hand-building clay. With coils, slabs or pinching you can form bowls, vases, figures and decorative objects. The grog stabilises the material in taller, wider or more heavily shaped pieces. It is also usable for beginners who build their pieces by hand. For very small, delicate details, a finer clay without grog is the better choice. For regular throwing on the potter's wheel, dedicated throwing clays are usually more pleasant to work with; 364 is intended for hand-building.

Firing and colour

The colour of the clay body depends on the firing temperature. Here is how to plan the colour:

• 1070 °C: light red, warm terracotta look
• 1140 °C: red
• 1200 °C: dark red, deeper tone
• At higher temperatures the clay shrinks somewhat more and absorbs less water (water absorption 6 % at 1070 °C, 2 % at 1200 °C).

Drying and glazing

Unglazed surfaces show the warm red fired colour particularly well. Transparent and semi-transparent glazes look different on a red clay body than on white clay, so it is worth making a test piece with the glaze and firing temperature you plan to use. Dry larger figures and pieces built up with varying thickness slowly and evenly to avoid drying cracks. Allow for about 7 % drying shrinkage when planning dimensions.

Goerg & Schneider 364 product details

• Manufacturer: Goerg & Schneider, product no. 364
• Material: plastic ceramic clay (stoneware)
• Grog content: 25 %, particle size 0–0.5 mm
• Firing range: 980–1200 °C
• Fired colour: light red at 1070 °C, red at 1140 °C, dark red at 1200 °C
• Drying shrinkage at 110 °C: approx. 7 %
• Firing shrinkage: approx. 4 % at 1070 °C, approx. 6 % at 1140 °C, approx. 6 % at 1200 °C
• Water absorption: 6 % at 1070 °C, 3 % at 1140 °C, 2 % at 1200 °C
• Coefficient of thermal expansion: 72 × 10⁻⁷ °C⁻¹ (20–500 °C, fired at 1140 °C)
• Contents: 10 kg

You will also need: a kiln for firing; glazes if the pieces are to be glazed.