Recommended Clay Bodies for Tile Making.What kind of clay should I use to make tiles?
Any clay body can be used for making tiles but some will work better than others.
Here is a guide to help you decide which body is right for you.
The first thing to narrow your search is the cone or temperature at which you fire.
The second is the color you are interested in.
The third is the size of the pieces you are interested in making which
may determine the amount and/or size of the grog in the body necessary
to achieve your goals.
Note: be sure to fire any clay to the top of it's firing range when
creating items such as bath tiles. The top number where a clay is given
a range such as "cone 02-10" indicates that the clay is fully vitrified
at cone 10 and will no longer absorb water after being fired to that
temperature.
Low-fire Cone 06 Clay for Tile Making:
Low fire tiles are fine for decorative purposes and plaques. If you wish to do low-fire tiles (cone 06) we highly recommend the
Mass White SS.
The Mass White SS is an earthenware clay with a silica sand grog which gives a nice tooth for
tile making. It is light in color and easy to use.
Cone 6 Clay for Tile Making: Cone 6 bodies can be suitable for kitchen and bathroom applications when fired to their fully vitrified state. This is the recommended cone if you fire in a a cone 10 rated electric kiln. T6B which is buff in
color is a nice clay for stoneware tiles. 4D which is good if you prefer a tan/brown color stoneware. 20266 is a cone 4-6 grolleg porcelain which is good choice if you want a white body.
Cone 10 Clay for Tile Making:
If you have a gas fired cone 10 kiln and want a tight body suitable for batroom tiles you should consider a cone 10 clay. T1S is a fine grog stoneware prefereded by tile makers. This is the darkest of our
reduction bodies. Good for large pieces. T-1S includes screen fireclay
and Lizella. 45R which is also our stoneware Raku Clay
is designed with a high percentage of coarse grog to withstand the
thermal
shock of fast firing and cooling in Raku. Good structure for slab
building and tiles. For tiles fire this body to cone 10 to fully
vitrify.
S14 is a similar stoneware body with a coarser grog which is a good choice for larger tiles. 20231G
is the choice If you prefer a lighter color cone 10 clay for tile making: it is a white stoneware
containing super smooth English Grolleg porcelain. Throws well, very smooth and
dependable. T23A is a white cone 10 porcelain clay for tiles, which uses a domestic kaolin rather than the imported grolleg so it is smooth and pure but a little less expensive than the English Grolleg.
Please feel free to call us if you would like further assistance choosing the right clay for your specific project needs. Call 888.774-2529.
Click here to view our selection of high-quality Tile Cutters.
Here is a new dvd on tile making: The Handmade Tiles DVD by Frank Giorgini
Click Here for this nice book on the subject : 
