Moist Pottery Clay
Clay manufacturing at Sheffield Pottery is completely unique in the industry. We have expanded our production line to include additional machinery setting a new standard for the clay industry. Dry clay ingredients are are precisely weighed in our custom batching system, wet mixed in our world class Eirich mixer, and much or your clay is additionally processed in our Sweco 72" flow through separator and an iron filtration magnet which is used by no other clay maker in America .
THE SWECO UNIT enables us to dry screen the entire batch of pottery clay as it goes through the production process. Problematic materials like fire clay, grog and lizella can be carefully controlled. We have found that normally clean materials like ball clay, flint and feldspar can also have oversized nodules of lignite, wood, paper, stones and other unwanted material. Screening the entire batch will ensure that no contaminants remain. Previously we only screened the fire clay and lizella components of our stoneware bodies. By offering 30, 40, 50, 80 and 100 mesh screens we are finding that many of our earthenware and porcelain customers are benefiting from the process as well. Many of our stock bodies are available screened. Any custom or other stock body can be ordered screened.
THE IRON FILTRATION MAGNET is a four-tier unit made with "rare earth" magnets. As the dry batches cascade through the filter it will trap ferrous metal contaminants that come from processing machinery or the raw clays themselves. This option can be used with or without any mesh screen, and will help eliminate iron spots in the clay.The powered dry clay is precisely portioned through our custom Batching System. This system is accurate to 0.5 grams per ton of dry materials ensuring the consistency of our clay bodies whether we are making one of our stock clays or your own custom formula.
No other clay makers have the superior Eirich Mixer for the wet mixing of your clay. Some makers do not even wet mix their clays at all. Before going to the wet mix, many of our clays are sent though the Sweco Magnetic Screening unit. This is another process used by no other clay maker in the industry. Your clay is then sent through one our massive, industrial quality, deairing pugmills creating a perfect clay every time !
Here you can order online all of our exceptional stock moist pugged clay bodies.
We have more than a million pounds of clay ready to ship from our Sheffield warehouse; from our own natural Sheffield clay to the finest translucent English Grolleg.
You will find a body to suit your needs by browsing our four main types of clay for pottery above: Earthenware, Stoneware, Porcelain .
We also create many custom clay bodies for art and industry. You can find information above on having a custom clay body made for you.
Our stock and custom clay bodies are used by fine art and production potters such as Bennington Potters, Simon Pearce, Great Bay Pottery, Henderson Redware, Monroe Salt Works Stone Soldier and Michael Cohen. You can see and order finished work from these potteries at our sister site: www.AmericanMadePottery.com.
Shown: Scraffito Henerson's Redware Plate made with classic Sheffield Red. See more here.
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"First they unload the boxes of clay from their truck. Then they immediately load my finished work right back on the truck! For well over a decade Sheffield Pottery has supplied me with both excellent customer service and the most consistent and finest prepared stoneware clay body. Furthermore, their on-site gallery has supported me by selling my wheel-thrown functional pottery. John, Diane, Benny, Chris, Lee and all the folks at Sheffield Pottery truly care about their customers!"
-Bob Fishman Robert Fishman Pottery
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There are price breaks to buy clay at 100,500,1000,2000,6000,12000 and 26,000 pounds.
These extended are shown with the button "View Quantity Discounts" and shown in your shopping cart.
Shown: Bennington Potters Trigger Mug made with custom Sheffield Stoneware clay body. Clay quantity discounts are combined when you buy multiple type of clays:
Example:
If you buy one 50lb box of Mass White Clay and 50lbs of Mass Red Clay you are entitled to the discounted 100lb bracket for both boxes. This savings will be shown in your shopping cart. In your cart you can change your quantities selected to balance your order perfectly to fit your needs.
Clay Shipping and Handling
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-Note:
There is a UPS/ USPS Handling Charge on 50lb boxes of clay:
1 - 7 boxes of clay = $2.00/box handling plus shipping.
8th box = $1.00 handling plus shipping.
9th box and up = No further box charge.
Example:
6 boxes = $12.00 total handling plus shipping
8 boxes = $15.00 handling plus shipping
10+ boxes =$15.00 total handling plus shipping
Shown: Simon Pearce Vases made with Custom Sheffield Clay body.
SPECIAL NOTE ON CLAY SHIPPING: We can now ship 50 pound boxes of clay, anywhere in the USA , including Alaska and Hawaii , via US postal Flat Rate
For customers buying over 500lbs of clay, please contact us to arrange for the most economical shipping to your location.(See: Price Per Pound Table for orders shipped on our truck
Dry and moist clay shipping weights are combined for additional savings.
Please call to order "dry clay" or to add "dry clay" to your existing order.
TESTING POLICY
Testing of raw materials should be an integral part of ceramic manufacturing. Upon receipt of any new material, we strongly recommend that you test the material. SHEFFIELD POTTERY, INC. has no control over either the variations that may occur in the natural materials or their application. Therefore, our products are sold with the understanding that the user is solely responsible for determining suitability for any purpose and the results obtained. There are no warranties expressed or implied, regarding the user’s finished product or results.
f you buy clay at Sheffield Pottery, and sell wholesale, we want to buy your pottery!
Over 100 of our potters have their work in our beautiful, rustic retail shop located in a high traffic tourist area here in the Berkshires, and were always looking for new lines. Read more here...
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Our Clay Disclaimer
Our clays are guaranteed to be delivered to you at their intended formula and water content within the range of accuracy of our equipment. (Our mixing system is accurate to 0.2 lb. of dry materials.)
Note that:
-The materials used to produce your clay are mined by companies that do not necessarily recommend their products to be used by potters and they do not guarantee the purity of them. Therefore we can not be responsible for any variations or contaminants that are beyond our control. Using our Dry Materials refining system will greatly improve the dependability of these clays for a minimal extra cost.
-Since there are so many variables on the user end, you must test the clay to be sure that it works for your application given your own techniques and environment. We can only guarantee that the clay body is what you ordered, but we cannot guaranty that it will work for your needs. Sheffield Pottery is never responsible for any failed final product.
-Testing of raw materials should be an integral part of ceramic manufacturing. Upon receipt of any new material, we strongly recommend that you test the material. SHEFFIELD POTTERY, INC. has no control over either the variations that may occur in the natural materials or their application. Therefore, our products are sold with the understanding that the user is solely responsible for determining suitability for any purpose and the results obtained. There are no warranties expressed or implied, regarding the user’s finished product or results.
- Our clays are guaranteed to be delivered to you at their intended formula and water content within the range of accuracy of our equipment.
- If you find that the clay arrives from us and it is not to your recipe, we will happily remake the batch and cover the shipping at our expense.
- If you order custom clay and your recipe turns out not to be suitable for your application or environment, we are not responsible.
- If you use the clay without testing it, the final product is your own responsibility. All batches must be tested by the customer upon receipt of a new batch of clay prior to production.
- Sheffield Pottery will not be held responsible for any losses of product by our customers under any circumstance.
- We will be responsible for the cost of the clay purchased when the clay is not what you ordered.
OUR PROCESS
Natural Sheffield Clay is mined on our property from as seen at one of the open clay pits. The Sheffield Clay deposit is located in Sheffield, Massachusetts, on U.S. Route 7 in the Southwest corner of Berkshire County.