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The body is highly plastic and can be thrown very thin. At cone 04 this thin-walled mug did not warp even though it fired to a near-glasslike cross-section. The density and strength are amazing; it took about 30 hits with a hammer to break it, hitting it as hard as I dared without risking being cut (I was holding it by its handle). The whiter flecks are agglomerates of New Zealand kaolin (because of improper mixing of the slurry), later batches were much better.

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To a potter, it may seem impossible that a body can be this porcelain-like at such a low temperature. And that such a body can be as plastic as this is. Achieving these came at the cost of shrinkage, both drying and firing, 18% total (vs 14% of a Grolleg cone 10 porcelain). Using this Zero4 fritware, very thin-walled pieces can be thrown. The frit also produces a body having a higher thermal expansion, so it fits any low-temperature glaze we have tried. This glaze is G1916QL3 ultra gloss clear glaze on Amaco Velvet underglazes. The low temperature has another benefit: Very sharp edges on painted underglaze designs. Zero4 replaces my old Zero3 fritware with a body that works at a more common temperature. It also employs a tiny amount of blue stain to produce the bluish-white color. Like Zero3, you can also make this yourself.
| Glossary |
Zero4
The designation for a group recipes for body, glaze and engobe (by Tony Hansen), that potters can use to make low fire stoneware and fritware porcelain |
| Glossary |
Fritware
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