Need recipe logic, material sense,
Suppose you are using a recipe that contains a mix of three clays with a small amount of feldspar, bentonite and silica. And it fires to a dense light tan as shown. It has become insufficiently plastic, for whatever reason. Process changes within the reach of this potter are not enough. This includes increasing the bentonite, it resists particle wetting because of its large surface area. So, it is likely an ineffective plasticizer in your the circumstances.
First, what are those three materials? I did an SHAB test on them (Hawthorn L2950, Goldart L3320, OM4 L3254). All three are vitreous by cone 10. They fire to a similar color. One is highly plastic: the ball clay. So altering their proportions to each other is a rational approach. With ball clay the bentonite is not even needed.
That underscores the importance of shifting that burden to the ball clay instead.
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