The clay is called leather hard because it has the feel of soft leather.
Leather hard clay ceramics definition.
The body needs to shrink as it dries.
In pottery leather hard is the condition of a clay or clay body when it has been partially dried to the point where all shrinkage has been completed and it has a consistency similar to leather of the same thickness as the clay.
At this stage the clay object has approximately 15 moisture content.
Three years ago i made a new technique for getting the same look as burnished wares but it was 100 waterproof.
Slip clay made fluid with water.
Leather hard definition of ceramic clay moist but not sufficiently so to be plastic.
Stain it is color applied or burnished onto a bisque surface and is not fired.
Leather hard now the clay has stiffened up significantly.
They have just been trimmed.
It is also used like mortar for flooting two pieces of leather hard clay together.
Bone dry the clay will be much lighter.
This is the time to do carving apply decorative slips terra sigillata burnish or just leave it alone.
Used for slip casting in molds and for decoration.
The leather hard stage is when the clay is hardened a little more so you can trim add handles and make other alterations before the clay gets too hard.
The clay has dried firm enough to handle them without pushing them out of shape too much but not so much that it is difficult to tool and flute the foot ring.
The clay is still visibly damp normally a darkish grey if it began whiteish but has dried.
The clay can be gouged or incised without breaking but will not receive impressions.
Like leather or firm cheese.
For a stoneware clay body you mix stoneware casting slip and clear gloss glaze 06 type in equal quantities.
The clay has stiffened up enough to be to able handle it without marking it up with your fingers.
These mugs are in the leather hard stage.
Stoneware a category of clay wares which reaches maturity at higher temperatures above cone 4.
Attaching is more difficult.
The surface of the clay will easily take an impression and attaching is easy.
You apply it to the surface of a leather hard pot and wait for the coating to reach leather hard.