Howdy Potters,
It’s been a minute since my last update, and we’ve been busy! Here’s a rundown of what’s new in the ceramics studio.
Member Shelving Changes
We’re eliminating the top shelf premium option. Previously, top shelves in the member storage room were reserved as full shelves at a higher price point — but starting Monday, March 30, 2026, they’ll be available as half or full shelves at our standard pricing.
If you’re interested in moving your shelf, reach out to ceramics@asmbly.org. We’re also working on a new system to simplify the shelf claiming and moving process — more details coming soon!
Porcelain Available Soon
We’re excited to announce that porcelain clay will soon be available for purchase at the studio. Whether you’re a seasoned ceramicist or looking to push your practice in a new direction, porcelain opens up a whole new world of possibility.
We’re stocking Armadillo Clay Cone 5 Porcelain — smooth, off-white, and excellent to throw. It’s formulated for cone 5/6 but performs beautifully in cone 10 firings. At cone 5/6, shrinkage is 11.25% and absorption is 2.59% — worth keeping in mind as you plan your forms. Cone 10 specs aren’t published by Armadillo for this body, but expect slightly higher shrinkage and lower absorption as it vitrifies further.
Glazes read truer and more vibrant on porcelain’s white surface, making it a favorite for functional tableware and delicate sculptural work. The tradeoff is that porcelain is less forgiving than stoneware — less plastic, more sensitive to uneven drying, and prone to cracking if rushed. Dry slowly, keep your walls even, and you’ll be just fine!
This also gives us our first dedicated high fire clay option! Work intended for cone 10 goes on the high fire shelf — once it’s full, the kiln operators will schedule a cone 10 firing. One important note: all glazes currently stocked at Asmbly are mid-fire only and are not suitable for cone 10. If you’re firing high fire, you’ll need to source your own glazes.
New Glazes
We’ve added three new glazes to the glaze lab: White Gloss, Floating Rutile, and Floating Pink. We’re also working on standardized test tiles for all our glazes that will live on the test tile pegboard rather than on the buckets themselves — stay tuned for that.
Our current dippable glaze offering:
- Floating Blue
- Floating Pink
- Floating Orange
- Floating Rutile
- Misty Forest
- Ivory
- White Gloss
- Black Gloss
- Clear
- Logai Green (discontinuing — available until current stock runs out)
- Stone Denim (discontinuing — available until current stock runs out)
We’re always refining our recipes and offerings — if you have questions or suggestions, we’d love to hear them!
General Studio Improvements
Worktable Refresh — We’ve re-covered the worktables with heavy duty canvas. Canvas is easier to scrape clean than plywood, releases clay more readily, and won’t splinter or crack over time creating crevices for old clay and bacteria to hide in. To clean: scrape off excess clay and wipe down with a damp sponge. A few seconds of cleanup after your session goes a long way!
Pegboard Refresh — New pegboards with hooks and trays are up for tool storage. Please wash your tools and return them to the pegboard after each session — don’t leave them in the sink or on the drying rack. The drying rack is for sponges only.
A big shout out to all of our volunteers and staff who continue to show up and show out for Asmbly Ceramics-- none of this would be possible without y’alls support. Thanks for being part of such a great community — more updates coming as we keep improving the space!
Stanton 
