Porcelain products we manufacture

Below are frequently asked questions about our porcelain to help you make the best decision on which is best for you.

"I do a lot of china painting. Which porcelain is best for me?"
- No doubt about it. Ultra Chic is the porcelain of choice when china painting is a consideration. The surface is much smoother for china painting and it is a much more refined porcelain for this purpose. China Silk is a great stable porcelain but can mildew if not fired just right for china painting. Of course mildewing usually shows up in the flesh areas. This is because iron is used in most flesh china paints. IF you are china painting colors then China Silk will also work.
"What are the basic differences between China Silk and Ultra Chic?"
- China Silk is what we call our "mainstay slip". A basic porcelain is made up of Kaolin, Flint, and Feldspar in various quantities. This means that it is very stable during the firing and is considered a harder porcelain as to the surface after firing. It is very translucent and can actually go as hot as a cone 8 without blistering or sagging for items such as night lights. Ultra Chic is much more refined. By that we mean that there are several kaolin's mixed together as well as several feldspars. This produced a softer surface after firing. This is the preferred porcelain surface for dolls or other items with many china paint firings.
"Why do your bottles list a firing range between 5 and 7?"
- Some porcelains, especially those in the doll industry have a very narrow firing range. A week cone 6 is all that works. A stronger firing will cause blistering and a weaker firing will cause mildew during the china paint firing. Our porcelains are balance so that you can slightly under fire or slightly over fire without causing damage to the piece. Although 6 is the mean or middle temperature, and the recommended temperature, a piece that is very unstable can be successfully fired at a cone 5 and the porcelain will still have the same qualities.
"Can any of your porcelain be repaired when there is a crack after firing?"
- Yes they can. We don't recommend this when using Ultra Chic for a doll or anything that you are going to china paint because the china paints will take differently on the repaired area. But you can successfully repair China Silk by filling the crack with soft collar or thick porcelain and fire one cone cooler than the original firing. You can actually take the porcelain back to several firings to repair a crack as long as they are all below the original.
"You say that Ultra Chic is the choice for china painting. Which is the best for other paints such as Spanish Oils or under glazes?"
- Actually either is fine. Both are white and stable. Neither contains any chemicals or anything that can interfere with the Spanish Oils or under glazes during the firing.
"Can any of your porcelains be combined?"
- Depends on what you mean by combined. In the liquid I wouldn't recommend it. However in many other way that make a wonderful combination. For example you can slip paint inside a mold in colored China Silk and then cast the piece in Ultra Chic for a flesh tone. You can also paint China Silk on the surface of Ultra Chic once it is cast and get wonderful results as well. Treat it like an underglaze and apply with a very wet brush for a smooth surface.

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