Carl Cravens on sat 6 aug 11
Lili, please say it isn't so! Making my own glazes *isn't* going to make me=
=3D
more attractive!?
Now I'll have to rely solely on the irresistible charm =3D
that selling pots at art fairs creates. I'm told the ladies can't resist a =
=3D
sweaty guy with cobalt blue on his pots.
Lili Krakowski on sat 6 aug 11
Christeena: You write: "I have noticed a lot of questions in the =3D
archives related to glaze making and converting percentages to grams. =3D
Recently, I created a product called GlazeCal"
I am not trying to be difficult, but ...... =3D20
Any highschool graduate nowadays--since the world " went metric" some =3D
thirty [?] years ago, should, would know that the metric system is =3D
decimal....and everything "adds up to 100".
So 10 grams in a batch of 100 grams represent 10% of 100. And 19 grams =3D
represent 19%.
And like that. As much as I detested (still do) the French Revolution, =3D
this is one good thing came out of its time.
Furthermore: One does NOT need even a calculator. A pencil and the =3D
back of an old envelope will do! All this stuff is simple =3D
arithmetic...nothing more.
The trickiness (aha! there IS some!) in all this comes along when a =3D
recipe is in avoirdupois! Ounces and pounds.
This too is simple to resolve:
I do not have my notebooks on hand, so I will make up a recipe, it is =3D
not for real!
1 lb neph sy
7 ounces dolomite
half a pound of kaolin
5 ounces Frit 3134
1 ounce zircopax
First you reduce everything to ounces:
16 ounces neph sy
7 oz dolomite
8 oz kaolin
5 oz Frit 3134
1 oz.Zircopax
Then you add it up (37) and divide each ingredient weight (16,7,8, and =3D
so on) by that total.
And you get:
43,24 neph sy
18.92 dolomite
21.62 kaolin
13,51 Frit 3134
2.70 Zircopax
And this "translates" either into grams, or into percentages...
I still have not seen anything a highschooler would not be able to do.
The calculations some people do have trouble with are the Seger =3D
formulas...If they have trouble it probably is from "fear of math" =3D
rather than any complexity. And here there is info on the Internet, =3D
including "The Basic Internet Glaze Course", plus really good glaze =3D
calculation programs well worth the money as time savers.
And, truthfully, I think the decision to change from commercial glazes =3D
to making one's own should not be based on fear of math =3D
(arithmetophobia?) but on studio space and safety issues, financial =3D
considerations, time considerations, plus the question: "How much do I =3D
care? " Because right now every glaze imaginable is on the commercial =3D
market, and only them what really, really, really cares about glaze qua =3D
glaze should descend that slippery, seductive slope.
Making your own glazes is like baking your own bread. It is a wonderful =
=3D
thing to do if you have the time, the money, a real interest. It does =3D
not make you a better person, a more amusing companion, better looking, =3D
etc. It just makes you someone who bakes her own bread/makes her own =3D
glazes.
So, sorry, I think Glaze Cal may be fun --but I do not know for whom it =3D
would be useful!
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
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