kdholman on sat 7 feb 98
I Have been told that its better to mix up 100 % water to raw material,
Then add say Epson Salt,or a Vee-gum to keep it suspended.This would
be for Spraying the Ware..Then it has been stated that it is better to
keep
the water at a specific gravity of 1.65 to 1.7 then add Darvan the thin
out.
But if you half to thin the glaze out the glaze will settle out .So you
half
to add Epson Salt or a Vee-gum....I was wondering what is the best
method
in mixing a glaze for Spraying when you know that the glaze thickness
needs
to be very thin for the best results.If to thick the glaze turnes white
because
of the type of boron frit being used ?
centa on mon 6 mar 00
New to glaze mixing, I have found a few base glazes that I am happy with
and want to mix up five gallon buckets full and continue testing and
making up smaller batches with color from the base glazes, wet. Most
instructions are for mixing dry but I am working with wet batches. All I
have to go by really is that about a half a cup of wet mix is equal to
100 gram batch. I do not care about being ultra precise, but am trying
to work out a method of glazing that is simple and efficient without a
lot of fuss.
Thanks,
Centa
JOHN KREMER on tue 7 mar 00
------------------
Centa,
But you do know how much dry chemical you have... After you add water to =
your
dry mix note on your vessel what your total volume is. If not using a =
graduated
vessel fill an identical vessel with water, to the same level. Determine =
the
total volume. Now, when making up batches, remove the desired volume and =
divide
by the total volume of the original/base glaze. Take this number and =
multiply
it by the dry weights of all the individual ingredients in the original =
recipe.
You now know the exact amounts of each component in your small batch. You =
can
add new compounds accordingly.
Remember, it is necessary to have the =22base=22 glaze thoroughly mixed =
before
removing your small batches. Also, all units must be the same before you =
start
doing your math work. In other words if you remove 1 cup from a five gallon
(original volume) bucket you wouldn't divide 1c by 5gal. You would divide =
1c by
80c ( 4 qt to a gallon, 4c to a quart, 5gal x 4qt x 4c=3D80c). You can be =
as
exact as you want to be. In your case you could use =225 gallons=22 as your
starting volume for approximate values or you could measure more precisely =
to
become more accurate...and hopefully more reproducible if you choose to
duplicate the experiment. And finally, always use the =22original=22 volume=
of your
main/base glaze when calculating. That is, after 3 months if your =
=22original=22 5
gallons is down to 3 1/2 gallons, you would still use 5 gallons in your
calculations.
My powers as a teacher leave a lot to be desired. If I wasn't very clear,
Centa, e-mail me and I will give it another go.
I use metric units, then there's no problems with unit conversions, but =
that's
another topic all together.
Good Luck, Centa. Happy Experimenting=21
John Kremer
Susan Parrish on wed 13 feb 02
I've mixed numerable glazes, both commercial and not over the years to =
see what I will get. Sometimes you will get the expected, usually not. =
Probably more so with com. glazes especially if they're the same brand =
and same base, you can ask. Sometimes you get some unexpected great =
results. So good luck!
Susan Parrish
Ian Bogus on sat 16 feb 02
Hello everyone,
I just got my first kiln and I wanted to start mixing my own glazes. The book I bought uses base glazes and adding colorants. It may seem like a stupid question but I wanted to make sure before I messed up a few batches. When the directions say to add a percentage of a material, that percentage is of the final weight, not of the weight of the base before adding materials, correct?? For example: if it says to use "base glaze I" and add 3% cobolt then for a 100g batch I would weigh out 97g "base glaze I" and 3g cobolt.
Thanks for the help.
Ian
Ababi on mon 18 feb 02
Usualy it is 100% plus colorants
Ababi
---------- Original Message ----------
>I just got my first kiln and I wanted to start mixing my own glazes.
The book I bought uses base glazes and adding colorants. It may seem
like a stupid question but I wanted to make sure before I messed up a
few batches. When the directions say to a dd a percentage of a
material, that percentage is of the final weight, not of the weight of
the base before adding materials, correct?? For example: if it says to
use "base glaze I" and add 3% cobolt then for a 100g batch I would
weigh out 97g "base gla ze I" and 3g cobolt.
>Thanks for the help.
>Ian
Kelly Averill Savino on thu 14 mar 02
Now THERE'S a good lurker question. I am in glaze-mixing kindergarten, but can tell you what folks have told me:
One way to approach it is to find out if the folks who make whatever clay you use also sell a clear glaze (in powder form, by the pound.) If not, get a recipe for a base glaze at the cone you fire (I am assiming an electric kiln if you're using duncan glazes) and mix it yourself. Get a good mask (some folks use paper ones but I got a NIOSH respirator.) Then you can buy small amounts of the basic stuff, mason stains, red iron oxide, rutile, and such, and start experimenting. There are some books that will give you an idea which things create what colors. The Potter's Palette is one, by Christine Constant and Steve Ogden.
Before you get into this, you should know there are some pitfalls. One is, any book at the library or recipe in the archives might be outdated. This can mean the ingredients (like gerstley borate and albany slip) are vanishing fast or no longer available. It could mean the glazes have (in very old books) lead, or use materials like barium carbonate or use things like cobalt in ways that don't end up in a safe glaze. You can ask on clayart which glaze materials are safe and which toxic and get as many answers as there are personalities; look in the archives for posts by monona rossol for a "better safe than sorry" view, or look for stuff by Ron Roy and John Hesselberth. The only way to really KNOW a glaze is safe (doesn't leach chemicals, won't spit shards of glass in your soup, etc.) is to send it to a lab for expensive testing.
Also, one person's recipe is not likely to make the same glaze for you. I can put the same glaze on two different clay bodies and make two different colors. Or put one on the top shelf of the kiln and another on the bottom. Or or... there are lots of variables.
If I were starting now to learn about mixing glazes, I would buy Ron Roy and John Hesselberth's new book that's been talked about so much here lately. I'll find the link and post it, it might be masteringlazes.com. Once you learn the basics you can experiment and branch out. Don't be intimidated by the stuff that seems over your head, just keep reading clayart, reading the books, looking for websites, and little by little it will start to make sense. I have to say R&J's book explains in pretty basic terms for folks like us who never had high school chemistry..
There is no class that I have ever taken that has made this easier, no one resource, and I'm still a beginner after a long haul of learning, so the longer you put it off, the longer it will take to get there... start making little glaze test tiles now, with numbers scratched in them, and bisque fire them... you'll never have enough.
That's just how it looks from here. I'm sure others will see it a different way.
I'd say WANTING to make your own glazes is half the battle...
keep us posted. Yours, Kelly
---------------------------------
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage
Bruce Girrell on fri 15 mar 02
> The only way to
> really KNOW a glaze is safe ... is to send it to a lab for
> expensive testing.
Not all that expensive. John Hesselberth has the instructions (and the
prices) for the testing at http://www.frogpondpottery.com/glazetest.html
Bruce Girrell
in almost snowless northern Michigan,
who says "Three cheers for Kelly, our stand-in moderator!"
Kristin on fri 8 nov 02
The discussion on dry-mixing leads me to this
sorry-for-such-a-dumb-question-question:
I have never seen anyone mix glaze, but I am going to
have to venture into the practice very soon. I have
purchased and read (and understood some to most of)
Ron and John's book and a few others in the same sort
of line. So I've got that much under my belt.
But how to physically mix everything (besides wearing
the correct safety equipment, measuring out how much
you need, and sieving it into a bucket, then adding
water) – I’m clueless.
Could you folks recommend a book, etc. that could
help? I have an inherent desire to figure most things
out on my own -- but not this one. Definitely need to
learn this one correctly right off of the bat.
Thanks for helping a newbie. - Kristin
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos
http://launch.yahoo.com/u2
Charles Moore on fri 8 nov 02
Kristin et al
Sorry--not answering Kristin's question--I'd like to ask another that might
prove of interest to Kristen:
I find certain at least a couple of chemicals--e.g., wallastonite and zinc
oxide--difficult to push through either a 60 or an 80 mesh sieve. So,
following some Chayarter's advice from a couple of years back, I run those
chemicals through a studio-dedicated blender and then go through the process
of sieving.
I notice that most people advise dry blending bentonite before adding water.
Is there any reason not to blend all of the chemicals prior to screening?
Charles
Sacramento
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kristin"
To:
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 12:06 PM
Subject: Mixing glazes
> The discussion on dry-mixing leads me to this
> sorry-for-such-a-dumb-question-question:
>
> I have never seen anyone mix glaze, but I am going to
> have to venture into the practice very soon. I have
> purchased and read (and understood some to most of)
> Ron and John's book and a few others in the same sort
> of line. So I've got that much under my belt.
>
> But how to physically mix everything (besides wearing
> the correct safety equipment, measuring out how much
> you need, and sieving it into a bucket, then adding
> water) - I'm clueless.
>
> Could you folks recommend a book, etc. that could
> help? I have an inherent desire to figure most things
> out on my own -- but not this one. Definitely need to
> learn this one correctly right off of the bat.
>
> Thanks for helping a newbie. - Kristin
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos
> http://launch.yahoo.com/u2
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Linda Knapp on sat 9 nov 02
I have been doing a lot of glaze tests lately - For what it is worth -
here is my method.
I mix around 1000 gram batches for tests normally. ( I say around
because I round all my ingrediants off to even amounts so the mixes will
generally be not exactly 1000.)
I put all the dry ingrediants into a bucket (2 gallon or so is usually
fine) and with rubber gloves on I mix the ingrediants well with my hand.
If there are lumps I break them up with my fingers as much as possible.
I have never felt the need to blend anything. Although I was
experimenting with potasium once and had to dissolve the lumps in it.
The second time I used it I broke the lumps up well before putting it in
the mix.
I add water and mix well with one hand. I typically get the mix pretty
thick at this point and have to keep adding water through the mixing /
sieving process.
Now depending on the glaze I use either a 40 or 60 mesh sieve and pour
it through using my gloved hand to mix and push it through. If the glaze
is something like a Jun with a small amount of iron which I want well
dispersed I'll go several times through a 60 and then 100 mesh sieve.
Most times I put the glaze through a 40 or 60 mesh sieve 3 times. I mix
the glaze in the bucket each time and make sure to push as much of the
material as possible down the sides of the bucket.
The hard part is to get the right amount of water in the mix. I use the
rule of thumb (or finger) well cuticle actually. Dip your finger in and
see if you can see your cuticle shape through the glaze.
Cheers!
Linda
Charles Moore wrote:
>Kristin et al
>
>Sorry--not answering Kristin's question--I'd like to ask another that might
>prove of interest to Kristen:
>
>I find certain at least a couple of chemicals--e.g., wallastonite and zinc
>oxide--difficult to push through either a 60 or an 80 mesh sieve. So,
>following some Chayarter's advice from a couple of years back, I run those
>chemicals through a studio-dedicated blender and then go through the process
>of sieving.
>
>I notice that most people advise dry blending bentonite before adding water.
>Is there any reason not to blend all of the chemicals prior to screening?
>
>Charles
>Sacramento
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Kristin"
>To:
>Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 12:06 PM
>Subject: Mixing glazes
>
>
>
>
>>The discussion on dry-mixing leads me to this
>>sorry-for-such-a-dumb-question-question:
>>
>>I have never seen anyone mix glaze, but I am going to
>>have to venture into the practice very soon. I have
>>purchased and read (and understood some to most of)
>>Ron and John's book and a few others in the same sort
>>of line. So I've got that much under my belt.
>>
>>But how to physically mix everything (besides wearing
>>the correct safety equipment, measuring out how much
>>you need, and sieving it into a bucket, then adding
>>water) - I'm clueless.
>>
>>Could you folks recommend a book, etc. that could
>>help? I have an inherent desire to figure most things
>>out on my own -- but not this one. Definitely need to
>>learn this one correctly right off of the bat.
>>
>>Thanks for helping a newbie. - Kristin
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do you Yahoo!?
>>U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos
>>http://launch.yahoo.com/u2
>>
>>
>>
>>
>____________________________________________________________________________
>__
>
>
>>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>>
>>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>>
>>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>>
>>
>melpots@pclink.com.
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
Snail Scott on sat 9 nov 02
At 12:06 PM 11/8/02 -0800, you wrote:
>
>But how to physically mix everything (besides wearing
>the correct safety equipment, measuring out how much
>you need, and sieving it into a bucket, then adding
>water) =96 I=92m clueless.
Honestly, that's about it. Start with water in the=20
bucket, add the dry stuff, stick a drill-mixer into=20
the mix (below the waterline) and turn it on. Make=20
sure you mix all around the bucket, & up and down.
You can always add more water if needed, but if you=20
start with too much, you have to wait for evaporation,=20
so err on the 'less water' side until you see how it's=20
mixing up. Some glazes need more water than others for
the same consistency, even if the weight of dry material=20
is the same, so you must let each glaze tell you how=20
much. A 10,000 gram batch will usually fill a 5-gal=20
bucket pretty well, but not always! Glazes with lots=20
of gerstley borate may only need 5,000g to fill it up,
while glazes with lots of frit may handle more.
-Snail
Belinda Willis on sat 9 nov 02
Kristen,
I'm new at mixing glazes too. So this semester, at the local junior college
ceramics class, I focused on learning all I could on my own. I did a
zillion test tiles using the glossie base glazes #1 and #2 from the
Mastering Cone 6 book. (I refer to it as my ceramic bible.)
I would make up a 1000 gm batch of dry chemicals in a gallon size ziplock
type baggie (I found the freeze bags are much stonger than the regular
storage/sandwich bags.) and mixed them VERY well. I then divided that into
50 or 100 gm baggies added colorants, measured water into the baggie,
zipped it up and shook like crazy. I would then dip the test tile into the
baggie. After doing a couple of batches that were full of little white
clumps, I learned to weight out the Wollastonite into a baggie all by
itself and crush it to a powder using a rolling pin.
When it came time to fix up a 2000 gm batch in a bucket, the first one took
me forever to seive even after crushing the Wollinstonite. All those
microscopic little clumps!! So, after that, I mixed a bucket of glaze by
weighing out the Wollastonite FIRST and putting it in the bucket all by
itself. I added enough water to cover the powder and used a hand-held
blender (the kind that can fit inside a glass) to turn the Wollastonite
into a lovely smooth slurry. I then put in the oxide colorants and buzzed
them. Then after weighing out each chemical, I added it to the bucket, put
in more water and buzzed. By the time all the chemicals were in, the
oxides were well dispersed, everything was well mixed with no lumps and all
I had to do was figure out how much water to add for the proper final
consistency and seive it. But this way, the seiving goes SOOO much faster.
I love my hand held blender.
Belinda
Earl Brunner on wed 9 jul 03
I DO dry mix when the glaze calls for bentonite. The bentonite seems to
mix with the water better when it is dispersed in the other chemicals.
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Cindi
Anderson
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2003 2:03 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Mixing glazes
This has come up on ClayArt before and although the conventional wisdom
is to dry mix, many potters said they did not dry mix first, because of
the reasons you said (takes more time and causes more dust). But it
seems most of them left the mix soaking for at least 24 hours.
Cindi
Fremont, CA
Cliona A. on wed 9 jul 03
Is it necessary to thoroughly mix dry glaze constituents by hand before adding water and sieving? If I could avoid doing this it would make mixing glazes much easier and cut down on dust, so any advice would be appreciated. Greg Ashe.
Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.
Dannon Rhudy on wed 9 jul 03
Greg Ashe asked:
...<<<<constituents by hand before adding water.....>>>>>>
It is NOT necessary to mix glazes dry before adding
water. The easiest and least dusty way to mix a glaze
is to put about half the water you will be using into the
bucket before you add any glaze ingredients. Then=20
measure and add your glaze parts, let slake briefly, and
mix. Mix thoroughly, adjust the water amount, and
sieve if necessary. I don't generally sieve glazes, but
some are improved by it, and if you're new at glaze
mixing it would likely be the best thing to do.
regards
Dannon Rhudy=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Cliona A.=20
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=20
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2003 2:36 PM
Subject: Mixing glazes
Is it necessary to thoroughly mix dry glaze constituents by hand =
before adding water and sieving? If I could avoid doing this it would =
make mixing glazes much easier and cut down on dust, so any advice would =
be appreciated. Greg Ashe.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. =
_________________________________________________________________________=
_____ Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org You may look at the =
archives for the list or change your subscription settings from =
http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/ Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson =
who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.=20
Cindi Anderson on wed 9 jul 03
This has come up on ClayArt before and although the conventional wisdom =
is to dry mix, many potters said they did not dry mix first, because of =
the reasons you said (takes more time and causes more dust). But it =
seems most of them left the mix soaking for at least 24 hours. =20
Cindi
Fremont, CA
----- Original Message -----=20
Is it necessary to thoroughly mix dry glaze constituents by hand =
before adding water and sieving? If I could avoid doing this it would =
make mixing glazes much easier and cut down on dust, so any advice would =
be appreciated. Greg Ashe.
John Britt on wed 9 jul 03
Greg,
I never stir the dry glaze batch up first. Nor do I let it sit for 24
hours.
I just weigh out the ingredients, add water and stir with a drill and
propeller bit. Then I run it through a Talisman sieve and the
appropriate screen.
It is very simple.
Hope that helps,
John Britt
Penland Clay
Ababi on thu 10 jul 03
The only times I stir a bit are when I have colorants on top and frit at
the bottom
Ababi
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of John Britt
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 1:46 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Mixing glazes
Greg,
I never stir the dry glaze batch up first. Nor do I let it sit for 24
hours.
June Perry on thu 10 jul 03
I don't dry mix, except to give a very quick little stir after I add
bentonite. I then add the water and use my Turbo mixer (love this mixer) and sieve
through my Talisman sieve (one of the best tools I ever bought, next to my
digital scale! :-)
Regards,
June Perry
http://www.angelfire.com/art2/shambhalapottery/
william schran on thu 10 jul 03
Greg Ashe wrote: constituents by hand before adding water and sieving? If I could
avoid doing this it would make mixing glazes much easier and cut down
on dust, so any advice would be appreciated.>
I found the easiest and safest way to mix glazes is to weigh each of
the materials, add each to glaze bucket that already has some water
(this helps to hold down dust), let sit a soak a few minutes, then
sieve the glaze twice - once through 30 mesh, second time through 60
or 80 mesh, depending on the glaze.
Bill
Craig Martell on thu 10 jul 03
Hi:
This might sound somewhat convoluted but the method is really simple and fast.
When I mix glazes, I start by adding a set amount of water to the
bucket. I usually mix 10,000 gram batches in a five gallon plastic
bucket. I use 1mililitre of water per gram of glaze so I add 10,000 ml of
water, then, if I'm using any sort of suspender such as macaloid, vee gum,
or bentonite, I add that and blunge it with a jiffy mixer. If there is
ball clay or kaolin in the glaze, I add that next and blunge again. Then I
add all the dry ingredients, let them hydrate for a bit, but not all day,
and then mix with the jiffy mixer and sieve. Adding and blunging the
plastic materials first makes a nice glaze slurry and keeps the spars,
other fluxes, and silica from settling while I let the glaze hydrate. I
never do any dry mixing of glaze, only claybodies.
If I'm doing several batches, I do all the dry weighing first and then I
start the mix and sieve process. This allows the glazes to sit and hydrate
while I'm doing other things.
I prefer adding dry to water instead of the other way around. This makes
mixing a lot easier. I use a 1000ml graduated cylinder to measure the
water. I get the cheap plastic ones from a scientific supply. They are a
very handy thing to have in the studio.
regards, Craig Martell Hopewell, Oregon
Dannon Rhudy on thu 10 jul 03
Earl said:
> I DO dry mix when the glaze calls for bentonite. The bentonite seems to
> mix with the water better when it is dispersed in the other
chemicals....>>>>
I think I've noted this before, but I find that the very best
way to deal with bentonite in any glaze is to mix it separately
with water in a blender or with a hand-blender. Works great,
and the bentonite actually disperses into the glaze, easily. I
even keep a jar of bentonite "jelly" already mixed, ready to
hand, and add some to glazes that need it. Of course, that
takes a bit of experience, but it also works well.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
Joyce LEE on wed 29 dec 04
I'm thinkin' I'd do well to pose this to claybuds before taking
action that will shorten my nose once again.
I have a friend/mentee.... about my age.... very enthusiastic
about clay. She comes to the studio every day that I will
"let" her (her word)... has enrolled at the community college
to learn to throw.... she handbuilds now and is improving weekly.
BUT she gets bored easily. She wants to switch projects
usually after one try. At first, I thought that must be how I
appear to my claybuds, but after thinking it through, I realize
that's not the case. My problem is that I want to continue with=20
all that I'm doing AND add new
enthusiasms .... more than is advisable .... I'm still not sure
why that's a bad thing except that there is only so much
time and I'm NOT a natural artist/craftsperson. I DO know
that my situation is different from Ms X's.
Still, I'm trying to follow my own philosophy as a mentor and take
her where she is and work from there. However, I'm now in crunch
time.... wanting to make bowls for Mendocino (though I have a
lot of bisque, I want some new ones) AND experiment/mix some
of John Britt's glaze suggestions. I can't do this and constantly
monitor Ms X who has her own ideas about taking short cuts
with Peter Pugger (now a taboo machine for her), the slab
roller (which is inoperable at the moment and going to stay
that way for awhile), and the extruder.... no harm done so far
with the manual North Star.
Sooo.... this is the crux of this post.... Ms X has volunteered to
do the dreaded mixing of glazes for me. I would do the
measuring, keep the notes, try some of Robin Hopper's methods
for adding colorants etc. NOT drudgery for me since I can
stop and throw or glaze or clean at any time...... However, Ms
X HATES mixing glazes. I've pointed out that a specific glaze
needs such&such time in order to mix thoroughly; that we need
to watch out for globs and other problems with certain oxides...
that it is a serious job in MY studio.... but worth it. (I, too, take
short cuts but only after MY experience tells me that they will
work.) Invariably, meaning each and every time she attempts to
mix a glaze, after 10 minutes (no kidding!) she wants to know if
that's enough mixing. NOW she wants to know if she can bring
a book to read while she mixes. =20
I know of solutions..... including books on tape (nothing wrong
with that)... but that isn't the way I work, not as long as I'm
such a novice about so many clay-related duties.
I'll wind up doing whatever I think works for me.... but I do
wonder how you might react to this. Keep in mind, please,
that she is my friend..... can be helpful for short spurts....
is fun.... generous...... and Mojo loves playing with her lab
several times weekly.... and I love the lab as well. She
believes she is ADHD, though undiagnosed, which well may be
a correct assessment. However, I have MANY claybuds (as
do you) who have been diagnosed as such and manage to run
great single potter studios..... and complete ALL the tedious
tasks associated with clay.
Thank you. Didn't mean to be so wordy. Ah, well......
Joyce
In the Mojave where the sun came out, the sand soaked up
the teeny lakes all over the scrub acreage and now it's
raining again. The new Chinese Buffet opened this week and
we're lining up down the street even in the rain.... did the
same for McDonalds way back even before Burger King arrived
in the desert.
Cindy on thu 30 dec 04
Hello, Joyce
I don't mix my glazes for hours and hours at a time. I mix them pretty well,
then let them sit overnight. After sitting overnight, I mix them some more.
Also, I make sure they're sitting up on a stool for the next step; pouring
into the sieve; 'cause they're *heavy*! If you're really in a hurry, you can
sieve them right away, but it's more work.
(BTW, I use an electric drill. You can actually find a 5 gallon mixing wand
for a smaller (3/8"?) drill, but it's hard to do. A low-end 1/2" drill might
be a better idea. I like the corded one because it's cheaper, stronger,
lighter, and doesn't run down in the middle of an operation. The cord is a
pain, though.) You're better off with a plastic end on your mixing wand
because that way, you don't shave off bits of bucket.
After this, I sieve them several times with an 80 mesh sive--that pricey
one--can't remember the brand name just now. You know, the one with the
crank. If they contain wollastonite or zinc or other lumpy stuff, you
absolutely must sieve them, as I'm sure you've noticed. Otherwise, you don't
have to. It's a great way to mix the glazes thoroughly, though. I have the
glazes a little soupy for this step, since it makes it easier. I just take
off the extra water later.
Your friend should enjoy mixing with the drill. There are all kinds of
things to experiment with. You swirl the drill clockwise/counterclockwise,
shallower and deeper to see if you can get a vortex. Just warn her not to
hold the drill too high in the bucket or you'll have glaze all over the
place. It's also a good way to judge whether your glaze has the right amount
of water once you're ready to actually use it. If you get the vortex too
easily, that's generally a bad sign. ;)
Have fun,
Cindy in SD
bonnie staffel on thu 30 dec 04
Dear Clayarters,
I originally wrote the following to the list, but then thought I would just
write to Joyce, but she felt it would be good information to share.
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 1:01 PM
Subject: Mixing Glazes
Dear Joyce,
I am sure your experience with your friend has happened to many more potters
than just you. I had a similar experience with a friend who wanted to learn
about clay. She was the manicured fingernail type but I told her the first
thing she would have to do is to file her nails down to non-claws. Then it
is also my practice to teach hand building first before giving wheel
lessons. So I suggested that before she could make a pot, I would have to
see a perfect coil. One does have to push some students just to see if
there is dedication or not. She pulled this off just fine, but she was a
"night" person and usually slept until noon. I am a morning person and do
my best work early in the day. She started showing up at my studio first at
about 2 in the afternoon, then it became later and later and I was kept in
the dark as to whether she would show up at all. My way out of the
situation was to tell her I would help set up her own studio so she could
work at her own pace. Another reason I had was to tell her I was getting
into my crunch time and would not have time or space to give to her work in
my studio.
It came out to a happy ending, where she took a class with another potter in
the area, got better at hand building, and got this neophyte launched. I
knew she would not be the kind of student I had hoped because she just was
not on fire with the process. Her output was work that she could use at
home and give as gifts to her friends. Sorry to say she passed away a couple
of years ago while on a trip on the Danube.
My premise is to never let the guest take over the studio. It is your space
and your work and you do have to say something (in a nice way) to resolve
the problem. Whenever one gives away space or time with no charge, it never
works to your advantage. I feel clay is an emotional craft and to have such
disturbances invades your creativity. You set the rules and if they do not
want to follow them, you can say that it is just not working. Joyce, I can
see that you are a very kind person but your friend will end up frustrating
you with her behavior. Just tell her you will give her advice on setting up
her own studio. My first studio was in my kitchen of all places. No need
for a lot of space, or a closet will do if there is a fire burning. She
will do it.
Good luck.
Bonnie
PS I would NEVER EVER let anyone weigh or mix my glazes. If she would
rather read a book than pay attention to what she was doing, no way!!!! I
did it ONCE and you can never find out why the glaze went wrong.
Regards,
Bonnie Staffel
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
Charter Member Potters Council
Alisa Liskin Clausen on thu 30 dec 04
However, Ms
>X HATES mixing glazes.
Dear Joyce,
After reading your post my immediate reaction is to ask
Why does she hate to mix glazes?
Does she get wet, dirty, something like that she does not like?
Does her arm maybe just get tired? I do not know, but maybe
if you could change whatever makes her hate mixing glazes,
she would take a different approach.
Making glazes is not the drudge work it has the bad reputation of being.
I think it is sort of honorable, as in being a really important part
of the process. The person who mixes collective studio glazes
is usually one who is looked up to as having enough experience and being
together enough, to do it, because it is a responsible job.
My next reaction is: nice of you to let your friend into your studio,
but maybe not always wise. Can be like lending money you know. Want to
help, but regret if the unpaid loan gets in the way of your relationship.
If your friend cannot help you to achieve what you need to do in the studio
and conversely becomes a bit of a hindrance, well, hard to fix sometimes.
When I have apprentices for short periods like two months, they must follow
what I need to get done and if there is time left, they can explore some of
their own intentions. However, the primary studio work, my work, has
always preference. They learn a lot anyway, because most of what I am
doing is not something they would do on their own, because we work
differently and they are young in in the craft. I select apprentices by
how much I can feel that they resepct what I do enough to want to learn
from me. Additonally they must be open to learn about clay by working with
me the way I work. Later they can use what they learned from a technical
aspect to make what springs from their guts/souls.
I admit that I could not work in my studio with someone who needed a lot of
attention on work that was not related to what I needed to get down on an
everyday basis. Maybe you can find time to "let" her in your studio only
at times when you really have time to work along side of her if she can not
work along side of you during your busy times.
I cannot address the shorter attention span or boredom, do not know so much
about that.
Good luck to you, a nice, well meaning lady, Birthday Joyce.
(but I stand fast that my studio is my domaine)
regards from Alisa in Denmark
John Hesselberth on thu 30 dec 04
On Wednesday, December 29, 2004, at 08:33 PM, Joyce LEE wrote:
> Keep in mind, please,
> that she is my friend..... can be helpful for short spurts....
> is fun.... generous...... and Mojo loves playing with her lab
> several times weekly.... and I love the lab as well.
Hi Joyce,
Your friend is a hummingbird or a butterfly. A little taste here, a
little there, then on to the next flower. My prediction is that she
will never be a good potter and, friend or not, you will have to force
the issue with her. Focus her on craftsmanship and insist she make 100
mugs. When she rebels after the 3rd mug, try to turn your friendship
into lunch dates instead of pottery. She will be nothing but a problem
for you in the pottery studio and there is nothing you can do about it.
This reminds me of a t-shirt we bought for our granddaughters at an
appropriate time in their lives. "I'm 2 and there is nothing you can do
about it."
I hope you and everyone on Clayart has a GREAT New Year. May it be the
best ever.
Regards,
John
Ken Nowicki on fri 31 dec 04
Hi Cindy,
You wrote... "You're better off with a plastic end on your mixing wand
because that way, you don't shave off bits of bucket."
I'm curious about this. Could you expand on this a little more for us? What
do you mean by "plastic end"? What type of "mixing wand" are you referring to
here? Is it the "Jiffy Mixer" by chance... or perhaps something else?
I love my Jiffy Mixers... I have two of them... the larger one...(apprx. 5"
diameter) and then a smaller one (about 3" dia.) for smaller jobs. The one
drawback though I've discovered is exactly what you just mentioned... little bits
of plastic bucket fragments being shaved off into the mixture while mixing,
especially on the larger sized Jiffy Mixer blade. I try to be careful about
rubbing the blade against the bottom and sides of the bucket to much... but
sometimes it can't be helped. If you are using a Jiffy Mixer, are you modifying it
by adding a plastic end or something... so that the blade doesn't touch the
bottom of the bucket? Just curious here...
I love the way these Jiffy Mixers blend though... nice and smooth... and
thorough too. Thus far, I don't know of a better tool to get the job done as
efficiently.
Best wishes,
- Ken
Kenneth J. Nowicki
Port Washington, NY
RakuArtist@aol.com
Charter Member/Potters Council
bill edwards on wed 9 feb 05
While the post wasn't one that answered the question, I believe people are entitled to making their choices without rhetoric occasionally regardless how stupid or lazy it appears to others. If someone out there has a glaze that they want to share, let them share it, let those who are learning, experience those pro's and con's that come with the territory and also understand the safety issues, at least there are still some more willing to work with those in need, than not! It's very easy to tell someone to go to a library but complicated to show them how to formulate and learn molecular structure and how mols equate in a random mix of various compounds. The contributions to those learning have often applied back to those who seem to already know. The failed experiences of others are the better teachers and time does in fact change all things and all materials change over time to some extent! Purity can be rationalized latter.
That’s why clay art is still around. These are our people who write the books often found in libraries and stores across the Nation. Some of these people are vital in the continuance of better glaze making and formulating that digs deeper into the minds of new potters who learn through actions and experimentation. They need to understand the toxic and dangerous basics and this list alone has that information available. The balance can be found in old records here as well and the people at large here are more often helpful than not! I would suspect if anyone reads this group, they have learned plenty. Some to the point of seldom writing out of fear of cool responses.
What was yesterdays book writers is often today’s Clayarters who latter re-write history and set new levels in understanding the adventures in clay, glazes and formulations that will carry on into the future. Ron and John are fine examples of enlightened people who have made it much easier for people to understand the basics as well as Matrix and other software. You cannot help but learn something from this if you mix a glaze that works. It teaches you to make changes and once you see that, you want to understand the fundamentals behind those changes and learning occurs naturally. Those willing to answer some questions along the way only have things to gain, not lose. And believe me, the wrong book and wrong information at the library thats out of date can be just as bad as no information from those in here who are on top of their jobs. Someone has to be creative enough to understand that old information isn't neccessarily good information. We once thought lead was the best metal on
the planet!
Bill Edwards
---------------------------------
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Kathy McDonald on fri 12 jan 07
A wire kitchen whip and a decent size immersion blender work
wonders on smaller (5000g) batches of glaze.
I mix large batches of glaze in the summer and
have to move them indoors for winter.
These tools are great for not getting the stuff all over the
walls.
I also have holes fit to the drill mixer in my glaze pail
lids so
I just slide the bit through the hole and into the drill
mixer
so the lid gets put on the pail before I turn it on.
I find my glazes often settle during the glazing process
itself
and a quick whirl with the immersion blender, or the kitchen
whip
gets the bottom sediment redispersed.
These are things you can get at garage sales or through
kitchen specialty stores.
I found a used one for the studio through a restaurant
bankruptcy sale.
Kathy
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On Behalf Of
Lisa E
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 2:38 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Mixing Glazes
Any tips on mixing buckets of glaze?
I use toilet bowl brushes and dish brushes and they are
great when I make
5kg buckets of glaze because the handles are long enough.
But I want to
start making 10 - 20kg buckets of glaze because it is a big
job and I don't
want to do it that often (plus my husband freaks whenever
there are
chemicals floating through his beloved garage). Plus larger
amounts are
better for overall coverage/dips.
I use my glazes every 1 - 2 weeks so they have time to
settle nicely. Some
people use broomsticks but I like the brushes on the end as
it really gets
the stuck stuff up.
Should I just stick with a mixer/drill combo or does anyone
have any other
methods?
Thank you!
--
Lisa E
Sunny Daze Design Pottery Studio
SunnyDazeDesign@gmail.com
Squamish, BC Canada
www.lisaelbertsen.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/SunnyDazeDesign
____________________________________________________________
__________________
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You may look at the archives for the list or change your
subscription
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melpots@pclink.com.
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Craig Clark on fri 12 jan 07
Lisa, first of all, are you sieving your glazes? If not, then it is a
very good idea. I run mine first through a 50 mesh sieve and then an 80
mesh. This is after I have mixed them very well. I usually make up at
least a 10kg batch of glaze. I use my handy dandy Jiffy Mixer which is
worth every penny that I spent on it and then some. Been using one for
years now. Would not go back to the old way. It has been chucked into
cheaper drills, but I'm now the proud owner of a nice stout Milwaukee
which easily drives the mixer.
Hope this helps
Craig Dunn Clark
619 East 11 1/2 St
Houston, Texas 77008
(713)861-2083
mudman@hal-pc.org
Lisa E wrote:
> Any tips on mixing buckets of glaze?
>
> I use toilet bowl brushes and dish brushes and they are great when I make
> 5kg buckets of glaze because the handles are long enough. But I want to
> start making 10 - 20kg buckets of glaze because it is a big job and I
> don't
> want to do it that often (plus my husband freaks whenever there are
> chemicals floating through his beloved garage). Plus larger amounts are
> better for overall coverage/dips.
>
> I use my glazes every 1 - 2 weeks so they have time to settle nicely.
> Some
> people use broomsticks but I like the brushes on the end as it really
> gets
> the stuck stuff up.
>
> Should I just stick with a mixer/drill combo or does anyone have any
> other
> methods?
>
> Thank you!
> --
> Lisa E
> Sunny Daze Design Pottery Studio
> SunnyDazeDesign@gmail.com
> Squamish, BC Canada
>
> www.lisaelbertsen.com
> http://picasaweb.google.com/SunnyDazeDesign
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
>
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
Maid O Mud on fri 12 jan 07
I don't use my glazes every week either.
I use macaloid (sp?) as my suspender,
0.25% in every glaze. Works great!
I use a large kitchen whisk to mix.
Sam Cuttell
Maid O'Mud Pottery
RR 1
Melbourne, Ontario
N0L 1T0
CANADA
"First, the clay told me what to do.
Then, I told the clay what to do.
Now, we co-operate."
sam 1994
http://www.ody.ca/~scuttell/
scuttell@ody.ca
-----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of Lisa E
Any tips on mixing buckets of glaze?
I use toilet bowl brushes and dish brushes and they are great when I make
5kg buckets of glaze because the handles are long enough. But I want to
start making 10 - 20kg buckets of glaze because it is a big job and I don't
want to do it that often (plus my husband freaks whenever there are
chemicals floating through his beloved garage). Plus larger amounts are
better for overall coverage/dips.
I use my glazes every 1 - 2 weeks so they have time to settle nicely. Some
people use broomsticks but I like the brushes on the end as it really gets
the stuck stuff up.
Should I just stick with a mixer/drill combo or does anyone have any other
methods?
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.10/624 - Release Date: 12/01/2007
2:04 PM
Lisa E on fri 12 jan 07
Any tips on mixing buckets of glaze?
I use toilet bowl brushes and dish brushes and they are great when I make
5kg buckets of glaze because the handles are long enough. But I want to
start making 10 - 20kg buckets of glaze because it is a big job and I don't
want to do it that often (plus my husband freaks whenever there are
chemicals floating through his beloved garage). Plus larger amounts are
better for overall coverage/dips.
I use my glazes every 1 - 2 weeks so they have time to settle nicely. Some
people use broomsticks but I like the brushes on the end as it really gets
the stuck stuff up.
Should I just stick with a mixer/drill combo or does anyone have any other
methods?
Thank you!
--
Lisa E
Sunny Daze Design Pottery Studio
SunnyDazeDesign@gmail.com
Squamish, BC Canada
www.lisaelbertsen.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/SunnyDazeDesign
Nancy on sat 13 jan 07
Lisa
Mel had some ideas for long sticks with things attached for glazing and
there was a link to a page with the pictures but I don't have the link.
I just stick my arm in the glaze with the toilet brush and stir it up
the glaze never goes beyond my elbow.. It is easier than messing with
contraptions. I little water and towel and all clean.
Just my 2 cents
Nancy
www.hilltoppottery.com
Lisa E wrote:
> Any tips on mixing buckets of glaze?
>
> I use toilet bowl brushes and dish brushes and they are great when I make
> 5kg buckets of glaze because the handles are long enough. But I want to
> start making 10 - 20kg buckets of glaze because it is a big job and I
> don't
> want to do it that often (plus my husband freaks whenever there are
> chemicals floating through his beloved garage). Plus larger amounts are
> better for overall coverage/dips.
>
> I use my glazes every 1 - 2 weeks so they have time to settle nicely.
> Some
> people use broomsticks but I like the brushes on the end as it really
> gets
> the stuck stuff up.
>
> Should I just stick with a mixer/drill combo or does anyone have any
> other
> methods?
>
> Thank you!
> --
> Lisa E
> Sunny Daze Design Pottery Studio
> SunnyDazeDesign@gmail.com
> Squamish, BC Canada
>
> www.lisaelbertsen.com
> http://picasaweb.google.com/SunnyDazeDesign
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
>
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
d goldsobel on sun 14 jan 07
Quite a while ago, I bought some wooden handled kitchen whisks at a dollar
store. They were all right for mixing glazes that were already fully
blended. One of the wooden handles cracked and fell off so I stuck the
whisk part in my drill. It was a revelation and a revolution. The whisk
thoroughly blend s glaze powder and water, mixes old standing glazes and
cleans up just by sticking it in a bucket of water and giving it a quick
spin.
Get stainless steel- they don't rust.
Donald
Leigh Whitaker on mon 19 feb 07
In a message dated 2/19/2007 11:22:22 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
jaden@FERRETLOVERS.COM writes:
Hi there,
I am in the process of trying to make my own glazes. I want to make sure I
have this right. If a recipe calls for chemicals, for instance:
Rutile 25%
Feldspar 50%
Gertsley Borate 25%
Do these percentages refer to grams? and also if I want to double or
triple the recipe, do I just times by that number? Any help is
appreciated. Is there anyway to convert these percentages to measurments
like 1/2 cups, cups, etc?
Thanks all help is appreciated.
Kate
I'm no glaze expert for sure, but I can help with this one since I have done
a lot of weighing and mixing of lab chemicals!
The percentages are just percentages. If you want 25% rutile, it is the
same as saying you want 1/4 (25/100) of your final composition to be rutile. So
if you were making 100 grams total, you would use 25 grams Rutile. If you
were making 1000 grams, you would use 250 grams Rutile. You could do the same
using ounces.
The formula for figuring this out (if it's not an easy percentage like 25%
or 50%, or if you are not making a nice easy total like 100 or 1000) is:
percent wanted of x / 100 x amount total that you are making = amount needed
of x
example: You want 27% of rutile, and you want to make 2000 grams of dry
glaze total
27/100 * 2000 = 540 grams of rutile needed.
I don't think you will be able to use cups or teaspoons to measure, because
the measurements you need are based on weight, while cups etc... are based on
volumes. The weight for a particular volume of each chemical is going to be
different, due in part to the fact that they have different molecular
weights. For a simple example, you could measure a cup of marbles and a cup of
coco puffs and they would weigh different amounts. It's the same way with the
chemicals. So you are probably going to need a scale. Experts say to use a
triple beam. I've got a spring balance, which is supposed to be bad. I
haven't made any glazes yet so I can't say one way or the other.
Leigh
Kate Mckinley on mon 19 feb 07
Hi there,
I am in the process of trying to make my own glazes. I want to make sure I
have this right. If a recipe calls for chemicals, for instance:
Rutile 25%
Feldspar 50%
Gertsley Borate 25%
Do these percentages refer to grams? and also if I want to double or
triple the recipe, do I just times by that number? Any help is
appreciated. Is there anyway to convert these percentages to measurments
like 1/2 cups, cups, etc?
Thanks all help is appreciated.
Kate
WJ Seidl on tue 20 feb 07
Kate,
If the percentages add up to 100, then yes, you may substitute grams,
teaspoons, cups, handsful, pounds, buckets, tons, Ford pickups, whatever you
like.
Remember that colorants are not normally part of the glaze, but added in
addition, so "everything" may add up to over 100. Don't get confused.
If the percentages do NOT add up to 100, then you have to find out what they
DO add to, such as
Rutile 20
Feldspar 40
GB 20
Zircopax 7
all of which add to 87. Then, simply multiply your amount by 0.87
(Just shift the decimal place to the left a couple. Same same.)
You get the idea.
Here's a tip for a new glaze mixer: Make photocopies of the "recipe" you're
using. As you add an ingredient, mark it off on the paper. It's easy to get
confused. Been there, done that, left me scratching my head.
Best,
Wayne Seidl
wondering just how much 90% of a Ford pickup load IS?
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Kate Mckinley
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 10:05 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: mixing glazes
Hi there,
I am in the process of trying to make my own glazes. I want to make sure I
have this right. If a recipe calls for chemicals, for instance:
Rutile 25%
Feldspar 50%
Gertsley Borate 25%
Do these percentages refer to grams? and also if I want to double or
triple the recipe, do I just times by that number? Any help is
appreciated. Is there anyway to convert these percentages to measurments
like 1/2 cups, cups, etc?
Thanks all help is appreciated.
Kate
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Marcia Selsor on tue 20 feb 07
Kate,
Unless mentioned by volume, the % is for weight. Grams are most
commonly used. But not necessarily.
Some have suggested checking with your local police station for
finding "used" gram scales.
Often recipes are written to total 100 with colorants added after
that sum.
A 500 gram batch will fit into a plastic quart container usually. A
1000 gram
batch will fit into a quart container. A 5 gallon bucket will hold
between 8-10,000 grams
unless the chemicals include ash or something else very light
weight for mass (fluffy)
like magnesium. When multiplying the 100 gram recipe, watch your
decimal points.
-especially on the colorants.
Not diifficult. Take your time and mark off as you add the
ingredients to the container.
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com
Tony on tue 20 feb 07
Kate
I would agree with Leigh and not with Wayne, in that recipes written for
weight should be adhered to in weight and not substituting volume measures
for the same reason as Leigh. that is the different ingredients have
different molecular weights and what you might hope to achieve in following
an original recipe would be thwarted.
Good luck and have fun
Tony
tonysyd@hotmail.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "WJ Seidl"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 4:33 PM
Subject: Re: mixing glazes
> Kate,
> If the percentages add up to 100, then yes, you may substitute grams,
> teaspoons, cups, handsful, pounds, buckets, tons, Ford pickups, whatever
you
> like.
>
> Remember that colorants are not normally part of the glaze, but added in
> addition, so "everything" may add up to over 100. Don't get confused.
>
> If the percentages do NOT add up to 100, then you have to find out what
they
> DO add to, such as
> Rutile 20
> Feldspar 40
> GB 20
> Zircopax 7
>
> all of which add to 87. Then, simply multiply your amount by 0.87
> (Just shift the decimal place to the left a couple. Same same.)
> You get the idea.
>
> Here's a tip for a new glaze mixer: Make photocopies of the "recipe"
you're
> using. As you add an ingredient, mark it off on the paper. It's easy to
get
> confused. Been there, done that, left me scratching my head.
>
> Best,
> Wayne Seidl
> wondering just how much 90% of a Ford pickup load IS?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Kate Mckinley
> Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 10:05 PM
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: mixing glazes
>
> Hi there,
> I am in the process of trying to make my own glazes. I want to make sure
I
> have this right. If a recipe calls for chemicals, for instance:
>
> Rutile 25%
> Feldspar 50%
> Gertsley Borate 25%
>
> Do these percentages refer to grams? and also if I want to double or
> triple the recipe, do I just times by that number? Any help is
> appreciated. Is there anyway to convert these percentages to measurments
> like 1/2 cups, cups, etc?
> Thanks all help is appreciated.
> Kate
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
> __
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
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Leigh Whitaker on tue 20 feb 07
In a message dated 2/20/2007 7:03:35 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
wjsvt@SOVER.NET writes:
If the percentages add up to 100, then yes, you may substitute grams,
teaspoons, cups, handsful, pounds, buckets, tons, Ford pickups, whatever you
like.
Can you really use volumetric measurements? I would have thought the
weights would be different enough to make it too inaccurate?
Leigh
Sue Roessel Dura on tue 20 feb 07
On Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:40:50 EST, you wrote:
>If the percentages add up to 100, then yes, you may substitute grams,
>teaspoons, cups, handsful, pounds, buckets, tons, Ford pickups, =
whatever you
>like.
>
>
>Can you really use volumetric measurements? I would have thought the
>weights would be different enough to make it too inaccurate?
No, you can't substitute volume for weight just as you explained with =
your coca
puffs and marbles example.
Leigh Whitaker on tue 20 feb 07
In a message dated 2/20/2007 9:02:31 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
srdura@HIWAAY.NET writes:
>Can you really use volumetric measurements? I would have thought the
>weights would be different enough to make it too inaccurate?
No, you can't substitute volume for weight just as you explained with your
coca
puffs and marbles example.
Too bad, that would be much easier. I just unloaded all my chemicals from
the back of my car, because I was wondering if maybe they were all close
enough in weight to measure like that. I noticed that 10 lbs of rutile is much
smaller in volume than 10 lbs of other 'fluffier' chemicals. So yeah,
measuring volume is not going to be accurate.
Craig Clark on tue 20 feb 07
Kate, the percentages given are generally for a weight percentage rather
than a volume. What you will do is work with either a 100g, 1000g,
10,000 g, or variations thereof, batch. What I would suggest, if you
have not all ready done so, is to get your hands on a copy of any of a
great number of books that have been written on glazes, glazeing and
firing. If you are using an electric kiln then you might even want to
procure a copy of Mastering Cone 6 Glazes, it is an extraordinary text.
Hope this helps
Craig Dunn Clark
619 East 11 1/2 St
Houston, Texas 77008
(713)861-2083
mudman@hal-pc.org
Kate Mckinley wrote:
> Hi there,
> I am in the process of trying to make my own glazes. I want to make sure I
> have this right. If a recipe calls for chemicals, for instance:
>
> Rutile 25%
> Feldspar 50%
> Gertsley Borate 25%
>
> Do these percentages refer to grams? and also if I want to double or
> triple the recipe, do I just times by that number? Any help is
> appreciated. Is there anyway to convert these percentages to measurments
> like 1/2 cups, cups, etc?
> Thanks all help is appreciated.
> Kate
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
WJ Seidl on tue 20 feb 07
Leigh:
I'm with the Mayor (Mel) on this one.
There are folks on the list that carefully and critically weigh everything
down to the last hundredth of a gram (yes, I do have a triple beam balance
also, and I even use it occasionally). But for most glazes, a smidgen more
or less doesn't mean squat. I am not so picky about measuring to tenths of
grams any more. "Tips the scale? Fine, throw it in, done!"
Just like cooking. Watch a great grandmother cook someday. A handful of
this, a pinch or a dash of that. Delicious. No weighing. Makes anal cooks
like my daughter-in-law crazy! I laugh. I have learned to relax a bit.
For formulas that add to 100, volumetric measurements are fine. Percentages
equaling a "whole" (such as 100%) are not necessarily only weight related,
they can also be considered volumetric.
That said, there _are_ certain glaze formulas that require diligent,
extremely careful weight measurements.
I don't use those.
I have enough things in my life to make me crazy. My glazes shouldn't.
Just my opinion, of course, I'm sure others will weigh in (pun intended.)
Best,
Wayne Seidl
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Leigh Whitaker
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 7:41 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: mixing glazes
In a message dated 2/20/2007 7:03:35 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
wjsvt@SOVER.NET writes:
If the percentages add up to 100, then yes, you may substitute grams,
teaspoons, cups, handsful, pounds, buckets, tons, Ford pickups, whatever
you
like.
Can you really use volumetric measurements? I would have thought the
weights would be different enough to make it too inaccurate?
Leigh
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Fred Parker on tue 20 feb 07
Hi Kate:
I started mixing glazes about a year ago, and have learned a ton since
then! I hope some of this will be useful to you:
Percentages in a formula translate to grams, cups, gallons, pounds, or
whatever unit you want to use PROVIDED you mix 100 of those units in a
batch. Hence, for a 100 gram batch of the glaze you cited you would mix
25 grams of rutile, 50 grams of feldspar and 25 grams of gerstley borate.
For a 200 gram batch, mix two times these amounts.
Note that most recipes will give the ingredients of the base glaze, then
they will indicate ADDITIONS of colorants. In your glaze, for a blue, it
might say, "add: 2% cobalt carbonate" for example. This 2% is 2% of the
base glaze batch. Again, if your batch is 100 grams, then you would add 2
grams of cobalt carbonate for a total batch weight of 102 grams. If your
batch size were 200 grams, you would add 2% of 200 grams, or 4 grams for a
total batch weight of 204 grams.
COnverting to other units is no more than simply using other units. If
you wanted a 204 pound quantity of the glaze, you would mix 200 POUNDS
(not grams) of teh base glaze, then add 2% of that weight (4 POUNDS) of
cobalt carbonate for a total of 204 POUNDS. Ditto cups, handfuls or
wheelbarrows. Just use the same unit for ALL the ingredients AND make
sure each cup, handful, wheelbarrow etc. contains the same amount.
Feel free to write off list if I can answer any questions you might have.
Regards,
Fred Parker
On Mon, 19 Feb 2007 22:04:42 -0500, Kate Mckinley
wrote:
>Hi there,
>I am in the process of trying to make my own glazes. I want to make sure
I
>have this right. If a recipe calls for chemicals, for instance:
>
>Rutile 25%
>Feldspar 50%
>Gertsley Borate 25%
>
>Do these percentages refer to grams? and also if I want to double or
>triple the recipe, do I just times by that number? Any help is
>appreciated. Is there anyway to convert these percentages to measurments
>like 1/2 cups, cups, etc?
>Thanks all help is appreciated.
>Kate
>
>__________________________________________________________________________
____
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Phyllis Tilton on wed 21 feb 07
Wayne's tip about marking off the ingredient on a photo copied list is good. Another way(and I learned this in pharmacy school) put all ingredients to one side of the balance (scale). As you weigh them, move them to the other side and put the container of the ingredient beside them, if that is possible.(I know, there are some ingredients that come in 50 lb bags). Keeping the ingredient with the weighed ingredient helps to minimize errors. This way there is no question if you did get it together right. Here, I speak from experience in doing prescription compounding--they had to be done right or be done over.
Sincerely
Phyllis Tilton
daisypet1@yahoo.com
Joseph Herbert on thu 22 feb 07
Using volumetric measures in a glaze recipe is a risky proposition. As =
an example of the potential problem, look at the relative size of 5 =
pound bags of glaze materials at the ceramic supply store. =20
If the materials in your glaze all have specific gravity, grain size, =
and powder properties that are similar, the volumetric measurements may =
come close to the weighed proportions. However, if any of the =
constituents are significantly denser than others there could be =
problems. to exaggerate an example, suppose you had black iron oxide, =
clay, and talc in a recipe. The iron oxide has a density of about 3.5 =
and the talc is nearer to 2.0. The clay's powder properties would make =
it have a much smaller bulk density. In this recipe the volumetric =
proportion of iron oxide would be much larger and that of the clay much =
smaller. The talc would not be so strongly exaggerated but would be =
less in relation to quartz and feldspar which have similar, higher =
densities and similar powder properties. =20
The fact that ceramic glazes are
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