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leaky vases

updated tue 10 oct 06

 

Michele Hoskin on fri 18 dec 98


Hi everyone!

Just wondering whether anyone else has had a customer complain about a vase
leaking/condensing and leaving water marks on their lovely wood furniture.
I fire stoneware to cone 6 and glaze the inside surface of my vases so I
don't know how I could fix this problem. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Michele Hoskin
Toronto, ON

-----Original Message-----
From: clennell [SMTP:clennell@bestnet.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 1998 10:07 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Re: Cool top in Bailey Kiln

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Anyone have any ideas about how to get a more even firiing in a gas,
>downdraft, Bailey, car kiln. The kiln is rectangular in shape, lined with
>fiberfax, has 3 shelves wide and 3 shelves deep. Two burners are in the
back
>and hit a target brick. This kiln is used in a college setting and is
>outfitted with a digital thermostat and soaking mechinism. We fire up to
cone
>10 and get cone 9 just going down at top while 10 is flat on bottom. Any
>thoughts to help would be appreciated. Thanks
>
>John, Providence
+




Dear John: We have owned two Bailey kilns and usually fire them with less
than a half a cone difference top to bottom. If the top is cool and the
bottom hot move the target brick closer to the burner to direct the heat
up. If the bottom is cooler move the target brick away from the burner. We
are talking inches here not great lengths. A move of an inch can even out
the kiln a great deal.
Our Bailey kilns were work horses that made us a living. The one kiln
fired over $700,000 worth of pottery. I bought it for $4500 Cdn and just
sold it for $1500. can't say it owed us much.
they are good kilns that can fire nice pots if they are nice going in, they
will be nice coming out.
Cheers,
tony

Clennell
4545 King Street RR# 1
Beamsville, Ontario Canada L0R 1B0
phone (905) 563-9382
fax (905) 563-9382
e mail clennell@bestnet.org

Merrilee Pascaris on sat 19 dec 98

Hi Michele,

We were having this problem with vases, mugs, etc., too, and discovered
that firing this particular clay (Standard Ceramic 182) a cone or 2
higher cured the leaking. Apparently it needed a higher temp to mature.
Wonder if that would solve your problem? We've since changed to Standard
225-brown clay for this reason. It matures at ^6.

Happy Holidays!

Merrilee
Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center
Birmingham, MI


On Fri, 18 Dec 1998 09:06:42 EST Michele Hoskin
writes:
>----------------------------Original
>message----------------------------
>
(snip) a vase leaking/condensing and leaving water marks. I fire
stoneware to cone 6 and glaze the inside surface of my vases Any
suggestions? (snip)
>
>Thanks,
>Michele Hoskin
>Toronto, ON
>

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IVAN BERKOWITZ on sat 19 dec 98

Michele Hoskin wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> Hi everyone!
>
> Just wondering whether anyone else has had a customer complain about a vase
> leaking/condensing and leaving water marks on their lovely wood furniture.
> I fire stoneware to cone 6 and glaze the inside surface of my vases so I
> don't know how I could fix this problem. Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> Michele Hoskin
> Toronto, ON
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: clennell [SMTP:clennell@bestnet.org]
> Sent: Thursday, December 17, 1998 10:07 AM
> To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Subject: Re: Cool top in Bailey Kiln
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> >----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> >Anyone have any ideas about how to get a more even firiing in a gas,
> >downdraft, Bailey, car kiln. The kiln is rectangular in shape, lined with
> >fiberfax, has 3 shelves wide and 3 shelves deep. Two burners are in the
> back
> >and hit a target brick. This kiln is used in a college setting and is
> >outfitted with a digital thermostat and soaking mechinism. We fire up to
> cone
> >10 and get cone 9 just going down at top while 10 is flat on bottom. Any
> >thoughts to help would be appreciated. Thanks
> >
> >John, Providence
> +
>
> Dear John: We have owned two Bailey kilns and usually fire them with less
> than a half a cone difference top to bottom. If the top is cool and the
> bottom hot move the target brick closer to the burner to direct the heat
> up. If the bottom is cooler move the target brick away from the burner. We
> are talking inches here not great lengths. A move of an inch can even out
> the kiln a great deal.
> Our Bailey kilns were work horses that made us a living. The one kiln
> fired over $700,000 worth of pottery. I bought it for $4500 Cdn and just
> sold it for $1500. can't say it owed us much.
> they are good kilns that can fire nice pots if they are nice going in, they
> will be nice coming out.
> Cheers,
> tony
>
> Clennell
> 4545 King Street RR# 1
> Beamsville, Ontario Canada L0R 1B0
> phone (905) 563-9382
> fax (905) 563-9382
> e mail clennell@bestnet.org


my response has been to re-glaze; also for cups

all the best for the holidays

ivan

Chris Schafale on sat 19 dec 98

Hi Michele--

I have also had this problem -- not from customer complaints but from
stains on my own furniture when I leave water in vases for weeks at
a time (doesn't seem to happen over just a day or two). I'm not
completely sure whether it is seeping or condensation. There was a
discussion about this on Clayart sometime in the last year, with, as
I recall, some disagreement about how common a problem this is and
what to do about it. I also fire cone 6 stoneware and would love to
know what the explanation is -- I could understand it if the inside
of the piece were unglazed, since stoneware does have some porosity,
but I would have thought the glaze would seal it effectively. Why
doesn't it? As far as solutions, I suppose we could use one of those
sealant products -- I have gotten something called "Pottery
Sealer" from Aftosa -- that are used for oil lamps. But I'd rather
find a "real pottery" solution, if possible. Any ideas from others??

Chris


>
> Hi everyone!
>
> Just wondering whether anyone else has had a customer complain about a vase
> leaking/condensing and leaving water marks on their lovely wood furniture.
> I fire stoneware to cone 6 and glaze the inside surface of my vases so I
> don't know how I could fix this problem. Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> Michele Hoskin
> Toronto, ON
>
Light One Candle Pottery
Fuquay-Varina, NC
candle@nuteknet.com

Rick hugel on sat 19 dec 98

First of all, all vases should be filled with water and let set for 24 to
48 hours at your studio before putting them on the sales shelf. This is to
find out if they leak. If they do, dry them out over a couple three days.
Slosh some liquid silcon around the inside and dip the outside in the stuff
too. Then dry them out - OUTSIDE - in the sun for about a week - or more.
Then test them again for leaks. But the best way is to find out why they
leak in the first place. Usually it is because the clay is not vitrifying
due to the clay makeup or the firing or both.



>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
>Hi everyone!
>
>Just wondering whether anyone else has had a customer complain about a vase
>leaking/condensing and leaving water marks on their lovely wood furniture.
> I fire stoneware to cone 6 and glaze the inside surface of my vases so I
>don't know how I could fix this problem. Any suggestions?
>
>Thanks,
>Michele Hoskin
>Toronto, ON
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: clennell [SMTP:clennell@bestnet.org]
>Sent: Thursday, December 17, 1998 10:07 AM
>To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
>Subject: Re: Cool top in Bailey Kiln
>
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>Anyone have any ideas about how to get a more even firiing in a gas,
>>downdraft, Bailey, car kiln. The kiln is rectangular in shape, lined with
>>fiberfax, has 3 shelves wide and 3 shelves deep. Two burners are in the
>back
>>and hit a target brick. This kiln is used in a college setting and is
>>outfitted with a digital thermostat and soaking mechinism. We fire up to
>cone
>>10 and get cone 9 just going down at top while 10 is flat on bottom. Any
>>thoughts to help would be appreciated. Thanks
>>
>>John, Providence
>+
>
>
>
>
>Dear John: We have owned two Bailey kilns and usually fire them with less
>than a half a cone difference top to bottom. If the top is cool and the
>bottom hot move the target brick closer to the burner to direct the heat
>up. If the bottom is cooler move the target brick away from the burner. We
>are talking inches here not great lengths. A move of an inch can even out
>the kiln a great deal.
>Our Bailey kilns were work horses that made us a living. The one kiln
>fired over $700,000 worth of pottery. I bought it for $4500 Cdn and just
>sold it for $1500. can't say it owed us much.
>they are good kilns that can fire nice pots if they are nice going in, they
>will be nice coming out.
>Cheers,
>tony
>
>Clennell
>4545 King Street RR# 1
>Beamsville, Ontario Canada L0R 1B0
>phone (905) 563-9382
>fax (905) 563-9382
>e mail clennell@bestnet.org

Ron Roy on sat 19 dec 98

Hi Michele,

The way to deal with this is to make sure your clay is vitrified enough at
the cone you are firing to. That way - even if the glaze can let water
through the body will stop it.

Many clay suppliers say a body will be mature over many cones - the result
is usually undervitrified clay at the lower end of the range and/or over
vitrified clay at the top range.

You need to fire some unglazes samples and test your clay to see if it is
tight enough at cone 6. I assume you are going to cone 6 - in other words
you are using cones - right?

If you need instructions on how to test the absorption of you clay just let
me know.

RR

>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi everyone!
>Just wondering whether anyone else has had a customer complain about a vase
>leaking/condensing and leaving water marks on their lovely wood furniture.
> I fire stoneware to cone 6 and glaze the inside surface of my vases so I
>don't know how I could fix this problem. Any suggestions?
>Thanks,
>Michele Hoskin
>Toronto, ON

Ron Roy
93 Pegasus Trail
Scarborough, Ontario
Canada M1G 3N8
Tel: 416-439-2621
Fax: 416-438-7849

Web page: http://digitalfire.com/education/people/ronroy.htm

John K. Dellow on sun 20 dec 98




> Michele , tell your custermer to put a doily under the vase.

John dellow the flower pot man :-)

Marvin P Bartel on mon 21 dec 98

>>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>Hi everyone!
>>Just wondering whether anyone else has had a customer complain about a vase
>>leaking/condensing and leaving water marks on their lovely wood furniture.
>> I fire stoneware to cone 6 and glaze the inside surface of my vases so I
>>don't know how I could fix this problem. Any suggestions?
>>Thanks,
>>Michele Hoskin
>>Toronto, ON

Hi Michele,

Here are two approaches.
Approach number 1:
I find that slip glazes are less apt to craze and leak. A slip glaze is any
glaze made of mostly lowfire clay. Pioneer stoneware potters often lined
their crocks with slip glaze and glazed the outside with salt glaze. I think
one reason slip glaze seals so well is that a bit of the slip glaze soaks
into the bisque and sort of melts the surface of the pot in the glaze
firing. My best liner glaze is 1 part Albany Slip and 1 part white glaze
that is mainly feldspar. This glaze is impossible to fire wrong. Since
Albany Slip is no longer available it can also be made with locally dug clay
that melts at cone 6. I would make a bunch of cups or small vases and try
several such combinations as liner glazes and set them on an old board with
water in them for a week. Reject any that create wet rings.

This is the glaze I use.

BARTEL'S ALBANY AUTUMN - no fail liner glaze
this glaze is brown

50 - Albany Slip, or a local clay that melts (screen out all sand and grit)
19.6 - Soda Feldspar
1.1 - Soda Ash
5.3 - Borax
4.2 - Whiting
6.5 - Kaolin
10 - Flint
3.3 - Zirconium silicate
-----------------
100 - total

APPROACH NUMBER 2
I use this system for raku vases because the glaze crazes and a vitreous
body is impractical in raku. I heat the finished vases to 180F in the
kitchen oven. I pour mellted canning wax in, let it soak a bit and pour it
out. This is not for food containers and not for oil lamps, but primarily
for flower vases. Water never gets through the wax.

WARNING: Use precautions when heating wax because serious burn accidents
are possible. A friend in grad school sculpture studio nearly lost hand from
burns when his pot of wax blew up on him. He heated it too fast and it had
gotten water in it. I use a tin can shaped into pitcher and set it in a temp
controlled fry pan or in a pan of boiling water. Never use uncontroled
direct heat and never heat it hotter than needed to make it liquid. Never
turn the temp control hotter than 200 F thinking that it will heat faster at
350 F. It doesn't go any faster and it can get way too hot. If you can smell
hot wax in the room it may be too hot.
***********************************************
Marvin Bartel, Ed.D., Professor of Art
Things I teach:
CERAMICS - "I learned I could do it." -- from a student from the class
ART EDUCATION - "Can DBEA and creativity coexist? What if preschool children
learned observational drawing?" -- two of my questions
PHOTOGRAPHY - "How hard could that be?" -- a student who never took the class
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN -- "Can we still build with real materials?"
MULTIMEDIA CONCEPTS -- "Can you imagine it?"
***********************************************
Goshen College, 1700 South Main St., Goshen IN 46526
Art Department Office (219) 535-7400
Studio (219) 533-0171
Fax (219) 535-7660
e-mail marvinpb@goshen.edu
http://www.goshen.edu/art/
http://www.goshen.edu/~marvinpb/MB_Home.htm
http://www.goshen.edu/
****************************************************
To see my 98 exhibition Catalog:
http://www.goshen.edu/~marvinpb/10-98p1.htm

Torgeir L. Henriksen on mon 21 dec 98

Try low fat milk in the vase in room temperature for 2 days.The milk
produces kasein the same stuff as billiard balls are made of.I think this is
an old trick from England stopping earthenware tea pots from leaking
Torgeir leander Henriksen
Galleri Thomasgaarden
N-7460 Rxros
Norway
tlf:47-72412470 fax 47-72412945
e-mail:torghenr@online.no
home-page http://home.sol.no/~torghenr/

Nancy Udell on mon 9 oct 06


Barbara,

Are you sure your electric kiln is reaching cone 10 at all spots?
Can you identify the leaky vases as coming from a particular spot in
the kiln. Which particular cone 10 clay are you using? Does it have
a range (7-10, eg) or is it just 10 (like the laguna clays). I would
have thought that if the clay is vitirified, it should not leak even
if unglazed. Perhaps put a whole bunch of witness cones around and
see if you are really hitting cone 10. Also (I'm sure you've heard
this before) but perhaps consider switching to cone 6 if you are
doing electric. I rencently switched back from cone 10 salt/soad to
cone 6 electric and while it is taking me some time to put together
my glazes, I'm feeling like it's the right thing.

Nancy

Nancy Udell
Santa Fe, New Mexico