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electric kiln glazes...zakin

updated sun 31 oct 99

 

Lorraine Pierce on fri 29 oct 99

Zakin's glazes were well worth trying..They do not fit all bodies, but most
commercial bodies. Bear in mind that he soaks his glazes and doesn't 'fast fire'
, and you will have greater success. A very reliable collection. Lori in New
Port Richey, Fl.

Phyliss Ward wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Yes, I have this book and just did some tests on a few of them. All were
> acceptable. None were runny. Here are my comments. (please understand
> they are from a novice so they may not be technically correct)
>
> Minetto transparent - nice glossy surface - covers pretty well. I added a
> few different stains and oxides and all worked ok, better on white clay than
> buff.
>
> Denton - ok light blue-green with a waxy shine. seems to need thick
> application
>
> Victor Base - my favorite of those I tried. somewhat shiny opaque, with a
> little motling/texture. took colors well except mason pansy purple comes out
> blue.
>
> Base 547 - nice opaque matt with a little shine. in general, nicer on white
> clay. pansy purple turned a nice mottled blue/purple with this one.
>
> Please let me know what results you get with these or any others!
>
> 'Chapatsu' Rob Uechi wrote:
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > Does anyone have the book called "Electric Kiln Ceramics" by Zakin?
> > If so, are the glaze recipes recommended any good?
>
> --
> Phyliss
> pward@lightspeed.net
> http://www.bodywise.com/consultants/bpward

Lorraine Pierce on fri 29 oct 99

Shirley I believe you may have Zakin's earlier book and glazes ...his Electric
Kiln Ceramics published in 1993 uses no barium carbonate in the glazes...I
found most of them very reliable, but they do need a slow firing and soak. The
black was the only one that was, for me a total failure...but there are many
good black's; What about our own RR's? Lori in New Port Richey Fl.

Shirley Samuelson wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Alexie, I recently checked out Zakin's Electric Kiln book primarily to look
> for glazes. The book is fairly old now and I found that most of the cone 6
> glazes I was interested in contained barium, something I'm not too keen on.
> Zakin gave a workshop here a few months ago and he was using mixes, both
> clay and glazes, that were supposedly in his book. They are probably well
> worth a try and maybe tinkering with if ingredients don't make today's
> safety standards.
>
> Shirley Samuelson

Phyliss Ward on fri 29 oct 99

Lori - Thanks for that tip on the slow fire and soak. Could you put that into
numbers for me? I've looked at the book but since I have a Skutt autocontroller
dont know how to interpret his firing schedule to my system. I've been running
medium (~7.5 hrs) speed but it looks like slow (~12 hrs) would be better? How
long of a soaking period at the top temp should I program? I'm asking because
after I made up quantity of three glazes I liked from my intiial tests and refir
some larger pieces, one of the glazes had some 'craters'. The pieces with that
glaze that cratered were also near the top of the kiln. I do have an Envirovent
which should even out the heat but could this be part of my problem too? When I
re-evaluated the tile on that glaze I saw a (just a few) craters as well.

Also, where might I find RR's black? ; - )

Lorraine Pierce wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Shirley I believe you may have Zakin's earlier book and glazes ...his Electric
> Kiln Ceramics published in 1993 uses no barium carbonate in the glazes...I
> found most of them very reliable, but they do need a slow firing and soak. The
> black was the only one that was, for me a total failure...but there are many
> good black's; What about our own RR's? Lori in New Port Richey Fl.

--
Phyliss
pward@lightspeed.net
http://www.bodywise.com/consultants/bpward

joan&tom on sat 30 oct 99

I'd like to jump in here. Is there any reference that actually gives
profiles for what constitutes a slow firing or slow cooling for given cones
(oxidation/electric) and particular problems? I recently tried to take up
some of earlier suggestions kindly given me for pinholes on the outside of
pots, namely, slow cooling. Realized, I didn't know what that meant and
found one model for slow cooling in Skutt's instruction book which was for
cone 5 porcelain. I used it, plus a 30 minute soak. Took over 20 hours.
Pinholes were reduced tho not completely gone. But I don't know what part
of that slower cycle really helped (if it wasn't pure chance). When I
spoke with someone at Clayart about this, they suggested a super slow firing
(not cooling), as in 60 degrees per hour up to 1100. That would have been
an extraordinarily slow firing. Not that I'm in a rush, but if it's best
not to leave the kiln firing by its lonesome (it's in a storeroom in the
house), it gets a little inconvenient. Maybe I'm learning that I need to
ask for very specific information. Any thoughts would be welcome.

Thanks All.

Joan in Alaska where we now have snow on the ground and an eagle has taken
up residence in a tree outside my window and swoops around magnificently.
-----Original Message-----
From: Phyliss Ward
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Friday, October 29, 1999 3:41 PM
Subject: Re: Electric Kiln Glazes...Zakin


>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Lori - Thanks for that tip on the slow fire and soak. Could you put that
into
>numbers for me? I've looked at the book but since I have a Skutt
autocontroller
>dont know how to interpret his firing schedule to my system. I've been
running
>medium (~7.5 hrs) speed but it looks like slow (~12 hrs) would be better?
How
>long of a soaking period at the top temp should I program? I'm asking
because
>after I made up quantity of three glazes I liked from my intiial tests and
refir
>some larger pieces, one of the glazes had some 'craters'. The pieces with
that
>glaze that cratered were also near the top of the kiln. I do have an
Envirovent
>which should even out the heat but could this be part of my problem too?
When I
>re-evaluated the tile on that glaze I saw a (just a few) craters as well.
>
>Also, where might I find RR's black? ; - )
>
>Lorraine Pierce wrote:
>
>> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>> Shirley I believe you may have Zakin's earlier book and glazes ...his
Electric
>> Kiln Ceramics published in 1993 uses no barium carbonate in the
glazes...I
>> found most of them very reliable, but they do need a slow firing and
soak. The
>> black was the only one that was, for me a total failure...but there are
many
>> good black's; What about our own RR's? Lori in New Port Richey Fl.
>
>--
>Phyliss
>pward@lightspeed.net
>http://www.bodywise.com/consultants/bpward

Lorraine Pierce on sat 30 oct 99

Phyliss, I do not have a controller or envirovent and know nothing about program
them, however I do know that a seven hour firing is not long enough to smooth ou
all of his glazes...Minetto for me, when fired fast and with no soak,bubbled and
cratered. It also sounds to me as tho the kiln had cooled too quickly (ie. befor
the glaze could smooth out). An hours soak will help most glazes, that is a soak
after the desired cone has fallen and the kiln is reset to a much lower level...
soaking is not done maintaining top heat. I think you really need his newer book
explains it all very clearly in chapter eight. .I believe Zakin leaves one or tw
switches on for two hours or more, after his eleven hour firing. Others on the l
that have fired oxidation with and without the controllers will have to guide yo
would think that Skutt should have a book of conversion graphs for you. Give the
ring. Good luck, Lori in New Port Richey, Fl. Oh yes, and you will find should
test all of the glazes that some will come through a fast fire OK.

Phyliss Ward wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Lori - Thanks for that tip on the slow fire and soak. Could you put that into
> numbers for me? I've looked at the book but since I have a Skutt autocontroll
> dont know how to interpret his firing schedule to my system. I've been runnin
> medium (~7.5 hrs) speed but it looks like slow (~12 hrs) would be better? How
> long of a soaking period at the top temp should I program? I'm asking because
> after I made up quantity of three glazes I liked from my intiial tests and ref
> some larger pieces, one of the glazes had some 'craters'. The pieces with tha
> glaze that cratered were also near the top of the kiln. I do have an Envirove
> which should even out the heat but could this be part of my problem too? When
> re-evaluated the tile on that glaze I saw a (just a few) craters as well.
>
> Also, where might I find RR's black? ; - )
>
> Lorraine Pierce wrote:
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > Shirley I believe you may have Zakin's earlier book and glazes ...his Electr
> > Kiln Ceramics published in 1993 uses no barium carbonate in the glazes...I
> > found most of them very reliable, but they do need a slow firing and soak. T
> > black was the only one that was, for me a total failure...but there are many
> > good black's; What about our own RR's? Lori in New Port Richey Fl.
>
> --
> Phyliss
> pward@lightspeed.net
> http://www.bodywise.com/consultants/bpward