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why i love/hate floating blue and advice?

updated wed 21 jun 00

 

Lorraine Pierce on fri 16 jun 00


Toni, I have used RonRoy's cone 6 Floating Blue #3 ( the one with no gerstley
borate ), and it has performed flawlessly in three different kilns fired by three
different people,on several different bodies. The mugs fired in the fast fired kiln
had tiny tiny pinholes, but hardly dicernable to the naked eye; the slower fired
mugs with the hour soak had a perfect glaze . Good luck, Lori in New Port Richey
Florida, USA....Is the glaze you mentioned, Frosty WhiteCrystal, an archival
Clayart glaze? I would like to try the combination. Thanks.

africaunusual@MWEB.CO.ZA wrote:

> 1.I love it because it sells well
> 2.I love it because with sponged Frosty White Crystal and a
> sponging of RIO wash over it, it is indeed a thing of beauty. (No real
> sponges here, I am ecologically conscious you know!)
> 3. I love it because kind friends gifted me some or traded with me
> (it is not available here) so I could finally make this much
> discussed Floating Blue.
>
> 1. I hate it because that damn glaze is sentient, I SWEAR it is!
> 2. When I am playing or making samples, it plays so nicely with
> me but when there is a MONEY firing in the kiln, it lives up to it's
> reputation of being a ##**++!!!!
> Three guesses why I am spitting and hissing like an angry cat.
> Did you guess that I had a money firing in the kiln?
> Damn right! I did and and that FB stuff, I simply can't bear to
> mention it's name, had hysterics and got nasty.
> Start again? No! I am having hysterics myself now, so I am going
> to try a refire. I know I have to go quite slow while clay and glaze
> do their expansion thing. At what temp can I let her rip? That FB
> stuff in my (limited experience) likes quite a fast fire.
> Toni in Afrique de dark
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
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>
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africaunusual@MWEB.CO.ZA on fri 16 jun 00


1.I love it because it sells well
2.I love it because with sponged Frosty White Crystal and a
sponging of RIO wash over it, it is indeed a thing of beauty. (No real
sponges here, I am ecologically conscious you know!)
3. I love it because kind friends gifted me some or traded with me
(it is not available here) so I could finally make this much
discussed Floating Blue.

1. I hate it because that damn glaze is sentient, I SWEAR it is!
2. When I am playing or making samples, it plays so nicely with
me but when there is a MONEY firing in the kiln, it lives up to it's
reputation of being a ##**++!!!!
Three guesses why I am spitting and hissing like an angry cat.
Did you guess that I had a money firing in the kiln?
Damn right! I did and and that FB stuff, I simply can't bear to
mention it's name, had hysterics and got nasty.
Start again? No! I am having hysterics myself now, so I am going
to try a refire. I know I have to go quite slow while clay and glaze
do their expansion thing. At what temp can I let her rip? That FB
stuff in my (limited experience) likes quite a fast fire.
Toni in Afrique de dark

Diane G. Echlin on fri 16 jun 00


Oh, I can relate to this post so keenly!

But I had an epiphany (actually, 2) about Floating Blue after my last couple of
firings.

1. It does not like flat, absolutely smooth horizontal surfaces. I have started
adding throwing rings to the bottom of my wide platters, and the glaze is much less
likely to crawl.
2. When I made a batch using powdered Rutile, it was nowhere near as nice as when I
use Dark Milled Rutile. I have no idea what the difference is, and it may be
circumstantial, or there may be no real dif, or maybe the goddess I set on the kiln
during that firing appeased the kiln gods, but I will swear by the Dark Milled
Rutile from now on.

And now a request...would you mind sharing the Frosty White Crystal you mentioned?
yours in frustration over %#@*&%!!! FB
Di

africaunusual@MWEB.CO.ZA wrote:

> 1.I love it because it sells well
> 2.I love it because with sponged Frosty White Crystal and a
> sponging of RIO wash over it, it is indeed a thing of beauty. (No real
> sponges here, I am ecologically conscious you know!)
> 3. I love it because kind friends gifted me some or traded with me
> (it is not available here) so I could finally make this much
> discussed Floating Blue.
>
> 1. I hate it because that damn glaze is sentient, I SWEAR it is!
> 2. When I am playing or making samples, it plays so nicely with
> me but when there is a MONEY firing in the kiln, it lives up to it's
> reputation of being a ##**++!!!!
> Three guesses why I am spitting and hissing like an angry cat.
> Did you guess that I had a money firing in the kiln?
> Damn right! I did and and that FB stuff, I simply can't bear to
> mention it's name, had hysterics and got nasty.
> Start again? No! I am having hysterics myself now, so I am going
> to try a refire. I know I have to go quite slow while clay and glaze
> do their expansion thing. At what temp can I let her rip? That FB
> stuff in my (limited experience) likes quite a fast fire.
> Toni in Afrique de dark
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.

Sharon31 on sat 17 jun 00


Hi! Can you explain me why in two tests, a year from each other with the
original recipe, I got Floating green? Does this glaze must be above another
glaze?
FLOATING BLUE
=============
Nepheline Syenite... 47.30 44.21%
Gerstley Borate..... 27.00 25.23%
Flint............... 20.30 18.97%
Kaolin.............. 5.40 5.05%
Red Iron Oxide...... 2.00 1.87%
Cobalt Oxide........ 1.00 0.93%
Rutile.............. 4.00 3.74%
========
107.00

CaO 0.44* 6.89%
MgO 0.09* 1.03%
K2O 0.09* 2.35%
Na2O 0.39* 6.74%
TiO2 0.18 3.98%
ZrO2 0.00 0.04%
Al2O3 0.49 14.11%
B2O3 0.41 8.13%
SiO2 3.21 54.47%
Fe2O3 0.05 2.26%

Cost/kg 10.46
Si:Al 6.55
SiB:Al 7.39
Expan 8.34

Thanks
Ababi

Diane G. Echlin on sat 17 jun 00


Ababi,
In my experience, the green in Floating Blue comes from a higher temperature. When
I fire, I put the pieces I want to be true blue on the bottom of the kiln, and the
pieces I want to have a greenish hue on the top. I fire to a cool ^6, small cone
in the kiln sitter. When I finally use up my Gerstley Borate (100 lbs or more,)
I'll be switching to the Ron Roy version. Kind of like working for the reward at
this point, like when I had to use up my rock solid frozen clay before I'd allow
myself to use fresh, soft clay.
I hope this helps!
Di

Sharon31 wrote:

> Hi! Can you explain me why in two tests, a year from each other with the
> original recipe, I got Floating green? Does this glaze must be above another
> glaze?
> FLOATING BLUE
> =============
> Nepheline Syenite... 47.30 44.21%
> Gerstley Borate..... 27.00 25.23%
> Flint............... 20.30 18.97%
> Kaolin.............. 5.40 5.05%
> Red Iron Oxide...... 2.00 1.87%
> Cobalt Oxide........ 1.00 0.93%
> Rutile.............. 4.00 3.74%
> ========
> 107.00
>
> CaO 0.44* 6.89%
> MgO 0.09* 1.03%
> K2O 0.09* 2.35%
> Na2O 0.39* 6.74%
> TiO2 0.18 3.98%
> ZrO2 0.00 0.04%
> Al2O3 0.49 14.11%
> B2O3 0.41 8.13%
> SiO2 3.21 54.47%
> Fe2O3 0.05 2.26%
>
> Cost/kg 10.46
> Si:Al 6.55
> SiB:Al 7.39
> Expan 8.34
>
> Thanks
> Ababi
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.

Chris Schafale on sat 17 jun 00


This glaze hates being fired too hot or too slowly, and will turn
greenish under those conditions. I get best results if I only go to
cone 5.

Chris

> Hi! Can you explain me why in two tests, a year from each other with the
> original recipe, I got Floating green? Does this glaze must be above another
> glaze?
> FLOATING BLUE
> =============
> Nepheline Syenite... 47.30 44.21%
> Gerstley Borate..... 27.00 25.23%
> Flint............... 20.30 18.97%
> Kaolin.............. 5.40 5.05%
> Red Iron Oxide...... 2.00 1.87%
> Cobalt Oxide........ 1.00 0.93%
> Rutile.............. 4.00 3.74%
> ========
> 107.00
>
> CaO 0.44* 6.89%
> MgO 0.09* 1.03%
> K2O 0.09* 2.35%
> Na2O 0.39* 6.74%
> TiO2 0.18 3.98%
> ZrO2 0.00 0.04%
> Al2O3 0.49 14.11%
> B2O3 0.41 8.13%
> SiO2 3.21 54.47%
> Fe2O3 0.05 2.26%
>
> Cost/kg 10.46
> Si:Al 6.55
> SiB:Al 7.39
> Expan 8.34
>
> Thanks
> Ababi
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
>


Light One Candle Pottery
Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, USA
(south of Raleigh)
candle@intrex.net
http://www.lightonecandle.com

africaunusual@MWEB.CO.ZA on mon 19 jun 00


On 17 Jun 2000, at 14:00, Chris Schafale wrote:

> This glaze hates being fired too hot or too slowly, and will turn
> greenish under those conditions. I get best results if I only go to
> cone 5.
>
> Chris
>
> > Hi! Can you explain me why in two tests, a year from each other with the
> > original recipe, I got Floating green? Does this glaze must be above another
> > glaze?
> > FLOATING BLUE
> > =============
> > Nepheline Syenite... 47.30 44.21%
> > Gerstley Borate..... 27.00 25.23%
> > Flint............... 20.30 18.97%
> > Kaolin.............. 5.40 5.05%
> > Red Iron Oxide...... 2.00 1.87%
> > Cobalt Oxide........ 1.00 0.93%
> > Rutile.............. 4.00 3.74%
> > ========
> > 107.00
> >
> > CaO 0.44* 6.89%
> > MgO 0.09* 1.03%
> > K2O 0.09* 2.35%
> > Na2O 0.39* 6.74%
> > TiO2 0.18 3.98%
> > ZrO2 0.00 0.04%
> > Al2O3 0.49 14.11%
> > B2O3 0.41 8.13%
> > SiO2 3.21 54.47%
> > Fe2O3 0.05 2.26%
> >
> > Cost/kg 10.46
> > Si:Al 6.55
> > SiB:Al 7.39
> > Expan 8.34
> >
> > Thanks
> > Ababi
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________________________
> > 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.
> >
>
>
> Light One Candle Pottery
> Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, USA
> (south of Raleigh)
> candle@intrex.net
> http://www.lightonecandle.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.

amy parker on mon 19 jun 00


Ababi,
Floating blue for me is blue on red stoneware and greenish on porcelain.

Amy in HOTlanta
amy parker Lithonia, GA
amyp@sd-software.com

Gregory D Lamont on tue 20 jun 00


At 01:11 PM 6/19/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Ababi,
>Floating blue for me is blue on red stoneware and greenish on porcelain.
>
>Amy in HOTlanta
>amy parker Lithonia, GA
>amyp@sd-software.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.

Amy, and other Floating Blue afficionados,

I just had a successful test with the original Floating Blue recipe
(Chappell's) merely substituting Murrays Borate, the Gerstley borate
substitute recently made available through Kickwheel Pottery Supply,
one-for-one. This was just a 100 gram test batch. Now I will make a
larger batch and glaze a couple of small pieces.

All the usual disclaimers regarding my relationship to the pottery supplier
mentioned above apply.
E-mail address:
gdlamont@isunet.net

Pottery Web Page:
http://www.ourwebpage.net/greglamont/

Mailing address and Phone:
Greg Lamont
3011 Northwood Drive
Ames, IA 50010-4750
(515) 233-3442

Sharon31 on tue 20 jun 00


Thank you Amy and all the people that answered me. I use another glaze , I
posted here a few times, Speckled blue, I retried it in the BIG testing I
did last week.That glaze is green too, when it came strait to the bisque,
that made me think that the Floating Blue, MUST BE ABOVE ANOTHER GLAZE TOO!
But this will be in the next testing.
Ababi
----- Original Message -----
From: amy parker
To:
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2000 08:11
Subject: Re: Why I love/hate Floating Blue and advice?


> Ababi,
> Floating blue for me is blue on red stoneware and greenish on porcelain.
>
> Amy in HOTlanta
> amy parker Lithonia, GA
> amyp@sd-software.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.