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glazing!!! i need help?!?!?!!somebody...anybody?!??please!!

updated fri 15 feb 02

 

JJ on wed 13 feb 02


Hey all,

I have a few questions. #1. I just finished a set of plates, bowls and
mugs for some friends of mine. THey want them a turqoise color. I only use
commercial glazes since I am just a hobbyist with a clayboss and 30 year
old kiln. I don't like any of the turqoises companies make....so can I mix
two food safes from the same company to make the color I want?? I found a
blue and a green that I think will be awesome together. Also, another idea I
had was instead of mixing the two colors together, then spraying them, would
there be any advantage to layering them??? Like blue/green blue/green.
The exact color I am trying to get is on this peice
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/rmello1/cassblue.htm

I'm thinking in my head layering would add somewhat of a depth to the color
...any thoughts?? and lastly, On some of my peices they come out of the
glaze firing with pinholes. I make all functional ware so I can't have that.
I was told to try bisque firing one cone higher, and not to put glaze on as
thick. I'm trying that now but wanted to see if anyone else had some
thoughts on it, as I would rather be sure what is going on before finishing
these peices. Thanks in advance for any help.....JJ

potterybydai on wed 13 feb 02


Hi, JJ - you will only know what layering the two commercial glazes will do
if you try it. Not on the dinnerware, but on something you can afford to
lose if it doesn't work out. The same goes for the pinholing; I'd suggest
bisquing higher, as that seems to work for most people, but you won't know
till you try it. And you didn't say what temperature you were bisquing
to---some people go as high as ^04. As for mixing the two glazes together,
try it with a small amount and see how it turns out----you might be
surprised to find it doesn't look much like you think it will :) Sorry,
but unless someone on the list has used your exact clay, with your exact
glazes, at your exact firing schedule, there's no way of knowing what the
results will be----and even then, someone else's might be different from
yours. My suggestion would be to NOT glaze the dinnerware until you have
thoroughly researched your problems/questions with your own experiments.
Dai in Kelowna, BC
potterybydai@shaw.ca

Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you
respond to it.

> Hey all,
>
> I have a few questions. #1. I just finished a set of plates, bowls and
> mugs for some friends of mine. THey want them a turqoise color. I only
use
> commercial glazes since I am just a hobbyist with a clayboss and 30 year
> old kiln. I don't like any of the turqoises companies make....so can I mix
> two food safes from the same company to make the color I want?? I found a
> blue and a green that I think will be awesome together. Also, another idea
I
> had was instead of mixing the two colors together, then spraying them,
would
> there be any advantage to layering them??? Like blue/green blue/green.
> The exact color I am trying to get is on this peice
> http://people.ne.mediaone.net/rmello1/cassblue.htm
>
> I'm thinking in my head layering would add somewhat of a depth to the
color
> ...any thoughts?? and lastly, On some of my peices they come out of the
> glaze firing with pinholes. I make all functional ware so I can't have
that.
> I was told to try bisque firing one cone higher, and not to put glaze on
as
> thick. I'm trying that now but wanted to see if anyone else had some
> thoughts on it, as I would rather be sure what is going on before
finishing
> these peices. Thanks in advance for any help.....JJ

Cindy Strnad on wed 13 feb 02


Dear JJ,

Glazing is very complicated. If you mix the two glazes you may come up with
something gorgeous and then again, you may not. Glaze colors are profoundly
affected by the other chemicals present in the glaze, temperature of firing,
clay color, and more. The glaze on that casserole is indeed beautiful. It is
probably a ^9 or ^10 glaze, reduction, based on the fact that the casserole is
labeled porcelain. It could be a ^6 porcelain, fired in oxidation, but probably
not. Even when you are using commercial glazes, the color is not guaranteed.
Finding a glaze to perfectly suit your friends could take months or even years
of testing. My suggestion is to show them what you have available and tell them
to choose. Or they can take it to someone else to glaze it. What they are asking
of you is unreasonable, though neither you nor they know it. If you try to
satisfy their color choice, at least one of you will so realize how unrealistic
their request is.

Layering glazes can be fun and can yield some spectacular results.
Unfortunately, you won't know what those results will be until you try it.
Layering glaze A over glaze B can also give a completely different effect from
layering glaze B over glaze A. So if you want to try this, do test first. Be
careful not to get the glaze too thick in the overlapped areas or it will run
and/or pinhole and/or crawl.

For the pinholes: Pinholes can be caused by a number of things. Glaze
composition (alter the glaze formula). Unburned organic materials in the clay
(soak the bisque kiln at top temperature for an hour and/or fire slowly). Gasses
which are unable to escape from the glaze (soak the glaze kiln for 30-45 minutes
). Dust on the bisque ware (sponge with a damp
sponge prior to glazing). Too thick application of glaze (apply thinner).

I hope this helps. Good luck with your order. :)

Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
USA
cindy@earthen-vessels-pottery.com
http://www.earthen-vessels-pottery.com

Ron Roy on thu 14 feb 02


What ever combination you use - make sure you give em the viegar or lemon
test before you glaze the whole set.

Commercial glazes are not necessarily stable enough for food.

RR


> I have a few questions. #1. I just finished a set of plates, bowls and
>mugs for some friends of mine. THey want them a turqoise color. I only use
>commercial glazes since I am just a hobbyist with a clayboss and 30 year
>old kiln. I don't like any of the turqoises companies make....so can I mix
>two food safes from the same company to make the color I want?? I found a
>blue and a green that I think will be awesome together. Also, another idea I
>had was instead of mixing the two colors together, then spraying them, would
>there be any advantage to layering them??? Like blue/green blue/green.
>The exact color I am trying to get is on this peice
>http://people.ne.mediaone.net/rmello1/cassblue.htm
>
>I'm thinking in my head layering would add somewhat of a depth to the color
>...any thoughts?? and lastly, On some of my peices they come out of the
>glaze firing with pinholes. I make all functional ware so I can't have that.
>I was told to try bisque firing one cone higher, and not to put glaze on as
>thick. I'm trying that now but wanted to see if anyone else had some
>thoughts on it, as I would rather be sure what is going on before finishing
>these peices. Thanks in advance for any help.....JJ

Ron Roy
RR# 4
15084 Little Lake Rd..
Brighton,
Ontario, Canada
KOK 1H0
Residence 613-475-9544
Studio 613-475-3715
Fax 613-475-3513

Sue Clery on thu 14 feb 02


I "Ditto" the testing suggestions below. I've also had a problem with
pinholes in my glaze, and had read somewhere that this was due to the glaze
not completing maturing. So, I re-fired to a slightly higher temp, the
pinholes disappeared.

In both cases, though, experimentation is the best thing!

Good luck!
Sue Clery

-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of potterybydai
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2002 6:39 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Glazing!!! I need help?!?!?!!Somebody...anybody?!??please!!


Hi, JJ - you will only know what layering the two commercial glazes will do
if you try it. Not on the dinnerware, but on something you can afford to
lose if it doesn't work out. The same goes for the pinholing; I'd suggest
bisquing higher, as that seems to work for most people, but you won't know
till you try it. And you didn't say what temperature you were bisquing
to---some people go as high as ^04. As for mixing the two glazes together,
try it with a small amount and see how it turns out----you might be
surprised to find it doesn't look much like you think it will :) Sorry,
but unless someone on the list has used your exact clay, with your exact
glazes, at your exact firing schedule, there's no way of knowing what the
results will be----and even then, someone else's might be different from
yours. My suggestion would be to NOT glaze the dinnerware until you have
thoroughly researched your problems/questions with your own experiments.
Dai in Kelowna, BC
potterybydai@shaw.ca

Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you
respond to it.

> Hey all,
>
> I have a few questions. #1. I just finished a set of plates, bowls and
> mugs for some friends of mine. THey want them a turqoise color. I only
use
> commercial glazes since I am just a hobbyist with a clayboss and 30 year
> old kiln. I don't like any of the turqoises companies make....so can I mix
> two food safes from the same company to make the color I want?? I found a
> blue and a green that I think will be awesome together. Also, another idea
I
> had was instead of mixing the two colors together, then spraying them,
would
> there be any advantage to layering them??? Like blue/green blue/green.
> The exact color I am trying to get is on this peice
> http://people.ne.mediaone.net/rmello1/cassblue.htm
>
> I'm thinking in my head layering would add somewhat of a depth to the
color
> ...any thoughts?? and lastly, On some of my peices they come out of the
> glaze firing with pinholes. I make all functional ware so I can't have
that.
> I was told to try bisque firing one cone higher, and not to put glaze on
as
> thick. I'm trying that now but wanted to see if anyone else had some
> thoughts on it, as I would rather be sure what is going on before
finishing
> these peices. Thanks in advance for any help.....JJ

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