dragonladynicole on wed 30 aug 06
Hi all, Has anyone heard of using a vintage washing machine to mix =
clay? It rings a tiny, tiny bell in my mind. I've come across one of =
these machines and am wondering if its a possibility-- or a dream ... If =
it's feasible, does anyone have instructions?
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=20
And also: any suggestions for a good, lasting inside sealer for oil =
lamps. In the past I've used a wood glue, which is soluable in water =
but not soluable in a lamp oil. Then I changed to Sodium silicate, but =
have not been satisfied with either. I've heard some have used a =
varnish, but over time that finish cracks, then seeps. I fire a (hot) =
cone 10-almost 11 gas.Porcelain w/a glossy inside glaze, but willing to =
change if something different is more suitable. Thanks! =20
=20
Nicole Peterson DragonRock Pottery.com
Elma, WA
Richard White on wed 30 aug 06
dunno about the washing machine for mixing, but I bet you could roll a nice
thin slab with the wringer... ;-)
But seriously, about the oil lamps. I've read of stuff that has been used
to coat the interior of lamp pots and read other comments that most of it
doesn't work as hoped, particularly in the long term. So instead of trying
all those things, I just opted for some "oil candle" glass inserts -
http://www.nationalartcraft.com/subcategory.asp?gid=5&cid=117&scid=250
from National Artcraft. In quantity, they are about $2 and completely
solve the problem. The oil goes into the glass reservoir, not the pot. The
challenge is making the hole in the top of your pot exactly the right size
to fit the flared rim of the glass tube. For that, I found that a tapered
cork stopper can be used as a hole size guide when throwing the pot. You'll
have to test a few different size corks with your particular clay to see
which one will give you a the proper size hole after all the shrinkage from
firing. Draw a line around the middle of the tapered cork and then insert
it to that line in the neck of your pot as it turns to gauge whether you
need to narrow or open it a little more. You might even accumulate a
variety of corks in different sizes and keep a list of which cork produces
a final hole of what specific size.
dw
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