Michael McDowell on sat 4 may 96
Fellow Sufferers,
I have long wondered what ball milling might do for my glazes. Now I have
managed to borrow a ball mill and a jar with enough balls to fill it about 1/4
full. Can anybody help me from here as to how much glaze to put in the mill at
one time, & how important the amount of water or thinness of the glaze is? I
seem to remember something about being able to hear the balls cascading on one
another as the jar rolls when the charge is right. So far I haven't managed to
get that result, and I'm not even certain that I should be trying for it. How
about it? Is anybody up to a short dissertation on ball mill practice?
TIA.........................Michael McDowell
Whatcom County, Washington
Jonathan Kaplan on tue 7 may 96
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Fellow Sufferers,
>
>I have long wondered what ball milling might do for my glazes. Now I have
>managed to borrow a ball mill and a jar with enough balls to fill it about 1/4
>full. Can anybody help me from here as to how much glaze to put in the mill at
>one time, & how important the amount of water or thinness of the glaze is? I
>seem to remember something about being able to hear the balls cascading on one
>another as the jar rolls when the charge is right. So far I haven't managed to
>get that result, and I'm not even certain that I should be trying for it. How
>about it? Is anybody up to a short dissertation on ball mill practice?
>
>TIA.........................Michael McDowell
>Whatcom County, Washington
Ball milling is a rather involved and complex science, and most potters shy
away from it because in most cases, it is not necessary and multiple
screenings through various mesh seives will suffice. There is much
published stuff on milling, you can write some of the manufacturers of
mills and jars and they can provide good materials. The size of the mill,
its speed, the size of the jar, the type and configuration of the charge as
well as the amount of charge, and the milling time, all play into the
particle size reduction equation. Care needs to be taken as too much
milling produces a slurry that can run off the pot as the particle size is
virtually milled out. Check out Paul O Abee Inc as well as US Stoneware for
info.
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan
http://www.craftweb.com/org/jkaplan/cdg.shtml
(aka "Scooter)
jonathan@csn.net
Ceramic Design Group/Production Services Voice:
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