Ron Roy on thu 9 oct 97
Some one wants to know - what is blue stone - is it copper sulphate crystals?
Is Copper Sulphate actually Copper Sulphate Penta Hydrate?
Does anyone ever sprinkle this stuff around in a sawdust firing or such?
If so do you have any tips or suggestions?
Thanks in advance - you can post to me or to the list - as you prefer.
Ron Roy
93 Pegasus Trail
Scarborough,Canada
M1G 3N8
Evenings, call 416 439 2621
Fax, 416 438 7849
Studio: 416-752-7862.
Email ronroy@astral.magic.ca
Home page http://digitalfire.com/education/people/ronroy.htm
Tom Buck on fri 10 oct 97
My chemical dictionary yields this data:
-------------
copper sulfate [aka sulphate] (copper II sulfate, cupric sulfate,
blue vitriol, blue stone, blue copperas) CuSO4.5H2O [hence, copper II
sulfate pentahydrate is its more acceptable name].
properties: blue crystals or blue crystalline granules or powder,
slowly efflorescing in air; white when dehydrated [anhydrous]; nauseous
metallic taste. Soluble in water, methanol, slightly soluble in alcohol
and glycerol. Density, 2.284 g/mL
derivation: action of dilute sulfuric acid on copper or copper
oxide (often as oxide ores) in large quantities, and the resultant
solution is then evaporated and the crude sulfate is then
purified by recystallization.
grades: many levels of purity and package sizes.
Hazard: Highly toxic by ingestion.
Uses: agricultural chemical, feed additive, germicides; textile
mordant; leather industry; pigments; electric batteries; electroplated
coatings; copper salts; reagent in analytical chemistry; medicine; wood
preservative; process engraving and lithography; ore flotation; petroleum
industry; synthetic rubber; steel manufacture; treament of natural
asphalts. The anhydrous salt [form] is used as a dehydrating sgent.
--------------
Please note the widespread use of this compound; it is therefore
produced in huge amounts, and therefore relatively cheap, especially
farm-grade product (of lesser purity). Among lowfire potters, the chemical
is sometimes used in two ways, either as a creamy paste, or as a strong
solution. The paste in spread on biscuit, the biscuit wrapped in paper
and placed in the pit or the smoking kiln. Or the solution is sprayed onto
the biscuit directly and it is then placed in the "kiln"; or another way
the solution is used is to soak newsprint in the solution, let it dry, and
then wrap a pot with this treated newsprint before it goes into the
"kiln".
Some rather unusual colour effects are achieved by this approach.
Tom
Buck ) tel:
905-389-2339 & snailmail: 373 East 43rd St. Hamilton ON L8T 3E1 Canada
(westend Lake Ontario, province of Ontario, Canada).
Carl meigs on fri 10 oct 97
At 10:29 AM 10/9/97 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Some one wants to know - what is blue stone - is it copper sulphate crystals?
>
>Is Copper Sulphate actually Copper Sulphate Penta Hydrate?
>
>Does anyone ever sprinkle this stuff around in a sawdust firing or such?
>
>If so do you have any tips or suggestions?
>
>Thanks in advance - you can post to me or to the list - as you prefer.
>
>Ron Roy
>93 Pegasus Trail
>Scarborough,Canada
>M1G 3N8
>Evenings, call 416 439 2621
>Fax, 416 438 7849
>Studio: 416-752-7862.
>Email ronroy@astral.magic.ca
>Home page http://digitalfire.com/education/people/ronroy.htm
>
>When I was a kid on the farm we used "blue stone" to kill invasive trees
such as poplars. I was told that it was copper sulphate. Farm supply stores
still sell it though here in Connecticut you have to have a permit for it.
Charlie Riggs in Carthage, NC soaks his pots with copper sulphate solution for
pit firing. Wraps them in newspaper and lays them in red oak sawdust. I'm
doing this from memory so double check on Tom Gray's page on Carolina Clay
www.cclay.com. This will link to Charlie's page and his e-mail address.
meigs@neca.com
kinoko@junction.net on fri 10 oct 97
Ron, "Blue stone" as we know it is a Cobalt stone, found in the Kama-gawa
River,(and elswhere,I presume) and used for preparing "Go-su",the pale-blue
stain or glaze used traditionally on Japanese pottery. Go-su stains are
pale...tend to blue-grey.... and are much more suptle than cobalt as used in
the West or even in Japan today. Don &Isao
Morrill>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Some one wants to know - what is blue stone - is it copper sulphate crystals?
>
>Is Copper Sulphate actually Copper Sulphate Penta Hydrate?
>
>Does anyone ever sprinkle this stuff around in a sawdust firing or such?
>
>If so do you have any tips or suggestions?
>
>Thanks in advance - you can post to me or to the list - as you prefer.
>
>Ron Roy
>93 Pegasus Trail
>Scarborough,Canada
>M1G 3N8
>Evenings, call 416 439 2621
>Fax, 416 438 7849
>Studio: 416-752-7862.
>Email ronroy@astral.magic.ca
>Home page http://digitalfire.com/education/people/ronroy.htm
>
*****************************************
*****************************************
** Don and Isao Morrill **
** Falkland, B.C. **
** kinoko@junction.net **
*****************************************
*****************************************
Bill Aycock on fri 10 oct 97
According to the venerable "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics", and my
memory, they are indeed the same. Other names include:
Blue Stone
Blue Vitriol
Chalcanthite
The formula is CuSO4 (5H2O)- this is a bright blue- translucent crystal
that is easily made into the anhydrous form ( gray powder) by heating. add
water and it goes right back to blue crystals. It is soluble in water, so
is not normally used in glazes. Might work in "Fuming" or "the pits".
As with any metallic salt, be careful with it. It isn't violently poison,
but should be handled with care.
Bill, on Persimmon Hill, with LOTS of old reference books.
At 10:29 AM 10/9/97 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Some one wants to know - what is blue stone - is it copper sulphate crystals?
>
>Is Copper Sulphate actually Copper Sulphate Penta Hydrate?
>
>Does anyone ever sprinkle this stuff around in a sawdust firing or such?
>
>If so do you have any tips or suggestions?
>
>Thanks in advance - you can post to me or to the list - as you prefer.
>
>Ron Roy
>93 Pegasus Trail
>Scarborough,Canada
>M1G 3N8
>Evenings, call 416 439 2621
>Fax, 416 438 7849
>Studio: 416-752-7862.
>Email ronroy@astral.magic.ca
>Home page http://digitalfire.com/education/people/ronroy.htm
>
>
Bill Aycock --- Persimmon Hill --- Woodville, Alabama, US 35776
--- (in the N.E. corner of the State) ---
also -- W4BSG -- Grid EM64vr
baycock@hiwaay.net
Dave Spangenberg on sat 11 oct 97
Here, in the mid-atlantic region of the USA, Blue Stone is the common name
for steel furnace slag. It is commonly used as gravel to cover dirt roads
and as an agregate in asphalt pavement. The name is probably not unique to
this material.
Ron Roy wrote:
>Some one wants to know - what is blue stone - is it copper sulphate
crystals?<
Dave Spangenberg 75463.1027@compuserve.com
kinoko@junction.net on sat 11 oct 97
Bill, the discussion on Bluestone,(the only way I ever read it) reminded me
that,as a child,a friend and I found an entire keg of the material in an
abandoned barn. Not realizing its potential,(albeit mild) danger,w spread
the stuff all over the town streets without a thought. Perhaps you read my
post regarding blue stone. A misnomer. Oh,well, Don
M.>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>According to the venerable "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics", and my
>memory, they are indeed the same. Other names include:
>Blue Stone
>Blue Vitriol
>Chalcanthite
>The formula is CuSO4 (5H2O)- this is a bright blue- translucent crystal
>that is easily made into the anhydrous form ( gray powder) by heating. add
>water and it goes right back to blue crystals. It is soluble in water, so
>is not normally used in glazes. Might work in "Fuming" or "the pits".
>
>As with any metallic salt, be careful with it. It isn't violently poison,
>but should be handled with care.
>
>Bill, on Persimmon Hill, with LOTS of old reference books.
>
>At 10:29 AM 10/9/97 EDT, you wrote:
>>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>Some one wants to know - what is blue stone - is it copper sulphate crystals?
>>
>>Is Copper Sulphate actually Copper Sulphate Penta Hydrate?
>>
>>Does anyone ever sprinkle this stuff around in a sawdust firing or such?
>>
>>If so do you have any tips or suggestions?
>>
>>Thanks in advance - you can post to me or to the list - as you prefer.
>>
>>Ron Roy
>>93 Pegasus Trail
>>Scarborough,Canada
>>M1G 3N8
>>Evenings, call 416 439 2621
>>Fax, 416 438 7849
>>Studio: 416-752-7862.
>>Email ronroy@astral.magic.ca
>>Home page http://digitalfire.com/education/people/ronroy.htm
>>
>>
>Bill Aycock --- Persimmon Hill --- Woodville, Alabama, US 35776
>--- (in the N.E. corner of the State) ---
>also -- W4BSG -- Grid EM64vr
>baycock@hiwaay.net
>
*****************************************
*****************************************
** Don and Isao Morrill **
** Falkland, B.C. **
** kinoko@junction.net **
*****************************************
*****************************************
Russel Fouts on sun 12 oct 97
Ron & Don,
Speaking of "Blue stone", Cobalt sulphate and Japan.
A friend of mine from IWCAT (I know you lurk on this list Kari, so speak
up!) stayed with a potter, Shibayama Kazuko, who gets a very soft blue that
appears to bleed through her porcelain pieces. It's really beautiful, makes
me want to try porcelain.
Another friend in Tokoname, Wali Hawes, said that it was cobalt sulphate.
Can it do that? I never got time to ask her in person OR to get one of
those pieces.
Russel (doing "butch" stuff like buying and hauling gravel!)
------------------------
Russel Fouts
"Mes Potes et Mes Pots" Christmas sale 29-30 Nov.
Brussels, Belgium
+32 2 223 02 75
Weather: Partly sunny with the light and colors of Northern Renaisance
paintings.
Try to spot me on the IWCAT 97 Home Page
http://www.japan-net.or.jp/~iwcat/
------------------------
Rick Sherman on sun 12 oct 97
-------------------------original message----------------------------
The formula is CuSO4 (5H2O)- this is a bright blue- translucent
crystal that is easily made into the anhydrous form ( gray powder) by
heating. add water and it goes right back to blue crystals. It is
soluble in water, so is not normally used in glazes. Might work in
"Fuming" or "the pits".
Bill Aycock
-----------------------reply--------------------------------------
Yes, the blue stone I know is copper sulphate. At Scout Camp, used to
put a bunch of it in a gunnysack and hang in the swimming pool to kill
bacteria.
One of the high school chemistry tests for an unknown was as Bill
describes.
I have made a solution of blue stone, soaked bisque pieces, let them
dry and pit fired them wrapped in seaweed. Rusult in blacks and grays
with red flashing on a white clay body.
RS
San Jose, CA
Bill Aycock on sun 12 oct 97
Don and Isao- Not a misnomer.
In my long and sometimes disreputable career, I have learned that
definitions are suspect, and particularly those used to "name" natural
things, Locally- some people call the crushed Limestone we get for drives,
etc, "bluestone" even though it is NOT blue, but is just gray. The tall
grass that we have (most people mow their yards, but not me, much) is
called "little Blue-stem", when you see it in the prarie states, but here,
its called "broom sedge", although it is too week for broom making, and is
not a sedge. Oh- its not blue, either.
Someone mentioned a furnace slag called blue stone- locally, some people
call that "pumice", even though we all know it isn't. But- ours has
bubbles, and floats.
go figure.
In the context of Rons question, I think he meant the copper salt, but,
the reference to Cornwall stone being called that does ring a bell. At any
rate- I think he got all the answers he can use.
Bill- heading for the "handbook of word origins" well worn on Persimmon Hill.
>At 09:15 AM 10/11/97 EDT, you ( Don and Isao) wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Bill, the discussion on Bluestone,(the only way I ever read it) reminded me
>that,as a child,a friend and I found an entire keg of the material in an
>abandoned barn. Not realizing its potential,(albeit mild) danger,w spread
>the stuff all over the town streets without a thought. Perhaps you read my
>post regarding blue stone. A misnomer. Oh,well, Don
>
Bill Aycock --- Persimmon Hill --- Woodville, Alabama, US 35776
--- (in the N.E. corner of the State) ---
W4BSG -- Grid EM64vr --
baycock@hiwaay.net
Joseph Herbert on mon 13 oct 97
Copper sulfate, Hydrated, is a blue triclinic crystal that is famous from
elementary crystal growing experiments, is a fairly serious plant poison.
One common source for urban persons is the solid "Root Killer" that is sold
to be flushed down the toilet when you suspect root invasion of your home
sewer pipe. So, if you go to Home Depot, you can get a pound of the blue
crystals for about $5.00. A similar application of the material is to
"clear" a pond of algae. I doubt if much else survives the treatment but it
makes the water a startling blue color. Golf course managers aren t
necessarily sensitive to environmental issues. This can be seen in the
over-application of herbicides that leads to "Golfer s Liver" among golfers
stupid enough to lick their golf balls (because they can). Anyway, this
material is common and is poison, both to you and to plants. It is VERY
water soluble so you can get a lot of it into solution if you wish. This
material will introduce sulfur into your kiln with the potential problems of
sulfur in glazes and the real problem of sulfur dioxide emissions into the
air around the kiln. Be careful.
Joseph Herbert
JJHerb@aol.com
Fay & Ralph Loewenthal on mon 13 oct 97
Just a humurous note. When I was at boarding school,
the powers that were there then used to add it to our
morning coffee occasionally. We always knew when it
was put in because of the lousy metalic taste. It was put
in to keep our libido under control. It was an boys only
school. I do not know what other effects it could have
had, maybe that is why I am such a nut today? Ralph in
PE SA
NORNSWOOD on tue 21 oct 97
>I have made a solution of blue stone, soaked bisque pieces, let them
>dry
How much blue stone to how much water?
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