burnishing and terra sig

updated thu 22 nov 01

Vince Pitelka on fri 13 dec 96

>I to have been using terra sig for pots made with red earthenware clay. I
>have found that burnishing with the back of metal measuring spoon usually
>of the table spoon size seems to work well. I also burnishe shortly after I
>apply the terra sig especially with colored sig's. On a few occasions I
>burnish when slightly dryer and seem to get a higher gloss. I would like to
>know more about the tyes of cloth that peop[le have been using.

William -
I have found that any very soft cloth works well - old cloth diapers,
flannel, or tee shirt material - but BE SURE to remove any seams, pockets,
buttons, etc. Use only the part of the cloth which has no seams.

I have started using terra sig as a burnishing slip - it gives a better
burnish than any other slip I have used. After burnishing with a polished
stone, I finish burnishing with the tip of my finger, and I can get a satin
gloss almost as shiny as glass.
- Vince

Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@Dekalb.Net
Phone - home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801
Appalachian Center for Crafts, Smithville TN 37166

Carole Fox on fri 16 nov 01

Russel wrote- Who needs cramped fingers and sore arms from burnishing. =
;-)

Remember when I posted to whine about my sore arms? Well. I must say I =
am really glad I did take the time to burnish. The mottled surface of =
the burnished pot was much more appealing to me than the terra =
sigilatta. ( I tried both methods to compare results.)

Yes, the terra sig is easier than burnishing for sure. Though I did find =
it frustrating to get brush hairs imbedded in the surface many times.=20

Also, the raku clay that I used fired to a pink color at that low =
temperature. Looks like polished pink marble. Makes a dramatic =
background to the black carbon markings for my pit-fired and horsehair =
pots, too.

One of these days I'm gonna get me a website and show ya!




Carole Fox
Silver Fox Pottery
Elkton, MD
cfox@dca.net

Lamar, Luke on mon 19 nov 01

>Yes, the terra sig is easier than burnishing for sure.
>Though I did find it frustrating to get brush hairs
>imbedded in the surface many times.

I use very fine sable watercolor brushes when I apply terra sig. Brush holds
lots of liquid, brush hairs never fall out, and you rarely see brush
strokes.

Luke Lamar
llamar@bacweb.org

Russel Fouts on tue 20 nov 01

> Yes, the terra sig is easier than burnishing for sure. Though I did find it frustrating to get brush hairs imbedded in the surface many times. <

Dip or pour. or use better brushes.

And something about observation, my new batch of white sig covers in one
coat as opposed to 4 with previous batches. Same specific gravity, same
bisque temperature. Hmmmm. Ok, so now we only dip once. ;-)

Russel

--

Russel Fouts
Mes Potes & Mes Pots
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 223 02 75
Mobile: +32 476 55 38 75
Http://www.mypots.com
http://www.Japan-Net.ne.jp/~iwcat

"There is a theory which states that
if ever anyone discovers exactly what
the universe is for and why it's here,
it will instantly disappear and be
replaced by something even more bizzarly
inexplicable."

"There is another theory which states
that this has already happened!"

Douglas Adams' The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

iandol on tue 20 nov 01

Dear Luke Lamar,

You say <sig.>>

The last time I priced a good Sable for water colour painting I was =
quoted about Au$120.00 for a No 12. I this the sort you are talking =
about, Kolinsky Sable from W & N.

I got a nice Chinese Deer Hair a couple of weeks ago, a good fat body =
about one inch diameter and white hair about three inches long for =
Au$14.00. Nice tool.

Best regards,

Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia