Toni Hall on fri 21 feb 97
Greetings,
A few days ago, someone mentioned Egyptian paste and I realized
that I knew very little about this process. I researched the topic in my
library of glaze books, and found a few fleeting notes about Egyptian
paste, and only one recipe for such a clay/glaze. The information I read
said that you use the paste as a clay which has a glaze already built into
it, and that it works best on small things. I would like to "play" with
some of this stuff, and I am wondering if any of you have a trusted recipe
for Egytian paste, which you would not mind sharing? The process sounds
pretty foreign to me, so I am a little threatened by taking a recipe from a
book and trying it cold turkey,( especially when I read that it might stick
to my kiln shelves as the glaze raises to the surface during firing). Any
help would be appreciated. TIA Toni
Kenneth D Westfall on sat 22 feb 97
I have used the recipe from Rhodes "Clay and Glazes" book with good
results. Most library have a copy. If you don't have a copy let me know
personally and I will look it up for you.
Kenneth
"When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty"!!!
On Fri, 21 Feb 1997 09:22:43 EST Toni Hall
writes:
>----------------------------Original
>message----------------------------
>Greetings,
> A few days ago, someone mentioned Egyptian paste and I
>realized
>that I knew very little about this process. I researched the topic in
>my
>library of glaze books, and found a few fleeting notes about Egyptian
>paste, and only one recipe for such a clay/glaze. The information I
>read
>said that you use the paste as a clay which has a glaze already built
>into
>it, and that it works best on small things. I would like to "play"
>with
>some of this stuff, and I am wondering if any of you have a trusted
>recipe
>for Egytian paste, which you would not mind sharing? The process
>sounds
>pretty foreign to me, so I am a little threatened by taking a recipe
>from a
>book and trying it cold turkey,( especially when I read that it might
>stick
>to my kiln shelves as the glaze raises to the surface during firing).
>Any
>help would be appreciated. TIA Toni
>
Valice Raffi on sat 22 feb 97
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> A few days ago, someone mentioned Egyptian paste and I realized
>that I knew very little about this process.
Toni,
I bought some from Nasco, about fifteen bucks for a 5 lb box, dry (usual
disclaimers). I mix small amounts with water in a ziplock plastic baggy.
I've mostly made beads with it. The first time, I put kiln wash on the
bead wire, but the bead holes were too large for my taste. For the next
batch, I pierced the beads with a needle tool & strung them on a string
soaked with wax resist. This kept the glaze from forming on the inside of
the bead. When I was ready to fire them, I restrung them on thin Kanthal
wire, which I supported between 4 posts (2 sets of one on top of another).
This worked well, no dripping or sticking.
I also used it with my 6th grade class (sixth graders study Egypt). The
kids made whatever they wanted (Egyptian-type stuff), some made Ankhs, some
made small pyramids, & others made amulets and fetishes. I fired them on
stilts when possible, the rest I fired on some "sand" called Ione Green
that a friend gave me. Again - no dripping or sticking!
The paste is a little hard to work with - it feels alot different than
regular clay. It gets easier with practice.
Hope this helps!
Valice
Nasco's #: 800-558-9595 http://www.nascofa.com
George Mackie on sun 23 feb 97
Toni - the recipe given in Daniel Rhodes : Clay & Glazes for the Potter
is reliable, and he gives the rationale for the various ingredients.
Other good recipes are given by J.W.Conrad : Ceramic formulas. The
variations are mostly minor, to do with plasticity, fragility etc. Fire to
cone 08 and it wont wreck your kiln. Nichrome wire can be bought at
ceramic suppliers for making bead trees, or ready-made trees if you
prefer. George
BobWicks@aol.com on sun 23 feb 97
Tai Toni:
Here is a recipe that I have used for years and it works. First youl have to
understand that this body is very non-plastic and you can not model with it
for very long. Since the glaze is built into it when it is dry you will
note a dry powder forming on the surface as the liquid evaporates. This is
the glaze forming. If you place the project on a non absorbant surface like
glass no glaze will form there as evaporation can not happen at that point.
Nepheline Syenite 39%
Soda Ash 06%
Soda bicarbonate 06
EPK 06%
Ball Clay 06%
Flint 37%
2 tablespoons H2O per 100 grams
For colors
copper carbonate 2% turquoise
cobalt carb .25-1% for blue
Chromium .5-1% for green
Manganese dioxide 10-20% for gray violet
The Complete Compendum by Conrad suggests that you sift a mixture of 1/2
sodium and Borax over the finished product before firing. Sylvia Hyman, in
CM Apr. 1974, p 39 proposes that the first project should conmsist o 5
batches of 100 grams ea. totaling 500 grams. Mix well for few minutes.
Lukmpy mixtures shouold be pressed througha 100 mesh screen. Using a plastic
sandwich bag, add 100 grams of mix pluys colorant and add 2 tablespoons of
water and mix by pinching and squeezing the bag.
Good Luck
Pearl Joseph on sun 23 feb 97
Toni;
A recipe for Egyptian Paste that I have used is from Ceramics Monthly April
1974.page 39. It was an article on Raku firing of bead and pendants made of
Egyptian Paste.
This stuff doesn't feel like clay, and tends to sag or puddle if you try to
make something large. In Raku, the intensity of the color is somewhat subdued
and there can be flashes and black flecks.
The author describes using bisqued plates or shallow bowls, placing her beads
in a single layer, firing to cone 012, and moving the bowl (with the beads
remaining in the bowl) into the sawdust containing reduction can, adding a
bit of sawdust and covering the can. She said she didn't have any serious
problem of their sticking to the bowl.
I used her recipe for pins and pendants. I fired in an electric test kiln and
then reduced with good sucess. I only made the turquoise color, although she
lists others.
Egyptian Paste - cone 012
Neph Sy.....................39.0%
Soda Ash.....................6.0%
Bicarbonate of Soda..6.0%
Kaolin............................6.0%
Ball Clay........................6.0%
Flint...............................37.0%
add Bentonite.................2.0%
Copper Carbonate.........2.0% Turquoise
Cobalt Carbonate...1/4 to1.0% Blue
Chromium Oxide.....1/2 to 1.0% Green
Add 100 Grams to a plastic bag and add a scant 2 tablespoons of water, and
mix by squeezing the bag. If it is crumbly. add more water by drops to get
the paste to form a ball. (Kind of like pie dough)
Have fun - Pearl Joseph in White Plains, NY
Marie Gibbons on sat 18 oct 97
sorry for first incomplete, i hit sent button by mistake, here goes again,
recipe for blue egyptian paste, found in an old book, this is the only color
given:
feldspar (body) 40 grams
flint 20
fine white sand 8
sodium bicarbonate 6
sodium carbonate 6
calcium carbonate (whiting) 5
bentonite 2
copper carbonate 3
firing is to cone 012 or 1600 degree F
hope this helps
Marie Gibbons
Arvada Colorado - where winter peeked in and then ran away again!! Thank God!
John Britt on tue 16 sep 08
Pat,
Here is one I use:
Egyptian Paste cone 04
6 Kaolin
10 Ball Clay
36 Silica
36 Nepheline Syenite
6 Soda Ash
6 Sodium Bicarbonate
3 Vee gum
2 Copper Carbonate
Hope it helps,
John Britt
www.johnbrittpottery.com/wks.htm
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