Ratliff on wed 26 mar 97
Dear clayheads....Quick raku reduction question. We are using lithium
slip and patinas (piepenberg michigan,etc.) on raku (white bodied)
clays. Do the bright silver and metallic hues come about due to heavy
reduction or perhaps simply by getting your piece into the reduction
immediately? Some like to keep their pieces in the trashcans until they
cool down while others "fix" their pieces with water after only a few
minutes. Needless to say, there has not been one piece that has come
out entirely covered with a metallic surface....but rather some slight
metallic flashes and overall burned look!! Any shared information on
your techniques/process when using slips/patinas would truly be
appreciated. By the way...anyone ever worked with Silver Nitrate?
Please share any information/suggestions about it.
Tons of thanks.
Nancy
Bill Ratliff on thu 27 mar 97
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Dear clayheads....Quick raku reduction question. We are using lithium
slip and patinas (piepenberg michigan,etc.) on raku (white bodied)
clays. Do the bright silver and metallic hues come about due to heavy
reduction or perhaps simply by getting your piece into the reduction
immediately? Some like to keep their pieces in the trashcans until they
cool down while others "fix" their pieces with water after only a few
minutes. Needless to say, there has not been one piece that has come
out entirely covered with a metallic surface....but rather some slight
metallic flashes and overall burned look!! Any shared information on
your techniques/process when using slips/patinas would truly be
appreciated. By the way...anyone ever worked with Silver Nitrate?
Please share any information/suggestions about it.
Tons of thanks.
Nancy
Bill Ratliff
wratliff@mitec.net
Wendy Hampton on thu 27 mar 97
Nancy,
I have worked with Silver nitrate in glazes for raku. It is very unstable
but can get some wonderful lusters. Some nice golds. Be sure you wear
gloves. It will turn your hands black and they stay that way till the skin
wears off!
Wendy from Bainbridge Island Wa
Charles Williams on thu 27 mar 97
Nancy,
In my experience, the most important factor in achieving lusters is the time
taken to transfer the piece to the reducing container. The longer the time,
the less reduction and thus the less lusters. I have observed the technique
of dousing pieces in water within a few minutes of removing from the kiln (a
few minutes in the reduction container). In my opinion, this technique serves
only to increase the rate of loss due to cracking in an already high risk
technique. This is also VERY DANGEROUS to the douser! I have also used water
spray on the pieces after they remained in the reducing container for 20-30
minutes, or longer, in order to quinch the qxidation and preserve the
colors/lusters. I rarely crack a piece by this technique. Robert Piepenburg
uses clay with Kyanite as the filler and says he has not had a problem with
cracking, at all !!
Hope this helps.
Charles
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