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spraying wax???

updated wed 30 apr 97

 

The Shelfords on wed 23 apr 97

Hi everyone -

I was just re-reading Richard Zakin's "Electric Kiln Ceramics" and on page
191 there are photos of a couple of pieces by Wayne Bates, with the caption
(in part):
"Bates is a production potter who has worked out an elegant technique for
oxidation work. Colored slips are applied to the piece. It is then sprayed
with wax and allowed to dry for two days. A design is then carved into the
slip to the white fineclay body."
Does anyone know how to do this? Is it hot wax or wax resist? and what
kind of sprayer would not gag immediately trying to spray wax? The only
sprayers mentioned in the book are the atomizer sprayer (presumably too
fine) and the Paasche Model L sprayer, which Zakin refers to as able to "be
fitted with a wide nozzle at the top of the feed tube to accomodate rough,
unscreened mixtures." This sounds like the more possible of the two, but
surely wax is not so much rough, as thick, lumpy and STICKY.
I would LOVE to know how this is done. Is Wayne Bates on this list, by any
heavenly chance? or has anyone else done this?

Veronica - only 6 weeks away from having a studio again and maybe I can try
all this stuff first, in which case I'd be asking how to clean clogged
sprayer nozzles....
____________________________________________________________________________
Veronica Shelford
e-mail: shelford@island.net
s-mail: P.O. Box 6-15
Thetis Island, BC V0R 2Y0
Tel: (250) 246-1509
____________________________________________________________________________