Deborah Thuman on mon 23 jul 07
I've gotten off list responses to my advantages and disadvantages of ^6
(I'm currently playing with ^04 - oxidation and ^10 - reduction) and I
appreciate every response. Youse guys are great. It seems I've left
out needed information.
If I do work with ^6, it will be fired in the computer controlled gas
kiln. The name of it sounds like Blau, but that's not how it's spelled.
Students aren't allowed to experiment with this kiln (and every
semester, someone dunks ^04 into ^10 glaze and puts it on the ^10
firing cart only to make a mess in the kiln and wreck other students'
work). I'm told that the computer can be programmed to do darned near
anything. However, my teacher doesn't know how to program it for
reduction firing at ^6 - only oxidation firing. (I know - but right now
I'm just not ready for my own kiln.)
With the above in mind, what do I gain and what do I give up by working
with ^6.
Jim and I spent some time in an antique store today and I picked out a
couple great pottery books. Or rather they are good books for me and I
should be able to learn tons from them. I'll have to wait - Jim is
reading them right now. Anyway, I did look at some glaze books. The
couple I saw (don't remember the names) were akin to trying to read
Sanskrit. I suffered through two semesters of chemistry in college only
because they wouldn't give me a degree in biology unless I did. I'd put
the tinker toys together to make the molecules - and I'd draw the
suckers backwards every time. I'd be fascinated in class, and couldn't
spit back the information on a test to save my life. I know there's
chemistry involved in glazes - I just don't want to learn the
chemistry. At this point, I have no desire to do the wild scientist
thing and invent my own glazes. What I'd like is a kind of cook book
separated into temperatures and colors. You want purple for ^10, mix up
this stuff. You want yellow for ^6, mix up this stuff. You want a blue
that pukes all over the kiln for ^10, mix up this stuff. You want a
blue that won't run for ^10, mix up this stuff. And tell me what the
chemicals are called! I never memorized those chemical formulas and I'm
not about to do that now. Besides, I blew out my short term memory
studying for two bar exams.
Does such a book exist?
Many thanks.
Deb
http://debthumansblog.blogspot.com/
John Post on thu 26 jul 07
Hi Deb,
The problem with working in a community studio is one of control. If
you leave the firing of your work up to others then the results will
always be inconsistent. The best thing you could do is to learn to fire
the kilns at your community studio. Ask the instructor for the
instruction manual. Xerox a copy for yourself and then go to the
controller and learn how to program it. You will then become one of the
more knowledgeable people in the studio and your learning curve will
dramatically shoot up. Volunteer to load the kilns. Then you can make
sure your work goes in a good spot and all the iffy student work goes in
a place where it will do less harm (like a garbage can).
John Britt has a good book on cone 10 reduction glazes.
John Hesselberth and Ron Roy have a good one on cone 6 oxidation glazes.
The Potter's Shop has them, Axner pottery does too.
They both have recipes that are pretty good but you need to pay
attention to how they are fired.
...but no glaze recipe is foolproof and works automatically. The clay
body they are fired on and the way that firing profiles are set up will
have much to do with the results you get.
As an art teacher I fire my students' work at cone 6 and cone 1 in
electric kilns.
I prefer glazes that have more than 10% clay in them. The slurry works
better when applying the glaze. I also try to stay away from glazes
that have more than 10% Gerstley borate in them. The less Gerstley
borate the better. Glazes high in Gerstley tend to gel in the bucket
and change over time making consistent results hard to achieve. So if
you are perusing the glaze books deciding on recipes, these tips may
come in handy.
And as far as deciding on what temperature to fire your work, you need
to figure out what kind of work you want to make. Students often times
think of glazes and temperature as the last step. Potters think of it
as the first step, as it often informs how you will make the work.
Firing is part of the process that students need to learn, just like any
of the other processes that are taught in ceramics. The more control
you have over that process, the better your work will become.
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
> What I'd like is a kind of cook book
> separated into temperatures and colors. You want purple for ^10, mix up
> this stuff. You want yellow for ^6, mix up this stuff. You want a blue
> that pukes all over the kiln for ^10, mix up this stuff. You want a
> blue that won't run for ^10, mix up this stuff. And tell me what the
> chemicals are called! I never memorized those chemical formulas and I'm
> not about to do that now. Besides, I blew out my short term memory
> studying for two bar exams.
>
> Does such a book exist?
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Deb
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
>
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
James and Sherron Bowen on thu 26 jul 07
This may be what you are after. Most libraries have or can get this book for
you thus saving you money. In fact check libraries for all pottery books .
some have an astounding collection.
JB
http://www.amazon.com/Potters-Complete-Book-Clay-Glazes/dp/0823042030
The Potter's Complete Book of Clay and Glazes: A Comprehensive Guide to
Formulating, Mixing, Applying and Firing Clay Bodies and Glazes (Hardcover)
by James Chappell
----- Original Message -----
From: "Deborah Thuman"
To:
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 6:37 PM
Subject: ^6 further information and some glaze questions
> I've gotten off list responses to my advantages and disadvantages of ^6
> (I'm currently playing with ^04 - oxidation and ^10 - reduction) and I
> appreciate every response. Youse guys are great. It seems I've left
> out needed information.
>
> If I do work with ^6, it will be fired in the computer controlled gas
> kiln. The name of it sounds like Blau, but that's not how it's spelled.
> Students aren't allowed to experiment with this kiln (and every
> semester, someone dunks ^04 into ^10 glaze and puts it on the ^10
> firing cart only to make a mess in the kiln and wreck other students'
> work). I'm told that the computer can be programmed to do darned near
> anything. However, my teacher doesn't know how to program it for
> reduction firing at ^6 - only oxidation firing. (I know - but right now
> I'm just not ready for my own kiln.)
>
> With the above in mind, what do I gain and what do I give up by working
> with ^6.
>
> Jim and I spent some time in an antique store today and I picked out a
> couple great pottery books. Or rather they are good books for me and I
> should be able to learn tons from them. I'll have to wait - Jim is
> reading them right now. Anyway, I did look at some glaze books. The
> couple I saw (don't remember the names) were akin to trying to read
> Sanskrit. I suffered through two semesters of chemistry in college only
> because they wouldn't give me a degree in biology unless I did. I'd put
> the tinker toys together to make the molecules - and I'd draw the
> suckers backwards every time. I'd be fascinated in class, and couldn't
> spit back the information on a test to save my life. I know there's
> chemistry involved in glazes - I just don't want to learn the
> chemistry. At this point, I have no desire to do the wild scientist
> thing and invent my own glazes. What I'd like is a kind of cook book
> separated into temperatures and colors. You want purple for ^10, mix up
> this stuff. You want yellow for ^6, mix up this stuff. You want a blue
> that pukes all over the kiln for ^10, mix up this stuff. You want a
> blue that won't run for ^10, mix up this stuff. And tell me what the
> chemicals are called! I never memorized those chemical formulas and I'm
> not about to do that now. Besides, I blew out my short term memory
> studying for two bar exams.
>
> Does such a book exist?
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Deb
> http://debthumansblog.blogspot.com/
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
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