Karin Givon on mon 4 aug 08
I'm making up some glazes and testing some others, and ran into a
problem that has beleagured me for many years--my zinc! It is nice
and soft and (almost) fluffy when I buy it--at least not in those
little ( and some big) lumps that it forms within a couple of months
of living in my studio. When I lived in Mendorific I thought it was
the damp. Now I live in dry, dry (O SO DRY!) Nevada City and it once
again lumped. Hard to dissolve. Hard to strain. What am I doing
wrong, and what can I do about it? Any wisdom out there? (I live too
far from a ceramic supply place to drop in and buy a half pound
whenever I need it.)
Thanks,
Karin
William & Susan Schran User on tue 5 aug 08
On 8/4/08 11:37 PM, "Karin Givon" wrote:
> I'm making up some glazes and testing some others, and ran into a
> problem that has beleagured me for many years--my zinc! It is nice
> and soft and (almost) fluffy when I buy it--at least not in those
> little ( and some big) lumps that it forms within a couple of months
> of living in my studio. When I lived in Mendorific I thought it was
> the damp. Now I live in dry, dry (O SO DRY!) Nevada City and it once
> again lumped. Hard to dissolve. Hard to strain. What am I doing
> wrong, and what can I do about it? Any wisdom out there? (I live too
> far from a ceramic supply place to drop in and buy a half pound
> whenever I need it.)
Zinc will absorb moisture from the air - any moisture, so you have to store
it in tight sealing containers.
I have 50lb bag in plastic tub, that has a plastic trash bag between lid an=
d
container.
You can calcine the zinc to undo the lumps.
Put in bisque bowl and fire up to red heat - 1200=B0F, or there abouts.
Don't fire in regular bisque firing - that's too hot for the zinc - that
will make harder lumps you'll have to grind.
Bill
--=20
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
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