search  current discussion  categories  kilns & firing - misc 

nice colors from my recent test firing

updated thu 21 oct 10

 

DJ Brewer on fri 15 oct 10


Results of test colors from my small electric firing Oct 12. I got the
Perfect Purple -- quite by accident. Not a color that's often needed,
but, by God, if anyone needs a great grape, I got an even better hue
than last time! There's some other good colors emerging in these results.
much love
DJ

PS -- yes I know I'm supposed to test on tiles, but I did not have any
made and I wanted to test it on a larger surface than just a tile. I
learn a lot more seeing how the glaze works on an entire piece.

http://myclayjournal.blogspot.com/

Birgit Wright on fri 15 oct 10


Hi DJ=3D3B really liked your glaze results=3D2C I hope to try your purple =
soon=3D
=3D2C hopefully by then I'll have a blog going to post photo's as well. Ke=
ep=3D
posting=3D2C visuals help. Cheers=3D2C Birgit Wright
=3D20
> Date: Fri=3D2C 15 Oct 2010 00:20:38 -0500
> From: djbrewer88@COMCAST.NET
> Subject: Nice colors from my recent test firing
> To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>=3D20
>=3D20
> Results of test colors from my small electric firing Oct 12. I got the
> Perfect Purple -- quite by accident. Not a color that's often needed=3D2C
> but=3D2C by God=3D2C if anyone needs a great grape=3D2C I got an even bet=
ter hu=3D
e
> than last time! There's some other good colors emerging in these results.
> much love
> DJ
>=3D20
> PS -- yes I know I'm supposed to test on tiles=3D2C but I did not have an=
y
> made and I wanted to test it on a larger surface than just a tile. I
> learn a lot more seeing how the glaze works on an entire piece.
>=3D20
> http://myclayjournal.blogspot.com/
=3D

Eve Rose on fri 15 oct 10


DJ Brewer wrote:

> PS -- yes I know I'm supposed to test on tiles, but I did not have any
> made and I wanted to test it on a larger surface than just a tile. I
> learn a lot more seeing how the glaze works on an entire piece.
>
> http://myclayjournal.blogspot.com/

I prefer testing glazes on small patterned plates and bowls myself. It
gives me a more realistic idea of how it will work. All too often in
the past I had a glaze that looked awesome on a test tile, made up a
larger batch and found it didn't really work on anything but test
tiles. Even if the result isn't great, it gives items that I can price
at the low end at the Ceramic Club Sale we hold every semester.

>
>

Veena Raghavan on fri 15 oct 10


Hi DJ,

You did get some very nice colors. I brush on most of my glazes too, and
thinness can be a problem. Seems to depend on the glaze. I try to put the
second and third coats on when the previous coat is damp but not dry and th=
en
dab on more glaze where it looks thin.

Veena



In a message dated 10/15/2010 12:15:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
djbrewer88@COMCAST.NET writes:
> http://myclayjournal.blogspot.com/

VeenaRaghavan@cs.com

Larry Kruzan on sat 16 oct 10


Hi DJ

I really like your documenting your testing for us. Thanks.

One thing I do as a matter of practice is to add a half gallon of Waterfall
Brown to 4 gallons of Floating Blue. Doing this gives me the colors you are
getting by putting FB over Ohata. I only fire this to cone 5 with a 15 hold
- and a normal cooling cycle.
Larry Kruzan
Lost Creek Pottery
www.lostcreekpottery.com




<<<<<<<<<< SNIP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Results of test colors from my small electric firing Oct 12





=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found.
(Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.16090)
http://www.pctools.com/
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Snail Scott on sat 16 oct 10


On Oct 15, 2010, at 12:20 AM, DJ Brewer wrote:
> ...yes I know I'm supposed to test on tiles, but I did not have any
> made and I wanted to test it on a larger surface than just a tile. I
> learn a lot more seeing how the glaze works on an entire piece...


'Test tile' is just a term referring to a piece of
clay that is small and quickly made, so as to
serve to test glazes on without losing a lot of
labor on the ones that turn out badly. They
need not resemble any standard form of tile.
In fact, it's best if they have some resemblance
to the work you want to glaze, as a smooth
horizontal slab (for example) may not tell you
much about how the glaze will work on a vertical
convoluted form. And, although the injunction
against wasting labor (and materials and firing
space on too-involved tests is a good one, it is
(as you noted) more informational to do them
closer to 'actual size'.

It's up to you to decide how much time and
resources you want to commit to doing realistic
tests, but I prefer to do small generic tests when
trying completely new things, and larger, more
project-specific ones when refining the viable
results from the first round tests.

-Snail

DJ Brewer on sat 16 oct 10


Thanks for the tip. Since I'm not a production potter, I've got a
little more leeway how much time I spend on doing something. I have
over 100 tea bowls that I made a while back to learn how to throw
better, and I usually use these for initial test glazes, then work my
way up to larger pieces to see how they do, before I finally put the
glaze on the big piece that I want to do. I've had some pieces over two
years that I have not got around to glazing yet. My lizard brush holder
is one of those bisqued pieces that I did a long time ago but did not
glaze until I was ready to do it.

I appreciate the wisdom of your words. I'm lucky right now in that I'm
not under a lot of constraints of time and production -- I'm just
learning a craft that I want to excel at, and I've got a few orders to
fill for Christmas and still have time to work on their glazes a bit more.

I like the way you worded it:" I prefer to do small generic tests when
trying completely new things, and larger, more
project-specific ones when refining the viable
results from the first round tests. "

Sound advice. In a sense, I am doing that, with the small tea bowls as
initial test pieces, and a slow process of learning the glaze and its
coverage until I finally try it out on the real piece.


much thanks
DJ




On 10/16/2010 7:19 PM, Snail Scott wrote:
> On Oct 15, 2010, at 12:20 AM, DJ Brewer wrote:
>> ...yes I know I'm supposed to test on tiles, but I did not have any
>> made and I wanted to test it on a larger surface than just a tile. I
>> learn a lot more seeing how the glaze works on an entire piece...
>
>
> 'Test tile' is just a term referring to a piece of
> clay that is small and quickly made, so as to
> serve to test glazes on without losing a lot of
> labor on the ones that turn out badly. They
> need not resemble any standard form of tile.
> In fact, it's best if they have some resemblance
> to the work you want to glaze, as a smooth
> horizontal slab (for example) may not tell you
> much about how the glaze will work on a vertical
> convoluted form. And, although the injunction
> against wasting labor (and materials and firing
> space on too-involved tests is a good one, it is
> (as you noted) more informational to do them
> closer to 'actual size'.
>
> It's up to you to decide how much time and
> resources you want to commit to doing realistic
> tests, but I prefer to do small generic tests when
> trying completely new things, and larger, more
> project-specific ones when refining the viable
> results from the first round tests.
>
> -Snail
>

Ilene Mahler on wed 20 oct 10


what cone if 6 may I please get a copy...Ilene in conn -
From: "DJ Brewer"
To:
Sent: Friday, October 15, 2010 1:20 AM
Subject: Nice colors from my recent test firing


> Results of test colors from my small electric firing Oct 12. I got the
> Perfect Purple -- quite by accident. Not a color that's often needed,
> but, by God, if anyone needs a great grape, I got an even better hue
> than last time! There's some other good colors emerging in these results.
> much love
> DJ
>
> PS -- yes I know I'm supposed to test on tiles, but I did not have any
> made and I wanted to test it on a larger surface than just a tile. I
> learn a lot more seeing how the glaze works on an entire piece.
>
> http://myclayjournal.blogspot.com/
>