Lesley Alexander on sat 24 sep 11
Working on a project using about 300 tiles, some textured some smooth, with
a solid glaze. I'm trying to get a uniform result (^5-6) but ending up with
drips and runs! Don't have access to a spray booth. I'm experimenting, usin=
g
Darvan, dipping and shaking on both sides, making very thin layers so the
drips even out, etc. Not sure what results I'll get, and if things are too
spotty I don't know what the solution would be. Anybody with any
suggestions?
Stephani Stephenson on sun 25 sep 11
Lesley,
the first thing that comes to mind is the definition of 'uniform' .How
precise is your definition of 'uniform' or how narrow is the range of=3D20=
=3D
allowable variation in this case. The aesthetic of commercial glazes lea=
=3D
ds
us into a very narrow channel without much room for navigation. I don't
mean to imply you are basing your needs on this, rather than your own
aesthetic goals. often, for a customer's project , I find I need to redef=
=3D
ine
the aesthetic a bit for them and educate them about the beauty of handmad=
=3D
e
tile. :)
If the range is so tight as to be nigh well impossible to meet with your=
=3D
materials, can you widen the definition to actually incorporate what your=
=3D
clay and glazes naturally do, given your glazing methods?
One thing to consider is that variation within a field of 300 tiles is qu=
=3D
ite
lovely. the effect is that of dappled light , and y ou do mention that yo=
=3D
u
are also using texture tiles, which may break up the field and lend nice
variety as well.
=3D20
Only you know exactly what you need and what your materials are giving y=
=3D
ou,
but my first suggestion is to glaze a number of them , then step back and=
=3D
assess the overall effect.
I read your post to mean that the runs and drips are formed application
process, and then show up in firing? not just from firing alone? is that
correct?
I usually dip. the technique: airplane coming in for a landing, touching
down, then taking off: one smooth move, low angles of descent and ascent.=
=3D
then usually there is a 'shake', to shake off the excess glaze. the 'sh=
=3D
ake
' determines a lot. you can tilt the tile before you shake if you want =
=3D
to
highlight variation. you can shake the tile without tilting, holding it=
=3D
=3D20
horizontally, then flip it, (though sometimes this creates an X pattern
)..or you can leave it suspended til dry.
it all depends on your glaze and how thick or thin it is. once you do fin=
=3D
d a
'dip and flick' or 'dip , no flick' technique, just repeat it as best yo=
=3D
u can.
if a glaze is viscous, only one dip is needed.
i wonder too, if your glaze is too thin and runny.? Perhaps experiment wi=
=3D
th
the water content or even addition of a gum. there is no set rule. You c=
=3D
an
use a bit thinner application and do two dips , or thicken up the glaze =
=3D
and
try one dip.you can experiment with additives such as cmc, gum arabic ,
brushing medium, etc to keep the liquid glaze more viscous and less runny=
=3D
.
you could experiment with rollers or sponges as well, though this may giv=
=3D
e
you yet another kind of variation.
spraying does give a precise effect, if you repeat the passes the same
way, but i would suggest experimenting at the very least with your dipp=
=3D
ing
technique and possibly with glaze viscosity .
Snail Scott on sun 25 sep 11
On Sep 24, 2011, at 9:00 PM, Lesley Alexander wrote:
> Working on a project using about 300 tiles, some textured some smooth, wi=
th
> a solid glaze. I'm trying to get a uniform result (^5-6) but ending up wi=
th
> drips and runs!
A lower temp bisque will result in a more absorbent body, which may help.
-Snail
KATHI LESUEUR on sun 25 sep 11
On Sep 25, 2011, at 11:33 AM, Stephani Stephenson wrote:
> Lesley,
> the first thing that comes to mind is the definition of 'uniform' .How
> precise is your definition of 'uniform' or how narrow is the range of=3D=
20=3D
> allowable variation in this case. The aesthetic of commercial glazes =3D
leads
> us into a very narrow channel without much room for navigation. I =3D
don't
> mean to imply you are basing your needs on this, rather than your own
> aesthetic goals. often, for a customer's project , I find I need to =3D
redefine
> the aesthetic a bit for them and educate them about the beauty of =3D
handmade
> tile. :)
>=3D20
> If the range is so tight as to be nigh well impossible to meet with =3D
your
> materials, can you widen the definition to actually incorporate what =3D
your
> clay and glazes naturally do, given your glazing methods?>>
Stephanie's comments are interesting. Here in Ann Arbor we have Motowi =3D
Tileworks, makers of probably the most expensive handmade tile. When =3D
someone contracts with them for a tile job the contract includes the =3D
acceptable variation in the glaze. They do not guarantee that all tiles =3D
will look exactly alike. This is a handmade product, afterall. Their =3D
work is beautiful and I can't imagine how dull and unalive it would look =
=3D
if every tile were identical.
KATHI LESUEUR
http://www.lesueurclaywork.com
>=3D20
>=3D20
Bonnie Hellman on sun 25 sep 11
Lesley,
I can't add much to Stephani's excellent reply, except to say that some ^5-=
6
glazes are VERY sensitive to glaze thickness, and others tend to smooth out
in the firing. For those that fire with visible differences you don't like,
after applying the glaze, when it is dry, you can take something like a
fettling knife and slice off the raised bumps of glaze. This often helps.
Best,
Bonnie
Bonnie Hellman
Ouray, CO. USA
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Lesley
Alexander
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2011 8:01 PM
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Getting a uniform glaze on tiles...
Working on a project using about 300 tiles, some textured some smooth, with
a solid glaze. I'm trying to get a uniform result (^5-6) but ending up with
drips and runs! Don't have access to a spray booth. I'm experimenting, usin=
g
Darvan, dipping and shaking on both sides, making very thin layers so the
drips even out, etc. Not sure what results I'll get, and if things are too
spotty I don't know what the solution would be. Anybody with any
suggestions?
Stephani Stephenson on mon 26 sep 11
I think Snail's idea about lowering the temp of your bisque fire, for mor=
=3D
e=3D20
absorbant clay body (which would slow down the glaze running on
application) was fantastic. if there is no other problem with bisquing
lower, I'd give it a try before messing with my glazes. (unless of course=
=3D
you already ARE bisquing quite low) :)
it helps to have a small test kiln to run these kinds of bisque tests
though, for sure.
good luck !
Stephani Stephenson on mon 26 sep 11
one other thought comes to mind.
A couple of you mentioned Motawi tile. Motawi has a very high degree of
consistency and quality in their glazes.=3D20
I think there are three ways you get this. one is more about lab, the
other is more about production.
One is to research and test your glaze and body . get it as close to idea=
=3D
l
as you can.=3D20
How we test and refine as individuals and as small shops of course vari=
=3D
es.=3D20
Two is to get your mixing, application and firing as consistent as possib=
=3D
le.
Three, though, has to do with how many tiles you produce and select. Man=
=3D
y
studios like Motawi actually have a high rate of seconds. in other words,=
=3D
for a run of 300, they may make 500-600. they are very selective. Even
their 'seconds' are very high quality...many of us would easily consider
them 'firsts'. Every tile does not come out perfect, but they select for
perfect.it isn't because they haven't addressed the lab , materials and
process issue. They have and they are first rate in all of those categori=
=3D
es.
Motawi certainly build this into their pricing structure and it has boost=
=3D
ed
their reputation over the years.
In researching older tile companies I have found similar things with reg=
=3D
ard
to size. Tile companies had small 4X4s , medium 4X4s and large 4X4s. They=
=3D
were all made the same size with wet clay. they sorted them thusly afte=
=3D
r
the firing, and all came in quite handy, due to variations in onsite proj=
=3D
ect
measurements.
i am really stingy with how many tiles i want to make. For a custom run=
=3D
of
300, to use 300 as an example, i really just want to make 300, not 500-6=
=3D
00
tiles! After all, i am only selling 300! yet i have also had the experien=
=3D
ce
where , for example, I made 320 for a run of 300. 250 of them turn ou=
=3D
t
fine, but then i spend almost the same amount of time as i did on that 2=
=3D
50,
trying to fire and refire and tweak the remaining tiles, trying to get =
=3D
to
300. It is really frustrating, having an order rest on whether that last
tweak will work for the remaining few tiles!.
In retrospect I should have just made 500-600 to begin with, (or whatever=
=3D
the best number is) . if the glaze is extremely sensitive to showing
variation, and it is a variation outside the project parameters, then i c=
=3D
an
include that in my bid..knowing that for this particular glaze I will ne=
=3D
ed
to make more to get this degree of consistency, if I make 500-600, I can=
=3D
pick the cream of the crop for my 300, and I still have 200 -300 that m=
=3D
ay
or may not have met the stringent requirements for the project at hand,=3D=
20=3D
would be lovely just lovely for another project, 150 of those might be
just fine and another 50 might be sorta seconds, still useful though for
other projects, just not the exact color or surface match i need for the=
=3D
original project.
it was a good question Leslie, I ,too, really like hearing how others
approach this issue.
Stephani
Stephani
That is not a failing, it actually is part of the process.
May Luk on tue 27 sep 11
Dear Lesley;
Without visuals, it is hard to figure out how your drips and runs are
formed. Is it possible that you are thinning the glaze too much? Some
glaze just look different, or even blotchy when thin. Do you have a
big enough tub for the tiles? Is your drip like a delta or it's a line
with a rounded end like the side of a pancake mixing bowl while making
breakfast?
With practice, dipping can yield "uniform" results providing that you
have the right glaze slope density and an appropriate firing ramp.
I only have one tile project in my ceramic "career", though I dipped
plenty of flatwares. I use a rectangular tub (kitty litter box) with
plenty of room to move the bisque tile from one end to the other. It
is not a dip like straight up and down dunking, but a swim / slide
across the tub. I wet my fingers tips with glaze first to before
holding the bisque corners. I hold my tile by the opposite corner
edges with both hands. I also do a little shake with a slight twist of
the wrist after the tiles come up for air. (could be just a slight
rotate of the tile, I do one or the other depends on how the glaze
flows down)
To make life easier, I wax the bottoms of the tiles, and try to go
over the edge a little bit. I also fettle the edge to make sure that
no glaze is on the edges. Because I don't have too much clean up on
the bottoms, I can pay more attention to the edges while fettling. I
also have plenty of glaze slope for the whole project so that I don't
have to re-mix the glaze. I am sure you know about these common studio
practices already, I hope I am not stating the obvious.
@Stephani;
A friend enquired about crackled tiles. She said the crackle tiles are
so much more expensive than the non-crackled one (in same color) and
wonder if I can crackle perfect tiles up for her in the kiln. After
saying no, I told her, to my knowledge, the fancy artistic / rustic
tiles are more expensive because it is hard to make them look
handmade-like and still durable and pass the industrial tile tests.
According to your research, it has to do with fail rate being factored
into the cost too, it seems.
Best Regards
May
Brooklyn NY
On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 10:00 PM, Lesley Alexander wrot=
e:
> Working on a project using about 300 tiles, some textured some smooth, wi=
th
> a solid glaze. I'm trying to get a uniform result (^5-6) but ending up wi=
th
> drips and runs! Don't have access to a spray booth. I'm experimenting, us=
ing
> Darvan, dipping and shaking on both sides, making very thin layers so the
> drips even out, etc. Not sure what results I'll get, and if things are to=
o
> spotty I don't know what the solution would be. Anybody with any
> suggestions?
>
--
http://twitter.com/MayLuk
http://www.ceramicsbrooklyn.com/
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