Wilkinson on wed 11 nov 98
This morning while cleaning up our studio after getting ready for a show
this weekend and thinking about ordering some Mason Stains for a project we
were thinking of doing after Christmas, I was looking over the Mason Stains
we had and noticed on several of the packages we had here from the past that
there was a "contains lead" warning on them. Don't know why I hadn't seen
it before but am glad I haven't used them. My question is, do all stains or
Mason Stains contain lead?
The supplier I purchased them from is no longer in business - it has been
about 5 years. If they do contain lead and the other 8 or 10 packages that
were packaged differently from another supplier didn't come with any thing
but the color number and definitely without any warning labels of any kind,
I wonder how many potters unknowingly use Mason Stains to color base glazes.
What about our lead concerns and responsibilities when selling items made
with Mason Stains or lead contamination to kilns or especially young people
working with glazes or under glazes colored with Mason Stains?
Not having a telephone number for Mason we are left with a few questions.
Any thoughts or ideas?
Tim and Lori Wilkinson
LorWilk@dfn.com
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/1165
Bob Wicks on thu 12 nov 98
Hi Lori:
We have really got to meet some time as I share your concern about toxic
chemicals in our glazes. I have been in regular correspondence with Monona
Rossol and have even addressed our Board of Directors this last month on
Ceramic Toxicology. I teach part time at the Art Center: School and Galleries
in Mechanicsburg, PA. If I remember correctly you are located in Ithaca, NY I
used to teach in Interlaken, went to Cornell University and most of my
ancestors came from Ithaca and the surrounding area. My home town was Elmira
Heights, NY.
Now this is what I would recommend for you to consider. Ask your suppler to
furnish you with the MSDS sheets (Materials Supply Data Sheet) for each of the
Mason stains that you use. According to law they must honor this request. On
this sheet they must describe in detail the contents and percentage of the
material in question. At this point you will have the most accurate
information available. Your next decision will be the course of action you
will take. In the 1970s the accepted amount of lead release was 7 PPM and
shortly after that research revealed that any release is not to be tolerated.
California is one state that will not allow any lead release and there are
several other states that are following suit. If you are aware of the
consequences of lead release you will immediately see that any lead release
cannot be tolerated. I used to tell my graduate students that lead kills
brain cells and none of us can afford that. Although I said this with humor,
for the most part it is true. There are other fluxes that are close on the
periodic table and are nearly as effective as lead, so if you formulate your
own glazes this is a route that you might consider.
If I can be of any further assistance feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Bobwicks@aol.com
Chris Schafale on fri 13 nov 98
Tim and Lori--
Mason Color Works phone # is (330) 385-4400
As for "contains lead",the "color chart and reference guide" printed
by Mason, which I got from my ceramic supplier, Highwater, says "LEAD
IS NOT USED IN THE MANUFACTURING OF OUR PRODUCTS".
(caps as they appear in the brochure). This publication has a very
nice chart showing just what is in each of Mason's colors, as well as
nice pictures of the colors.
Presumably the stains you have are from an earlier time when lead
was used. Hope this helps.
Chris Schafale
Light One Candle Pottery
Fuquay-Varina, NC
candle@nuteknet.com
Jeff Ferguson on fri 13 nov 98
I use mason stains and would like to talk to other people that use them.
1. Do you apply the stains to greenware and fire only once?
2. Do you apply them dry or add them to a clear glaze?
3. What do you do if you apply them dry to keep them from rubbing off?
4. What is the difference between mason stains and oxides?
5. Is there an alternative to mason stains?
Paul Lewing on fri 13 nov 98
I've never seen a MSDS on any Mason stains, and the suggestion to get
them is a good one. But Mason puts out a sheet that details what's in
each of the stains, and I've never seen lead listed as one of the
components. Most of these stains are made to go to high temperatures,
so it makes sense that there wouldn't be any lead, as it volatilizes
around cone 5 or 6.
My first question would be, was the label a Mason label or a label
from the local supplier? If it's the latter, I'd bet they just stuck
that label on everything just to cover their asses. Thereby, of
course, just adding to the uninformed hysteria described by Karl
Platt.
Paul Lewing, Seattle
Lana Reeves on fri 13 nov 98
Bailey's catalog lists ingredients of all the mason stains they sell, which
I think is the full line. I can't find their 800 # this minute, but if you
call them, they'll send the catalog. Lana Reeves
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Lewing
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Friday, November 13, 1998 12:48 AM
Subject: Re: MASON STAINS CONTAIN LEAD??????
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I've never seen a MSDS on any Mason stains, and the suggestion to get
>them is a good one. But Mason puts out a sheet that details what's in
>each of the stains, and I've never seen lead listed as one of the
>components. Most of these stains are made to go to high temperatures,
>so it makes sense that there wouldn't be any lead, as it volatilizes
>around cone 5 or 6.
>My first question would be, was the label a Mason label or a label
>from the local supplier? If it's the latter, I'd bet they just stuck
>that label on everything just to cover their asses. Thereby, of
>course, just adding to the uninformed hysteria described by Karl
>Platt.
>Paul Lewing, Seattle
>
Chris Huske on sat 14 nov 98
1. Do you apply the stains to greenware and fire only once?
A: Yes, you can apply to greenware. You can fire once or as many times as =
you
want. You can also mix the mason stain into white clay for a marbled look. =
You
can also mis mason stains into white slips and paint designs onto your work.
2. Do you apply them dry or add them to a clear glaze?
A: You can add them to any glaze you might want to modify.
Add green mason to a blue glaze for a blue/green or
green/blue (depends on how much you use). There's no
limit to what you can do and/or the colors you get.
3. What do you do if you apply them dry to keep them from rubbing off?
A: Handle with care=21
4. What is the difference between mason stains and oxides?
A: Don't know=21
5. Is there an alternative to mason stains?
A: Depends on what you want to do=21 Have you tried underglaze?
Letty C. Huske
huske=40ottawa.edu
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