Allison Stelter on wed 7 oct 98
I'm interested suggestions for wax resisting the bottoms of pots. I have
150 kids throughout the day & it's tough to keep the wax resist thin, not
to mention the brushes that quickly get stiff. I'm concerned about
heating wax & the fumes involved, however it's possible that I could set a
station up near a door. It would be so nice to get crisp clean lines
quickly & not have to deal with painting on the wax resist.
____________________________________________________
Allison J. Stelter Sammamish High School
Ceramics Dept 100 - 140th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98005
voice 425.456.7626
fax 425.456.7722
steltera@belnet.bellevue.k12.wa.us
http://oasis.bellevue.k12.wa.us/sammamish
Kelley Webb Randel on wed 7 oct 98
I don't know how old your kids are and if they could handle an electric
skillet, but that seems to keep the wax at a constant temp and dipping the
bottoms would be fairly easy. If you kept the wax at half an inch, the skillet
wouldn't need to be very hot. I've also melted wax in a crock pot, which
might be safer, but deeper. I can see some one dipping a whole pot in wax!
Kelley Webb Randel
art teacher wannabe
Raku gddss@aol.com
Jude Prashaw on thu 8 oct 98
Allison Stelter wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I'm interested suggestions for wax resisting the bottoms of pots. I have
> 150 kids
Hi Allison,
I second the response about using an electric skillet. Teach the kids to
GENTLY place the pot into the wax then GENTLY remove to newspaper to harden.
If the kids PLUNK the pots into the wax they may end up with splattered wax on
the pots that will resist glaze.
Jude
Donn Buchfinck on thu 8 oct 98
This si the recipie that I used in school, it works great and flows smooth
1 lb of parifin
1/4 cup motor oil
1/4 cup lamp oil or kerosene
I like the scented lamp oil myself
melt the way in your wax pan and then add the oil and kerosene
DO NOT
I REPEATE
DO NOT get this to the point where it smokes
people have lost thier studios with hot wax pans
ventelation is a must
I would prefer a good cold wax
AFTOSA makes a great wax resist
it's green and it works great
Thanks
Donn Buchfinck
Eileen Streeter on fri 9 oct 98
allison...
why are you resisting the bottom of the pots?
is the resist also used in the design process?
i've used an acrylic medium as a resist... non-toxic... but i don't know
about the fumes in firing... goes on easily... and doesn't clump like
the wax...
eileens
Richard Ramirez on fri 9 oct 98
Allison,
It would be very simple to get your self a flat (2-3 inch) Tupperware
container with a lid, put some water soluble wax (they sell it at your ceramic
store) dilute with some water. When the students need to wax their bottoms,
open the container let them set their pots for only a second and a half, set
some where to dry, maybe even upside down if there's not to much wax on it.
put lid back on so wax doesn't dry out. That should take care of it. If you
try it, write and tell me how it works.
Sincerely yours, Richard Ramirez "The Clay Stalker" R12396@aol.com
Andrew Buck on fri 9 oct 98
Allison,
Why do you not use the ready mixed, water soluble, wax resist? No
heating, no fumes, and the brushes rinse out with hot water from the tap.
Seems like a much safer situation for a classroom. Seattle Pottery Supply
and almost every other pottery supply sells the stuff in gallon jugs at a
reasonable price.
Andy Buck
Raincreek Pottery
Port Orchard, Washington
On Wed, 7 Oct 1998, Allison Stelter wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I'm interested suggestions for wax resisting the bottoms of pots. I have
> 150 kids throughout the day & it's tough to keep the wax resist thin, not
> to mention the brushes that quickly get stiff. I'm concerned about
> heating wax & the fumes involved, however it's possible that I could set a
> station up near a door. It would be so nice to get crisp clean lines
> quickly & not have to deal with painting on the wax resist.
>
> ____________________________________________________
>
> Allison J. Stelter Sammamish High School
> Ceramics Dept 100 - 140th Avenue SE
> Bellevue, WA 98005
> voice 425.456.7626
> fax 425.456.7722
> steltera@belnet.bellevue.k12.wa.us
> http://oasis.bellevue.k12.wa.us/sammamish
>
Shaun A. Mullin on fri 9 oct 98
------------------
Hi
Wish I could claim the subject title for myself, but alas, it ain't
never happening. We use an electric skillet for heating the wax. Just
200=BA will keep it liquid and you control the level by melting just
what you need, piece by piece, of canning wax. A quick dip and resist
the temptation to look at the bottom. If you do, usually the drip is
running the opposite way creating a non-glazable area. Happy Bottoms to
you=21
Shaun
Patsy Catsos on fri 9 oct 98
The quickest, easiest, neatest way I've found to apply wax resist to bottoms
of pots is to use a commercial liquid wax resist, thinned as needed, and
applied with one of those ubiquitous little round pottery sponges. I dampen
the sponge first, dip it into the wax resist and just run the sponge around
the bottom of the pot. If rinsed out immediately after using with a few
squeezes in a water bucket, the sponge will be just like new.
Your subject line reminds me of the time I wanted to read up on how other
potters sand the bottoms of their pots to get them smooth. I used yahoo to
search for "pots, bottom, sand, smooth" or the like and got some VERY
unexpected results! :)
Patsy Catsos
Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA
Hankins, Kenneth on fri 9 oct 98
A friend showed me this method . I glaze pots by dipping with tongs
first then after the glaze has dried I rub the pots on a piece of rug
foam [ It is 1/2 inch padding that is put down under a rug] that is
sitting in a cafeteria tray of water. Just enough water to make the
foam wet not floating. The glaze comes off evenly around the pot. This
is very safe of course . Spin the pots as you rub. Don't turn over
the pot right away or the water on the bottom will run up the glaze .
the water will quickly drop off. Try it ,you will never use hot wax or
resist with kids again. KEN
> ----------
> From: Allison Stelter
> Reply To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 1998 8:49 AM
> To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Subject: the best bottoms
>
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> I'm interested suggestions for wax resisting the bottoms of pots. I
> have
> 150 kids throughout the day & it's tough to keep the wax resist thin,
> not
> to mention the brushes that quickly get stiff. I'm concerned about
> heating wax & the fumes involved, however it's possible that I could
> set a
> station up near a door. It would be so nice to get crisp clean lines
> quickly & not have to deal with painting on the wax resist.
>
> ____________________________________________________
>
> Allison J. Stelter Sammamish High School
> Ceramics Dept 100 - 140th Avenue SE
> Bellevue, WA 98005
> voice 425.456.7626
> fax 425.456.7722
> steltera@belnet.bellevue.k12.wa.us
> http://oasis.bellevue.k12.wa.us/sammamish
>
Vince Pitelka on fri 9 oct 98
>I second the response about using an electric skillet. Teach the kids to
>GENTLY place the pot into the wax then GENTLY remove to newspaper to harden.
>If the kids PLUNK the pots into the wax they may end up with splattered wax on
>the pots that will resist glaze.
I am a little disturbed by the whole idea of using hot wax with kids. In my
former life as a production potter in Northern California I used hot wax
resist, and found that it had to be pretty hot to do a good job. When it
was cooler, it did not seem to coat satisfactorily, even when the wax was
"thinned" with kerosene or mineral oil.
Why not do exactly the same thing, but with a shallow pan of regular wax
resist? The kids will still need to be very careful to avoid splashing the
wax, but if they set the bottom of the pot in the wax very carefully, they
will get a good coat. Better yet, why not avoid the chance of splashing the
wax. Place a wide flat sponge in a wide flat pan, and saturate it with wax
resist, and allow the kids to each press-and-rotate their pieces on the
sponge. This works great.
Please do not use hot wax with kids. Don't even use lukewarm wax with kids.
Regular emulsion wax resist should work fine.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
Home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Don Jones on sun 11 oct 98
Just a note from a former lab tech at two universities. I really hated the
waxed bottoms. Invariably, students would place their ware on glaze dust
or something and the pot will stick to the shelf. Finally, the instructor
would teach the students to wet a large sponge and run the bottom of the
pot around on it till it was clean. Problems vanished and the bottoms were
sometimes stained but did not stick.
Don Jones
claysky@highfiber.com
:-) implied in all messages and replies
http://highfiber.com/~claysky
Dannon Rhudy on sun 11 oct 98
This works also with a piece of scrap
carpeting; the deeper the pile, the higher
the glaze line. We use about three
different ones for various glazes or pot
configurations. Gives a perfect glaze
line.
Still use wax for gallery, though, and
for resist decoration.
Dannon Rhudy
potter@koyote.com
----------
> From: Hankins, Kenneth
> To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Subject: Re: the best bottoms
> Date: Friday, October 09, 1998 12:52 PM
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> A friend showed me this method . I glaze pots by dipping with tongs
> first then after the glaze has dried I rub the pots on a piece of rug
> foam [ It is 1/2 inch padding that is put down under a rug] that is
> sitting in a cafeteria tray of water. Just enough water to make the
> foam wet not floating. The glaze comes off evenly around the pot. This
> is very safe of course . Spin the pots as you rub. Don't turn over
> the pot right away or the water on the bottom will run up the glaze .
> the water will quickly drop off. Try it ,you will never use hot wax or
> resist with kids again. KEN
> > ----------
> > From: Allison Stelter
> > Reply To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 1998 8:49 AM
> > To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> > Subject: the best bottoms
> >
> > ----------------------------Original
> > message----------------------------
> > I'm interested suggestions for wax resisting the bottoms of pots. I
> > have
> > 150 kids throughout the day & it's tough to keep the wax resist thin,
> > not
> > to mention the brushes that quickly get stiff. I'm concerned about
> > heating wax & the fumes involved, however it's possible that I could
> > set a
> > station up near a door. It would be so nice to get crisp clean lines
> > quickly & not have to deal with painting on the wax resist.
> >
> > ____________________________________________________
> >
> > Allison J. Stelter Sammamish High School
> > Ceramics Dept 100 - 140th Avenue SE
> > Bellevue, WA 98005
> > voice 425.456.7626
> > fax 425.456.7722
> > steltera@belnet.bellevue.k12.wa.us
> > http://oasis.bellevue.k12.wa.us/sammamish
> >
Kathy E. McDonald on sun 11 oct 98
Hi,,,,
I want to thank Vince P for the statement about NOT using hot wax with kids
or even in school settings. It can be dangerous no matter what precautions
are
taken. Using a commercial liquid wax resist is much safer, and the results
are just as good.
Just wanted to second the motion..
Kathy McDonald
http://members.tripod.com/~kmcd3
June Perry on sun 11 oct 98
Another trick is to dip your pot base in water to the level that you want your
foot unglazed and then glaze. Less glaze will stick to the water dipped area
and you'll have less glaze to remove and less waste of glaze material.
I do this with glazes that run a lot. Just dip the lower section just a little
bit above the foot as well and it prevents a very runny glaze from getting on
too thick. Then when the pot is fired, the thicker glaze above that area is
going to move down a bit anyway and I find it can prevent an overunning,
thick roll at the bottom. Some of the chun base glazes look best when they're
running off the pot and this little trick can help. It may take a few tries to
find what works with your body,glaze and firing.
Regards,
June
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