Andie on wed 18 aug 99
Hi! Sorry to be filling your boxes with questions today, but I just fired my
first glaze in my VERY OWN KILN and am bubbling over with ideas & questions.
I'd like to try firing food (bananas, rice, grapefruit, etc), shells, and
leaves to leave impressions in the clay & also for coloration. Is this done
during bisque or glaze firings or both? Will it damage my electric kiln? Any
hints from those of you who have tried this? Anything I should not fire
(certain foods, etc)? And if I fire food during a glaze firing, is there any
chance that the piece is still food safe?
Thanks for all who have answered my novice questions - I really appreciate
it! BTW, I used the RR's Floating Blue in this firing & it came out
wonderful! Thanks for the recipe!
: ) Andie in Maryland
Mike Bailey on fri 20 aug 99
In message , Andie writes
Dear Andie,
ref your thoughts about firing food. I tried this once with a class of
school children - demonstrating something about ash glazes. We had quite
a lot of organic matter in the kiln (electric) and the smell and smoke
that came off was appalling. Fortunately we had another room that we
could retreat too but I didn't repeat the experiment again in that
situation!
If the kiln is fired with the bungs out while the carbonates comes off
and it's well ventilated, I don't think much harm will come to the kiln
or the elements - you're in more danger from passive smoking!
On a more positive I've seen some exciting, although perhaps rather
esoteric, glazes come from organic sources. Eddie Daughton, who
demonstrated at the Aberystwyth Potters Festival this year, is
particularly keen on bananas.
Cheers,
Mike Bailey.
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi! Sorry to be filling your boxes with questions today, but I just fired my
>first glaze in my VERY OWN KILN and am bubbling over with ideas & questions.
>
>I'd like to try firing food (bananas, rice, grapefruit, etc), shells, and
>leaves to leave impressions in the clay & also for coloration. Is this done
>during bisque or glaze firings or both? Will it damage my electric kiln? Any
>hints from those of you who have tried this? Anything I should not fire
>(certain foods, etc)? And if I fire food during a glaze firing, is there any
>chance that the piece is still food safe?
>
>Thanks for all who have answered my novice questions - I really appreciate
>it! BTW, I used the RR's Floating Blue in this firing & it came out
>wonderful! Thanks for the recipe!
>
>: ) Andie in Maryland
>
--
Mike Bailey. Bath. U.k.
| |
|
