David W McDonald on mon 23 aug 99
8/22/99
Ron Roy & all Clayart Readers,
For the sake of having as informed a discussion as we possibly
can have on this situation, I am forwarding here to you the full
documented correspondence I have had with Jon Brooks, President and
owner(I believe), of Laguna Clay Company, and Jon Pachini, Clay Manager
at Laguna.
Please keep in mind a few things as you read their letters to me.
When Mr. Pachini stated in his letter that the only bloat he
could see on the bowl he made and fired was in the foot (from the sample
of clay I returned to him), I felt confused. I counted 8 bloats in the
walls and foot with my unaided eyes. Yes they were small but they were
there, and we all know that big bloats start off as little bloats.
Mr. Brooks said in his letter that "clay that bloated in your
kiln tested fine in ours - no bloating", and "our cone 10 lab tests
produce no bloating", and "I believe Jon Pachini mentioned to you that he
threw several pots with the clay you returned, and he fired those pots in
a heavy reduction, gas firing to Cone 10. The pots did not bloat", and "I
am not questioning your situation, but there is something about your
process that is different than any scenario we have been able to
duplicate". When I read these statements in his letter I felt confused,
and worried. I'd like to know that Laguna Clay Company values the
importance of clear communication between its people. Mr. Pachini's
letter clearly states that he DID produce bloating in his tests at
Laguna.
Let's also not forget that the 2410 degrees that Pachini
mentions in his letter should not lead us to believe that perhaps these
tests were taken above cone 10. We all know that cones measure
tempurature AND time/heatwork.
There is a reason that I kept firing and trying to get this clay
to work for me again after I could see the problems it was causing. Those
of us who have been in this field for long know that there indeed are
MANY variables at work as we put clay and glazes through the processes of
producing pottery and ceramic artwork. We know that normally when
something like this goes wrong with a material we have been working with
for so long, that some adjustments in the forming, glazing, and firing
procedures will usually show us a way out of the problem and a way into a
solution. That's what I was hoping to find. And that's what I did find
once I finally realized that this clay could'nt handle a fraction above
cone 10.
It took me awhile to get to that point. I really did not want to
change all my glaze formulas to fire lower when I could see that I would
be firing as I was before once I could find a clay replacement which
could handle cone 10 again. And to wait for Laguna to find and fix the
problem and get new clay to me was definately NOT an option for me. This
is what I've done for my livelyhood for 19 years now and I've learned to
recognize when some action needed to be taken on my part. This has been
one of those times.
There is a reason that I am not satisfied with what Mr. Brooks
has offered thus far; to just replace the clay until I find that it will
work for me. To wait to hear FROM OTHERS that they have found their clay
to be having this problem too, and only then to tell them that yes, there
have been reports of bloating. I am very concerned when I realize that
there are so many others of us out there, most of whom are not connected
to Clayart, and who may not be clued in at all about this. As I've said
before, I already know of 5 others at this time who have been having what
sounds to me like the exact same problems with bloating as I have had,
starting earlier this year.
When I called my friend Nick Blaisdell in Durango, Colorado in
June and told him of the problem that I was experiencing with the new
batch of Amador I'd received from Laguna, he was alarmed. He had just
received a delivery of 6 tons of the same claybody from Laguna, but had
not used any yet because he was still working on the last batch. So he
made some pots with the new clay and fired them. They came out bloated
for him too. He was, needless to say, very thankful that I had clued him
in. Since he had heard from me, he could avoid all the confusion that
would have normally followed seeing such results come out of the kiln. He
could avoid wondering what HE was doing wrong, and going through that
period of checking out all his proceedures, only to find that there was
something seriously wrong with his clay when he had no reason to think
so.
In my conversation with Jon Brooks on August 18th, he asked me
what I wanted him to do. I said that what I really wanted was for him to
put the word out through a posting on Clayart and written notices to
those using any of the clays made with the suspect sand which have had
reports of bloating. Sure there are plenty of potters using these clays
with results which they are expecting and are pleased with. I am not
talking about a total recall or mass panic. I'm talking about disclosure
of the fact that there have been SOME reports of bloating.
I would like Mr. Brooks, or someone at Laguna not only to monitor
Clayart, but to speak up to the issues current with any problems related
to their products.
Wendy Rosen comes to mind for me here. Can you imagine how much
flak she must get regularly when she deals with 1500 artists who do her
shows twice a year? And yet she is right out there addressing the issues
which have to do with her work. Possible problems arising from something
she may feel compelled to talk about DO NOT, in my observation, hold her
back from talking in the open to her customers.
I know this is more than you asked for Ron, but I hope that I am
addressing the concerns and needs of others who may be interested in this
subject too.
David McDonald
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