Jeanne Wood on sun 12 sep 99
Greetings,
I would like some advise on burnishing pots for pit or sawdust firings.
I polish my pots with a tumbled agate or back of a spoon when the pots
are on the hardish side of leather hard and get a nice shine which
carries through even after firing.
However, I also get ridges or swirls from the movement of the polishing
tool.
How do other Clayarters get the gorgeous smooth sheen, as I've seen in
other blackware pottery, uninterupted by texture?
Thanks!
Jeanne
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
Sylvia See on mon 13 sep 99
Jeanne if you have a giffin grip, use it to hold the pot and while it is
spinning try the smooth side of a credit card or similar piece of plastic. I
have run the gauntlet as well trying to get rid of ridges and it is hard to
stop using too much pressure. I got some small polished stones and glued
them to small wooden dowels but you really need them fairly flat or you
still get ridges. I have used everything from crochet hooks and knitting
needles around rims, handles and attachments, to old lens out of eye
glasses. I think that plastic spoons, credit cards and polished stones work
the best for me, and the constant reminder not to press so hard. Polishing
the pot spinning, really helps with the pressure problem. I use the giffin
grip to polish the hard wax when I use it as well. However, I have switched
to Future liquid clear floor wax and a foam brush to finish my work and I
think it looks just as good or better than the beeswax and hard paste wax.
I just finished firing another 40 pieces and I think I am going to start
doing primitive almost exclusively. I just love the product and enjoy doing
the pieces.
Sylvia See Claresholm, Alberta Canada sylviac@telusplanet.net
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeanne Wood
To:
Sent: Sunday, September 12, 1999 9:34 AM
Subject: burnished pots
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> Greetings,
> I would like some advise on burnishing pots for pit or sawdust firings.
> I polish my pots with a tumbled agate or back of a spoon when the pots
> are on the hardish side of leather hard and get a nice shine which
> carries through even after firing.
> However, I also get ridges or swirls from the movement of the polishing
> tool.
> How do other Clayarters get the gorgeous smooth sheen, as I've seen in
> other blackware pottery, uninterupted by texture?
> Thanks!
> Jeanne
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
>
Kurt Wild on mon 13 sep 99
If you burnish at that stage you are burnishing, you are quite likely to
get swirling marks from the pressure. Try burnishing at the hard
leather hard stage and start out with less pressure. In the book just
out, "The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz", Michael Wisner discusses
burnishing. In short, his discussion suggests sanding the bone dry pot
with fine (200 mesh) sand paper. Next the pot is "{covered with
vegetable, saddle, castor or baby oil. Next apply "water conservatively
to ther entir pot using a soft cloth". Finally, "the clay can be
polished to a mirrorlike sheen with minimal effort". I highly recommend
the book which you can get by contacting Michael at
.
Jeanne Wood wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> Greetings,
> I would like some advise on burnishing pots for pit or sawdust firings.
> I polish my pots with a tumbled agate or back of a spoon when the pots
> are on the hardish side of leather hard and get a nice shine which
> carries through even after firing.
> However, I also get ridges or swirls from the movement of the polishing
> tool.
> How do other Clayarters get the gorgeous smooth sheen, as I've seen in
> other blackware pottery, uninterupted by texture?
> Thanks!
> Jeanne
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
--
Kurt Wild
1000 E. Cascade Ave.
River Falls, WI 54022
Phone: 715-425-5715
email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/
John Guerin on mon 13 sep 99
In a message dated 9/12/99 10:35:29 AM EST, clayjinn@yahoo.com writes:
<< I would like some advise on burnishing pots for pit or sawdust firings.
I polish my pots with a tumbled agate or back of a spoon when the pots
are on the hardish side of leather hard and get a nice shine which
carries through even after firing.
However, I also get ridges or swirls from the movement of the polishing
tool.
How do other Clayarters get the gorgeous smooth sheen, as I've seen in
other blackware pottery, uninterupted by texture?
Thanks!
Jeanne >>
Hi Jeanne,
The "swirls" are an indication that the clay is still a little too damp yet.
It is all right to burnish with the swirls, but then you should let the pot
dry alittle more and then burnish again. When you get it at the right amount
of 'dryness' it should polish up with a glass-like finish. But be careful,
that 'right amount of dryness' occurs very close to the point where it is too
dry and then even the smoothest polishing stone will scratch the surface.
Good Luck,
John Guerin
Tucson, AZ
Mary Lee on mon 13 sep 99
My "technique" requires a plethora of patience. Burnish once or twice a day.
Keep pot loosely covered between polishing. The dryer it becomes, the fewer
the marks. When it is greenware, polish and polish again. Maybe someone
else will come up with a simpler solution as it takes me some time to get
motivated to start another pot. ML
Al Sather on mon 13 sep 99
Jeanne Wood wrote:
Greetings,
I would like some advise on burnishing pots for pit or sawdust firings.
I polish my pots with a tumbled agate or back of a spoon when the pots
are on the hardish side of leather hard and get a nice shine which
carries through even after firing.
However, I also get ridges or swirls from the movement of the polishing
tool.
===========
I am also interested. I have solved this problem, in part, by placing my
vessel on a wheel. This introduces other problems, and limits one to
round pots.
At first I really liked the burnish marks, but as my pieces become more
refined I find them a distraction.
=============================
Al Sather
Dogberry Studios
RR #1 PO 189
Paradise, NF A1L 1C1
Canada
asather@thezone.net
L.P. Skeen on tue 14 sep 99
Sylvia See wrote:
> However, I have switched
> to Future liquid clear floor wax
Sylvia,
How does this buff up?
--
Lisa Skeen ICQ#15554910
http://www.living-tree.net
Living Tree Pottery & Soaps, Summerfield, NC
~*~* A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.*~*~
@}~~~ Religions should get out of politics or be taxed.~~~{@
Jeanne Wood on tue 14 sep 99
My thanks to everyone who gave suggestions for getting rid of the
ridges. I tried a few different techniques with a recent batch of
pre-pit fired ware and found that I had indeed been burnishing when the
clay was too damp. I burnished with a stone later in their drying
period then used the plastic sack polish and got shine enough to see my
reflection.
I hesitate to put substances like floor wax on them, however, although
most are intended for show pots a few of my burnished pots will be used
to cook in! If you haven't tried cooking in a burnished pot it's a lot
of fun, you put the pot directly in a campfire, brazier, or fireplace
and can boil your soup hard with no damage to the pot-other than the
absorbtion of the porous walls which makes clean up complicated but
possible.
Cheers,
Jeanne
--- John Guerin wrote:
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> In a message dated 9/12/99 10:35:29 AM EST,
> clayjinn@yahoo.com writes:
>
> << I would like some advise on burnishing pots for
> pit or sawdust firings.
> I polish my pots with a tumbled agate or back of a
> spoon when the pots
> are on the hardish side of leather hard and get a
> nice shine which
> carries through even after firing.
> However, I also get ridges or swirls from the
> movement of the polishing
> tool.
> How do other Clayarters get the gorgeous smooth
> sheen, as I've seen in
> other blackware pottery, uninterupted by texture?
> Thanks!
> Jeanne >>
>
> Hi Jeanne,
>
> The "swirls" are an indication that the clay is
> still a little too damp yet.
> It is all right to burnish with the swirls, but then
> you should let the pot
> dry alittle more and then burnish again. When you
> get it at the right amount
> of 'dryness' it should polish up with a glass-like
> finish. But be careful,
> that 'right amount of dryness' occurs very close to
> the point where it is too
> dry and then even the smoothest polishing stone will
> scratch the surface.
>
> Good Luck,
> John Guerin
> Tucson, AZ
>
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
Kurt Wild on tue 14 sep 99
The "shortcut" of burnishing pots on the wheel works but does not and
will not produce nearly the wonderful shine that hand polishing does or
can do!
Look up my earlier posts on this subject.
--
Kurt Wild
1000 E. Cascade Ave.
River Falls, WI 54022
Phone: 715-425-5715
email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/
Sylvia See on wed 15 sep 99
I haven't been buffing them at all. In fact all the pots I had worked my
buns off with the beeswax and clear hard paste wax, I have refinished with a
coat of Future over the top and it just picked them right up. I just apply
with those cheap foam paint brushes you get at hardware store, and let them
dry to a clear shiny finish. Sometimes I use 2 coats, but I haven't been
buffing at all. Occasionally, I bring the dusty ones in from the shop and
wipe them off with a clean cloth dampened in clear water with a bit of
vinegar in the water, and then dry them. I still haven't buffed these
either.
Sylvia See
----- Original Message -----
From: L.P. Skeen
To:
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 1999 2:27 PM
Subject: Re: burnished pots
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Sylvia See wrote:
>
> > However, I have switched
> > to Future liquid clear floor wax
>
> Sylvia,
> How does this buff up?
>
> --
> Lisa Skeen ICQ#15554910
> http://www.living-tree.net
>
> Living Tree Pottery & Soaps, Summerfield, NC
>
> ~*~* A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.*~*~
>
> @}~~~ Religions should get out of politics or be taxed.~~~{@
>
Susan M. Isaacson on mon 23 jul 01
hi, i'm new to this chat group as well as a novice potter. question: i =
made a pot (stoneware) did some carving on it and then burnished it. i =
plan to fire it at 06. can i then rub a colorant after the firing into =
the carved area (i.e. acrylic paint, stain, glaze?) i just want to give =
the illusion of a patena. thanks for any and all suggestions. susan i.
Rick Bowman on mon 23 jul 01
=20
=20
----- Original Message -----
From: Susan M. Isaacson
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2001 7:52 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: burnished pots
=20
Dear Susan,
A couple of years ago I had a student who was making tiles and impre=
ssing leaves in each one. I found her staining the bisque ware with a Du=
ncan latex water based stain with a label on it which said "do not fire".=
She did and had some wonderful results. We set up a series of tiles an=
d bought different bottles of latex and acrylic based stains to find out =
which ones survived a cone 9 or 10 reduction fire. The reaction was mixe=
d... Some of the stains highlighted the impressions while some would burn=
completely away. I think some of the water based stains did the best bu=
t don't hold me to it. It sounds as though you don't plan to re-fire the=
bisque. Try some stains and try an oxide wash to see what best suits yo=
ur needs. You'll probably find out exactly what we did ... some stains w=
orked while the ones we thought for sure would, didn't. Your results wil=
l be different due to your clay, stains, and kilns. So experiment a lot.=
Good luck Rick Bowman replicapottery@msn.com =20
> question: i made a pot (stoneware) did some carving on it and then >bu=
rnished it. i plan to fire it at 06. can i then rub a colorant after the=
firing >into the carved area (i.e. acrylic paint, stain, glaze?) =20
_________________________________________________________________________=
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vince pitelka on tue 24 jul 01
Susan wrote:
"hi, i'm new to this chat group as well as a novice potter. question: i
made a pot (stoneware) did some carving on it and then burnished it. i plan
to fire it at 06. can i then rub a colorant after the firing into the
carved area (i.e. acrylic paint, stain, glaze?) i just want to give the
illusion of a patena."
Susan -
If you did truly burnish with a hard smooth object like a stone or a marble,
then you will probably loose your shine if you fire to cone 06. It all
depends on the clay body, but if any shrinkage at all occurs in the 06
firing, the burnished surface will crinkle on a microscopic level, and you
will loose your burnish. I do not fire burnished work any higher than ^012.
Personally I try to avoid using post-firing finishes like acrylics if it can
be avoided. If you do not mind a separate firing, you could mix up some
patinas with oxides and a little borax, and apply them to the piece after
the frist ^012 firing and sponge the excess off the high spots, and then do
a second ^012 firing to fuse the patina in place.
Good luck -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Snail Scott on tue 24 jul 01
At 09:46 PM 7/23/01 -0500, you wrote:
staining the bisque ware with a Duncan latex water based stain with a label
on it which said "do not fire". She did and had some wonderful results.
Many paints use minerals and oxides
to produce their colors, and these
are often the same ones we use in
ceramic processes. It's a rather
expensive and unpredictable source,
though. Also, the binders in paint
aren't designed to help in firing;
the end product may not fuse well
to the clay.
It's a good reminder, though, to
these of us commenting on this
thread, that 'stain' can mean both
a ceramic colorant material, and
also those acrylic paints sold by
Duncan (et al) which are labelled
'stain'.
-Snail
Ababi on tue 24 jul 01
I had this idea for the "burnishers" . What would happen if you would
use a copper spoon for this work, would it effect the color?
Ababi
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