Diane G. Echlin on tue 1 feb 00
Hello Folks,
I'm new to the board and I've found many of these discussions
interesting!
On to the question:
I have had all my chemicals (EPK, Neph. Sy., Ball Clay, Frits, various
oxides etc.) in storage for about 2 years. Most of them are in covered
bins, but the bins are not sealed or air-tight, and there is no humidity
control in the storage unit.... Now that I have found some studio space
to rent, I am concerned about the quality of the chemicals. Do they
have a shelf life? Does freezing them have any effect? Will the Kiln
Gods punish me for such haphazard storage?
Thanks for any and all input!
Diane
Fredrick Paget on wed 2 feb 00
No problem. Those which are minerals have been around for millions of
years. The oxides are stable too. Some powders may get lumpy if old and in
a damp place but that won't hurt them . Get busy with an 80 mesh screen.
Fred Paget
>
>I have had all my chemicals (EPK, Neph. Sy., Ball Clay, Frits, various
>oxides etc.) in storage for about 2 years. Most of them are in covered
>bins, but the bins are not sealed or air-tight, and there is no humidity
>control in the storage unit.... Now that I have found some studio space
>to rent, I am concerned about the quality of the chemicals. Do they
>have a shelf life? Does freezing them have any effect? Will the Kiln
>Gods punish me for such haphazard storage?
>Thanks for any and all input!
>Diane
>From Fred Paget, Marin County, California, USA
Earl Brunner on wed 2 feb 00
Did you check the expiration dates on the packages? If they have been in
storage awhile, they could be past their expiration dates. Like the jar of
mayonaise I found in the fridge the other day........
Diane G. Echlin wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hello Folks,
> I'm new to the board and I've found many of these discussions
> interesting!
> On to the question:
> I have had all my chemicals (EPK, Neph. Sy., Ball Clay, Frits, various
> oxides etc.) in storage for about 2 years. Most of them are in covered
> bins, but the bins are not sealed or air-tight, and there is no humidity
> control in the storage unit.... Now that I have found some studio space
> to rent, I am concerned about the quality of the chemicals. Do they
> have a shelf life? Does freezing them have any effect? Will the Kiln
> Gods punish me for such haphazard storage?
> Thanks for any and all input!
> Diane
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
Ray Aldridge on wed 2 feb 00
At 02:24 PM 2/1/00 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hello Folks,
>I'm new to the board and I've found many of these discussions
>interesting!
>On to the question:
>I have had all my chemicals (EPK, Neph. Sy., Ball Clay, Frits, various
>oxides etc.) in storage for about 2 years. Most of them are in covered
>bins, but the bins are not sealed or air-tight, and there is no humidity
>control in the storage unit.... Now that I have found some studio space
>to rent, I am concerned about the quality of the chemicals. Do they
>have a shelf life? Does freezing them have any effect? Will the Kiln
>Gods punish me for such haphazard storage?
In a word: no.
Your stuff should be fine. I'm currently using a bag of EPK that I've had
for 20 years (it got misplaced.) The original bag is long gone, and even
the black plastic bag I put it in has disintegrated, so that the material
is full of little shreds of black plastic. Doesn't matter. The sieve
catches them, and my glazes are non-fussy, so however much debris is
weighed in with the materials doesn't change the glaze enough to be
noticeable.
I'm using a bag of Spinks ball clay that got rained on. Don't worry.
Ray
Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com
Paul Taylor on thu 3 feb 00
Dear Diane
Any plaster will be no good for casting.
The quarts or flint and any material that had a percentage of water
added to it for health and safety reasons may have dried out. I would say
that in all probability that will make no difference what so ever but I
expect some one has an obscure glaze recipe where it might.
Borates and frits may have absorbed some water from the atmosphere if
they have been in the damp. That wont make a lot of difference to the glaze
apart from the materials having to be crunched up a bit to get it sieved or
better still blunged. Colmenite is reputed to spit all over the kiln if it
absorbs too much water. I have only seen this once so dont worry; make a
test if you are using it.
The rest will be ok since they have existed inert for millions of years.
If you have had the stuff for years make sure that the suppliers still
produce it to the same specification, because If you do use it to make the
wonder glaze it would be nice to repeat it.
The kiln gods punish and reward by devine whim. After twenty years or
so they get bored with you and things start to come out a little as planned.
They throw in a marvel now and again to keep you from compleat despair.
I have had materials in storage for twenty five years and still use
them with confidence.
The real mystery is how you kept the right labels on.
Regards Paul T
----------
>From: "Diane G. Echlin"
>To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
>Subject: Another Chemical Question
>Date: Tue, Feb 1, 2000, 7:24 pm
>
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hello Folks,
>I'm new to the board and I've found many of these discussions
>interesting!
>On to the question:
>I have had all my chemicals (EPK, Neph. Sy., Ball Clay, Frits, various
>oxides etc.) in storage for about 2 years. Most of them are in covered
>bins, but the bins are not sealed or air-tight, and there is no humidity
>control in the storage unit.... Now that I have found some studio space
>to rent, I am concerned about the quality of the chemicals. Do they
>have a shelf life? Does freezing them have any effect? Will the Kiln
>Gods punish me for such haphazard storage?
>Thanks for any and all input!
>Diane
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