Bonnie Staffel on fri 31 mar 00
Mar. 30, 2000
Dear Janice,
In answer to your query, I have been working like this for many years.
I add CMC at the rate of 1/4 or 1% to my dry glaze, then mix with very
hot water. This dissolves the CMC quickly. It also deflocculates my
glaze so that I do not have any settling throughout the dipping
process. The CMC also hardens the glaze somewhat so that it is not
dusty if it is not disturbed with finger rubbing. I scrape drips off
with a sharp tool.
As to the settling of the Mason Stain mixture, I add "Flocs" a product
from Axner. Only a drop of two is needed to keep the color suspended.
I also add an equal amount of Frit 3134 which acts as a flux and softens
and melts the stain without leaving a dry surface in some instances
where the stain is heavy. Flocs can also be added to a glaze but does
not make it hard as CMC does.
Hope this helps you.
Bonnie Staffel
Jan Lipuma on sun 2 apr 00
Dear Doctor Clayart,
Thanks to the assortment of tips you were kind enough to share, I have
brush stroked myself to about mid stream now, after two days of knuckeling
down, as it were. To help limber up my wrists, I first went to the store
and wrote a few checks - ;^) but really, the reminder to practice and warm
up to the brushwork is important. It was very helpful to mist the already
glazed pots that were very dry and powdery. I unloaded a kiln today with
antifreeze into the already wet mix; this decoration definately went on the
smoothest but the fired glazes seem to melt together more and create a not
unpleasant motteled effect. The already wet batch of decorating glaze that
got glycerine added to it, is what I have been using all day. It is not as
slick, but I think the water in the mix is influencing the glycerine. I
want to mix some fresh, adding glycerine rather than water, but this batch
was colored by 'eyeballing' it and I need to test percentages for future
reference.
The dinner plates and some assorted pieces are yet to receive any glaze. I
am going to add CMC (already in solution) to the base glaze, reserving some
to add some sugar, Stephen. The order is coming along much faster than I
thought it could. This is all really cool and I thank you.
Grateful regards,
janice
Janice Lipuma
jlipuma@mindspring.com
Blue Moon Studio Pottery
Lexington KY USA
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