Wade Blocker on sun 23 jul 00
Susan,
When I moved from Southern California to Albuquerque I used distilled
water for my glazes. That became somewhat expensive, so I switched to the
local water supply. Found no difference in my glazes. Just try your well
water and see what happens. The saying that glazes do not travel well did
not apply to changing my the source of water. Mia in hot ABQ
Susan Kosko on sun 23 jul 00
I'm getting to mix glazes for the first time
for my own use (as opposed to general studio
use). The studio where I learned to throw
used tap water for glaze mixing. The studio
where I've been taking lessons for the past
two years uses rain water for glaze mixing.
Both locations were on city/town sewer
systems, although the studio where I am now
has terrible tasting water. I live in a
fairly rural area and use well water - our
well has consistently tested safe for
drinking, with low mineral content. No need
here to use bottled water.
What type of water do people use for their
glaze mixing? I appreciate any and all
opinions!
TIA,
Susan Kosko
New Durham, NH, USA
where we're finally having a nice warm
weekend
James Bledsoe on sun 23 jul 00
tap
always the tap
Marie on sun 23 jul 00
Try using distilled water... I have found the results to be more consistent.
MarieElaine
JJ Adams on sun 23 jul 00
For my glazes I use only the filtered water out of the
reverse osmosis unit we put in our kitchen (for drinking
water). Our city water comes out of the Tennessee River and
can vary greatly in impurities and, consequently, in the
amount of chlorine they use. Making glazes is perplexing
enough for me without having to deal with inconsistent
water.
Jan Adams
Alabama--where cool breezes blew in today--Ahhhhhhhh
Tom Wirt/Betsy Price on sun 23 jul 00
Subject: Water for glazes
> Both locations were on city/town sewer
> systems, although the studio where I am now
> has terrible tasting water. I live in a
> fairly rural area and use well water - our
> well has consistently tested safe for
> drinking, with low mineral content. No need
Susan...
We live in an area with 45 grains hardness and very strong iron content. We
used to get bottled water (refillable) at the grocery, but quit after
testing all our glazes with both the reverse osmosis store water and our
water and saw little if any difference in any glaze including whites,
clears, Rutile blue and some copper glazes. There might be some difference
if you're using porcelain, (we use white stoneware) but I would guess there
are few difference if there is any iron in your clay at all.
Try each glaze both ways (bottled water against tap) until you have
knowledge what variances there might be.
Tom Wirt
Martin Howard on mon 24 jul 00
I use rain water. Plenty of it in England.
Just outside the pottery the guttering has parted and so a large container
left below gives me all I could ever need.
One reason for using the rain water for glazes is if your glazes are already
high enough in calcium and the hard tap water would increase that problem.
Or you may wish to avoid some other chemical, such as chlorine, after
carefully preparing your glaze base from a computer program and hopefully
perfectly analysed materials.
In general, though, I do not think it makes much of a problem in a studio
potter's case. It might be more problematical if you were in a factory
situation having to reproduce exact shades of colour and texture.
The other reason for using leaked rain water is that I save in water rate
bills. Our water is metered.
Martin Howard
Webb's Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
England
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
Milton Markey on tue 25 jul 00
Hi Everybody!
When I take a camping trip, I sometimes take home a sample or two of the
natural spring water, lake water, stream water, etc., from around the
campground.
I've not noticed a great difference in glazes made from stream water, but
occasionally, the sheen of the glaze will be just a little better than my
glazes made with "city water." And it does remind me of the good time I had,
where ever I dipped my water sample bottle!
I now have a small collection of water, from California sources, the Colorado
River (two different locations), and several streams in Arizona and New
Mexico. Sometimes my friends look at me weirdly, when I label yet another
bottle of water!
Nonetheless, I'm packing the car now for my camping trip in New Mexico. I
have several empty bottles for my water collection. I'll be "away from the
desk" for about two weeks.
Best wishes!
Milton NakedClay@AOL.COM
Jean Lutz on thu 27 jul 00
Milton's remarks about collecting water from various sources really struck
a cord. On a trip to Africa a few years ago I collected dirt from each of
our camp sites and when we got to Lake Victoria I collected a bottle of
water. I found out later that the natives thought I was witch because I
took water from the sacred lake. I intended to mix it all together when I
got home and make a small piece as a rememberence. The dirt and water is
still in all the separate bage in the cupboard. Guess this may give me the
incentinve to get it down and actually do something with it. The soil
isn't really clay so I don't know what will happen when fired so I may end
up with a lump souvenir.
Dale Neese on wed 31 jan 07
I do know by experience that the high alkaline water in my well was playing
hell with one of my matt glazes crawling. I started collecting rain water in
two 30 gallon plastic barrels. I use it exclusively for all my glazes, clay
and slips. There is a good difference that you can see. I agree with some
Clayarters that some rain waters contains contaminants possibly acidic in
nature but very low at my location, not enough to affect the outcome of the
fired glaze . Testing with a PH strip the rain water I collected is neutral.
Water comes out of the rain gutter onto a window screen placed over the top
of the barrel. Keep the barrel covered and replenish when low.
Paying for and carting home distilled water is a waste of time and money.
Dale Tex
"across the alley from the Alamo"
San Antonio, Texas USA
Frances Howard on fri 2 feb 07
Ron Roy says that snow and rain can often be contaminated. Here on the east coast of Canada our rain water very often has a ph of 3, the same as lemon juice. Even acid loving plants sometimes need a dose of lime, normally anathema, but now occasionally life saving. Few of the rivers now support salmon or trout, running as they do mostly over granite and greywacke but rarely limestone, and no longer able to balance all that acid rain coming from the west. So for glazes we use ordinary treated municipal tap water from shallow lake/reservoirs. Many of the wells here are quite deep and have problems with odd naturally occuring minerals e.g. mercury or arsenic. It all depends on the rock.
The acid rain doesn't seem to make much dent in the slug population.
Fraces Howard
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