Gayle Bair on sun 24 sep 00
Dear Chuck,
Last year I created a furor about just this subject.
I was pounded for selling an oil lamp that leaked.
I was interested to hear that your lamps leaked after
a duration of time. I am sure you can find reference to
this in the archives.
However I have an alternative for you. You can get glass
inserts that have a well for the oil and fit in the pot.
The wick is in a glass tube that fits into the well.
I got several at one of those mall candle shops but am sure
you can get them elsewhere.
It solves the problem quickly.
Gayle Bair- just fixed that original oil lamp this week.
Chuck wrote>
Anyone make oil lamps?
We have made them for years and recently some of them have started to leak.
My wife (the "other" potter) uses different liners and is not sure which one
the ones that leak were lined with. Also, I was under the impression that it
was best to glaze the inside and then use the liner. The one I like is
fiberglass (polyester?) resin that we get from Axner in FL. It is really
nasty to work with and we have a high end respirator we wear and almost
always use it outside. I will call Axner on Monday for technical advice, but
I thought there might be someone on the list that makes lamps and has some
info for us.
Snip>
Cindy Strnad on sun 24 sep 00
Hi, Chuck.
I have oil lamps sitting all over my house, full of oil and have been for
years--some of them as long as five years. They're all made from Dakota
Potter's Supply ^5-6 "Brownstone" body, fired to ^6 with a small cone.
Unfortunately, I can't tell you a lot about the body, but I will say the old
glazes (bought from the same place) are definitely crazed and yet no leakage
at all. I have to conclude it's the body that keeps everything intact.
To tell you what you need to change about the body, I'll have to reach a
bit. It's speculation, but those lamps were made at a time when I was buying
the grogless body, and I suspect that may make a difference. (I haven't made
any in years, and haven't tested the grogged body.) I have never used a lamp
liner, but it's my understanding they're meant to be applied to an unglazed
surface. I suppose different products may have different instructions, tho.
One thing you might consider trying is to raise the lamp on a fairly tall
foot or on separate feet (like claw feet, you know), so you can glaze the
entire inside and outside. I doubt this will solve the problem entirely, but
it may help.
Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
USA
earthenv@gwtc.net
www.earthenvesselssd.com
cHuCk on sun 24 sep 00
Anyone make oil lamps?
We have made them for years and recently some of them have started to =
leak. My wife (the "other" potter) uses different liners and is not sure =
which one the ones that leak were lined with. Also, I was under the =
impression that it was best to glaze the inside and then use the liner. =
The one I like is fiberglass (polyester?) resin that we get from Axner =
in FL. It is really nasty to work with and we have a high end respirator =
we wear and almost always use it outside. I will call Axner on Monday =
for technical advice, but I thought there might be someone on the list =
that makes lamps and has some info for us.
I have never really liked making lamps as fire makes me a little =
nervous. The other drawback is that the leakage from a 25.00 lamp might =
do some horrible damage to a 1500.00 + table or mantle. I know that =
lamp oil will leak through things that water does not and while our clay =
has a very low absorption rate when fired correctly it has been tough =
for us to keep them oil tight. Before we used liner I used to "overfire" =
our iron body to really make it tight in a separate firing and that =
seemed to work well, but after years it seemed like the oil would =
"bleed" or "breath" through just a little.
Maybe it would be better to quit making them all together, but we are =
not ready to give up yet. Around rural Indiana a lot of our customers =
use them as the REMC power goes off on a regular basis. ( I have also =
heard they are "Romantic")
Thanks,
chUcK wAgOnEr
GREG MARSHALL on mon 25 sep 00
Chuck,
I've been making oil candles for years. I glaze them on the inside and
then just to be safe I use a product called "Pottery Sealer". It's a water
based sealer so it doesn't smell bad and is easy to clean up drips and
spills. I pour some in the pot, swish it around, and slowly pour it out
while turning the pot to coat the entire inside surface. I wipe off any
drips or runs with a damp sponge.
I think I got the sealer from Axner, but it might have been from Mile Hi
Ceramics. Last week I was at a plant nursery and noticed they carried it to
use in earthenware flower pots.
Let me know if you can't find it anywhere and I'll check to see where I
got mine.
Greg Marshall at the foot of Pikes Peak
gillian evison on mon 25 sep 00
Dear Chuck,
I also make oil lamps, and always tell customers to be careful where they
put them. To line the lamps ( after glazing them inside and out) I buy a
rubber compound used to lay carpet I think, which is water soluble, and thin
it to a pouring consistency. It seems to work and is reasonable non-toxic.
Jill
>From: cHuCk
>Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: Lamp Liner/Leakage
>Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2000 09:41:38 -0500
>
>Anyone make oil lamps?
>
>We have made them for years and recently some of them have started to leak.
>My wife (the "other" potter) uses different liners and is not sure which
>one the ones that leak were lined with. Also, I was under the impression
>that it was best to glaze the inside and then use the liner. The one I like
>is fiberglass (polyester?) resin that we get from Axner in FL. It is really
>nasty to work with and we have a high end respirator we wear and almost
>always use it outside. I will call Axner on Monday for technical advice,
>but I thought there might be someone on the list that makes lamps and has
>some info for us.
>
>I have never really liked making lamps as fire makes me a little nervous.
>The other drawback is that the leakage from a 25.00 lamp might do some
>horrible damage to a 1500.00 + table or mantle. I know that lamp oil will
>leak through things that water does not and while our clay has a very low
>absorption rate when fired correctly it has been tough for us to keep them
>oil tight. Before we used liner I used to "overfire" our iron body to
>really make it tight in a separate firing and that seemed to work well, but
>after years it seemed like the oil would "bleed" or "breath" through just a
>little.
>
>Maybe it would be better to quit making them all together, but we are not
>ready to give up yet. Around rural Indiana a lot of our customers use them
>as the REMC power goes off on a regular basis. ( I have also heard they are
>"Romantic")
>
>Thanks,
>
> chUcK wAgOnEr
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
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