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salvaging unlabeled glaze chemicals

updated wed 15 nov 00

 

jspoces on tue 14 nov 00


I have an expensive problem. I am new to clayart and have been lurking and thoroughly enjoying the messages and responses. I hope someone can advise me on my problem.
All of my sealed buckets of glaze chemicals sat outside while we were building a workshop. When I had the space to place them inside, forty-two of the 2 1/2 gallon buckets were missing labels. According to an old inventory list there should be at least 15 different chemicals in them including zinc oxide, tin oxide, magnesium Carbonate etc.
My solution is to fire one teaspoon of the unknown chemical from bucket number 1 in three small stoneware cups of the same number. When I have sampled all 42 buckets, I will do three firings, ^04, ^5 and ^10. Susan Peterson's book, THE CRAFT AND ART OF CLAY, has a chart with these firing temperature of each one's effect on the different glaze chemicals. Using her charts, I will just guess and then test using simple glaze formulas and see the results.
Does anyone have another idea. The easiest thing would be to toss out the unknowns and start over. I would rather try to save them.

Saundra in NC