Ceramic Design Group on mon 15 jan 01
Over the past months I have watched the posts on the list regarding the
demise of GB and those with glazes that use it looking for a replacement. I
am familiar with all the technical discussions either in print on on the Web
as well as what some are offering as a replacement for it.
Basically, there is no real substitute. If you have followed Ron's
discussion as well as read all that Tony has on athe digitalfire.com site
you may get the general idea what is going on. Now if you bought a large
quantity of the material before it hit the proverbial fan, with judicious
use you'll get some years or more out of your ever dwindling supply. Thats
not the point. But when its gone, its gone. All you have done is just
prolonged the inevitable.
The point is that it is time to move on. Learn some new things, try some new
glazes, learn about ceramic materials, glaze calculation, and how they work
together. Learn how to spray glaze, how to layer glaze, how glazes work over
and under each other. Spend some time with the materials. Educate yourself.
Investigate Boraq, Laguna Borate, Kickwheel Borate, Gillespie Borate, ad
nauseum and see what they can and can't do for you. They may work, they may
not.
The point is that this is a time of opportunity. Your ceramic universe is
not going to fall apart because you don't have GB for that "Cash Flow Blue
Glaze" any more. You will continue to make pots, and you will continue to
glaze and sell your work. But your work will now need some "work" to make it
work. Seize the opportunity.
Potters are extremely resourceful individuals and this is an opportunity for
learning, not whining.
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan
Ceramic Design Group
PO Box 775112
Steamboat Springs CO 80477
jdkaplan@cmn.net
Plant Location (use for all UPS, Common Carrier, and Courier deliveries)
1280 13th Street
Steamboat Springs CO 80487
Susan Otter on tue 16 jan 01
In a message dated 1/16/01 4:34:17 AM, jdkaplan@CMN.NET writes:
<< Potters are extremely resourceful individuals and this is an opportunity
for
learning, not whining.
Jonathan >>
I'm not a selling potter, but I have run my own business, and certain
principles still apply.
If I were a working potter with a GB glaze that did well in the marketplace
the first thing I would do was buy up all the GB I could get my hands on.
That way I could continue to sell my wares while it coolly and methodically
looked for a solution.
I've read a lot of posts, and I haven't seen much whining. I have seen people
struggling with this issue. I've seen people who really nead workable
solutions given what seems to be pretty bad advice, and people's livlihoods
may be affected as well as their finite time to spend on their art.
A sensible business person will take a two-pronged approach and plan for both
the short-term as well as the long-term. Short-term, that means make efforts
to be able to continue with what is known to sell.
Then the person can methodically test alternative recipes, including some
market testing, esp. if they are production potters.
will edwards on tue 16 jan 01
Hello,
As soon as the word was mentioned and verified that GB would be discontin=
ued
the search for replacements was on. It has lead to marketers shifting the=
ir
energy to finding a substitute. A few of those have came close in some ca=
ses
and in others, they might as well have been selling a bag of rocks.
To be honest, instead of all those replacements more could have been made=
by
the very same people had they looked for making a frit with good qualitie=
s
towards suspension by adding raw additions after compounding and not mark=
eting
it as a replacement for GB, but as a stand alone product for the industry=
=2E =
I went back to the archives and worked them again like a mad man over the=
last
few days and thought of all the man hours and time all of us had spent
worrying with the what if's? I had relied on the GB as well but soon wrot=
e it
off and moved on. We have enough products out there now for many great gl=
azes
that are better than ever because of advanced software and better
understanding of what each element and mineral can do under heat. Of cour=
se I
will comment on GB when speaking since ^6 is where I have dedicated my ti=
me
to!
In conclusion heres a few things one might try that could help:
1. Buy a homoginizer
2. Ball mill prior to adding colorants
3. Buy Software
4. Line blends
5. Wait for published recipes that people go ape over.
6. Pay a consultant
7. Stick with clayart
8. Take a few gambles
9. Add MnO or use artificial suspension aids. (Both are tricky)
10.Start over
While these above mentioned ideas will help suspension or create a fine
dispersion and all they still won't replace the mineral content. So you u=
se
them all. Complexity in formulae is always the one to come back and bite =
you
sooner or latter, simplicity in life makes better companions. Try the Edw=
ard's
1234 Glossy base or one of Ron's and others that have been posted and wor=
k
with those. If I remember correctly Ron came up with a black that everyon=
e
went crazy over that contained no GB whatsoever. =
Also for the guru's - When someone mentions a glaze it appears it is assu=
med
that it is for food surface contact. Thats always a good analogy but the
replies look exceptionally scary to new people. If we are to do this shou=
ldn't
we categorize the listings as such for archival purposes where they have =
been
lab tested. It is very frustrating to the beginning glaze person to know =
the
drill. Edward's 1234 Glossy and both matt bases are currently in the lab =
but I
don't expect the matt bases to ever be more than for decorative use. Each=
are
being tested with 4% oxides we use most often and a few have mixed oxides=
to
see what effect they have on each other.
William Edwards
Alchemy 101 - No glaze I post is written specific for food bearing use or=
purpose. It is the end users responsibility to test the resulting out-com=
e for
all toxins and effects. Each glaze has its own identity and problems as w=
ell
as advantages and adventures.
____________________________________________________________________
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1
Jim Bozeman on tue 16 jan 01
I use only 2 percent GB in my glaze and when my supply runs out I'll prob switch to a frit. Jim
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
will edwards on thu 18 jan 01
Ron,
I don't have a reply. You are 100% correct. What would MnO have to do wit=
h
helping a glaze? I am just stumped, so I will accept whatever you put out=
on
the subject. It is much better understood by you than me I'm sure.
William Edwards
____________________________________________________________________
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1
Ron Roy on thu 18 jan 01
Two points here.
What has MnO got to do with suspension? And why would you add a toxic
material to solve this problem when there are so many safe one to use?
I have explained many times that simple glazes are more trouble than
complex glazes - any less than 5 ingrediants and I start to get concerned.
If simple glazes are desirable (why I don't know) then special attention
must be paid to using the most consistant kinds of materials. The other
part of this is - when a material is no longer available, for whatever
reason, It is much more difficult to substitute in new materials. It is
also more difficult to adjust expansion in simple glazes.
Could it be that one of the ways we choose glazes is by how easy it is to
weigh them out? Good grief!
I say look for glazes with 6 or 7 materials and none of them constiute over
20% of the glaze - any in larger amounts they should be relativly stable
materials.
RR
>9. Add MnO or use artificial suspension aids. (Both are tricky)
>10.Start over
>
>While these above mentioned ideas will help suspension or create a fine
>dispersion and all they still won't replace the mineral content. So you use
>them all. Complexity in formulae is always the one to come back and bite you
>sooner or latter, simplicity in life makes better companions.
Ron Roy
93 Pegasus Trail
Scarborough
Ontario, Canada
M1G 3N8
Evenings 416-439-2621
Fax 416-438-7849
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