Martin Howard on mon 29 oct 01
My little struggle to get stain producers in the UK to list the ingredients
(not necessarily the percentages) has met with no success. They seem to have
closed ranks.
The firm that agreed to list them for me, by FAX, does not respond. That was
Milton Bridge in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. My orders to them will be much
reduced in future.
My local stockist, who I try to give as much custom to as possible, has
contacted the three suppliers of stains that she stocks.
They all demand that she does not let purchasers know who they are and they
refuse to give any other details other than that demanded by Health and
Safety regulations.
Of course I can still take a 50 gram sample to CERAM in Stoke on Trent for
analysis at about £50 a sample. Might be worthwhile. And then publish it for
all to see?
Mason stains in the USA apparently do supply some details. So it looks as if
there is quite an opening in the UK for that product. But will transport
costs hike the price and when they come over here will they follow the other
UK suppliers and refuse details?
It looks as if UK potters are getting a bum deal!
Am I being paranoid on this question?
I tested my own made clear glaze in The Glaze Book program, which I fudge to
read 6.31 for the English and Turner (Hybrid) linear Glaze Coefficient of
Expansion.
That gives me a completely craze and crawl free finish.
Add 10% FeO by potters percentage and the figure goes to 6.19 which is
almost certain to give me problems if not counteracted by some alteration to
the frits.
Surely stains in general have the same propensity to alter a carefully
selected computerised configuration of the final glaze.
Therefore IMHO, stain manufacturers who do not give us the details we need
should be avoided.
Martin Howard
Webbs Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
01371 850 423
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
http://www.webbscottage.co.uk
This web-site is being updated NOW!
Khaimraj Seepersad on tue 30 oct 01
Hello to All ,
Martin ,
check to see if there are any lead or other modifiers
in the stains and how much.
Perhaps , the U.K side or anyone interested in the
results could send you a few pounds to cut the
personal cost ?
I have noticed that yellow stain glazes holding
praseodymium and maybe zirconium , harden my
clear enamels , nothing scientific , just a sharpened
knife scratch test.
You could order the Ceramic Supply of New York
and New Jersey catalogue - cersupnynj@aol.com
and get the mason stains formulas printed there.
Quite a lot .
Sorry , I cannot offer help in any greater depth.
Khaimraj
* Secrecy used to be a way to ensure continued
sales .
Today - with modern equipment for analysis ?????
-----Original Message-----
From: Martin Howard
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: 30 October 2001 3:41
Subject: stains mason and others
>My little struggle to get stain producers in the UK to list the ingredients
>(not necessarily the percentages) has met with no success. They seem to
have
>closed ranks.
>The firm that agreed to list them for me, by FAX, does not respond. That
was
>Milton Bridge in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. My orders to them will be much
>reduced in future.
>My local stockist, who I try to give as much custom to as possible, has
>contacted the three suppliers of stains that she stocks.
>They all demand that she does not let purchasers know who they are and they
>refuse to give any other details other than that demanded by Health and
>Safety regulations.
>
>Of course I can still take a 50 gram sample to CERAM in Stoke on Trent for
>analysis at about £50 a sample. Might be worthwhile. And then publish it
for
>all to see?
>
>Mason stains in the USA apparently do supply some details. So it looks as
if
>there is quite an opening in the UK for that product. But will transport
>costs hike the price and when they come over here will they follow the
other
>UK suppliers and refuse details?
>
>It looks as if UK potters are getting a bum deal!
>
>Am I being paranoid on this question?
>
>I tested my own made clear glaze in The Glaze Book program, which I fudge
to
>read 6.31 for the English and Turner (Hybrid) linear Glaze Coefficient of
>Expansion.
>That gives me a completely craze and crawl free finish.
>Add 10% FeO by potters percentage and the figure goes to 6.19 which is
>almost certain to give me problems if not counteracted by some alteration
to
>the frits.
>
>Surely stains in general have the same propensity to alter a carefully
>selected computerised configuration of the final glaze.
>
>Therefore IMHO, stain manufacturers who do not give us the details we need
>should be avoided.
>
>Martin Howard
>Webbs Cottage Pottery
>Woolpits Road, Great Saling
>BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
>01371 850 423
>martin@webbscottage.co.uk
>http://www.webbscottage.co.uk
>This web-site is being updated NOW!
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