search  current discussion  categories  materials - clay 

single layer commercial glazes >>>>>>>> speckle the body

updated mon 25 feb 02

 

Ababi on sun 24 feb 02


After sending the letter below I remembered, I got the idea from an
adviser of supplier, that has kind of rare staff. When I asked him
for granular Manganese one said to the other: "Ababi looks again for
the strangest material".

Realizing that the delivery of Pyrite I wish to try would cost me too
much money led me to the next experiment, that like the letter
below,was a result of that telephone talk.
Today I took the claybody I intend to speckle.
I decided: 1.3kg of ready humid claybody is 1 K"g as dry,
I made three tests of 500 "grams" each
+8% red iron oxide
+8% yellow iron oxide
and the last 8% black iron oxide
To each test I added 5% borax
Made paper slip out of it and spread it on old newspapers.
I shall fire it to 750C 1382 F and smash it.
I hope I will get a speckling material. I hope the borax will add some
shine.
One advantage over the Manganese dioxide and the pyrite, will be the
ability to see the speckles in low fire.
Ababi
---------- Original Message ----------

>Hello Lela.
>My advise for you needs some testings.
>A)You need a runny glaze as a base.
>B) it requires some tests:fire to 700 or 750C , in flat plates some
>glazes. On each plate a different one. Inside the plate lay about 0.5
>C'm ( 2.5 cm one inch) of silica. Above it pour a thick layer of
>glazes, for low fire use low fire glaze for ^6 you can try both. After
>firing, take out the glaze and clean it as much as possible from the
>silica. Smash it with a hammer, while the "glaze" covered with a
>material, to defend your eyes.
>(You can try also broken bottles)
>C) To your runny glaze, add CMC, and while still wet, pour the
>"granular glaze" over.
>The "granular glaze" will run with the runny glaze.
>B/1) The best results I got from a granular engob. The glaze was runny
>but the engob run a little.
>Most of your 04 glazes will be runny at ^6
>Ababi Sharon