Margaret Barlow on sun 17 mar 02
Connie said.....
I see alot
>of tea sets, sake sets, sauce dip sets, etc. that
>have crackle glazes on them, or appear to be some
>other sort of raku. I thought that is was unsafe to
>have crackle glaze on a food surface?
Crackle, or crazed glazes are not necessarily unsafe to have on dinnerware.
In most cases the craze lines merely provide places for bacteria to harbour
and grow, so unhygenic would be more like it.
However a glaze that crazes is one that is too small for the body and
therefore it is trying to pull the body apart at the craze lines. A good
glaze is one that is under compression, that is slightly larger than the
body. A glaze such as this will actually strengthen the ware.
While crazing glazes can be very attractive, I prefer a non crazing glaze
for anything functional.
....Margaret
vince pitelka on sun 17 mar 02
> In most cases the craze lines merely provide places for bacteria to
harbour
> and grow, so unhygenic would be more like it.
Margaret -
You give good advice in your post, but the above simply is not true. There
is no evidence whatsoever that craze lines provide places for bacteria to
grow. The real concern is fired strength, as you point out. Crazed wares
are weaker.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
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