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aftosa wax resist

updated thu 7 nov 02

 

Dupre Mr Marcy M on tue 5 nov 02


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I have to shake the dickens out of the Aftosa wax first. After application,
let it dry, I mean for a couple of days before either doing oxide washes or
glazing over it. I have heard that you can remove those little beads of
oxide or glaze stuck to the wax by putting the piece in the kiln or oven and
heating up to about 200 degrees when you are finished working on the piece.
Something I heard at a workshop this summer. I haven't tried it as of yet.
Dale Tex
"across the alley from the Alamo"
San Antonio, Texas
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I also have had problems with the AFTOSA brand of wax resist. It seems to
take forever to dry, it doesn't coat evenly, it pulls away from a smooth
surface, and it doesn't seem to cover very well as a resist. I find that
sometimes, glaze will bleed through the resist and I don't catch it with a
mop-up sponge. Therefore, I get odd glaze spots on the feet, or I'll get
pots that are stuck to kiln shelves. Truly irritating!

Unfortunately, I have a gallon of the stuff, and I'll have to use it on
simple pieces only. Meanwhile, I'm using my hot paraffin and kerosene mix
for the majority of wax resisting. And, YES, I am ventilating very well,
never leaving it unattended, unplugging the electric fry pan, and taking all
appropriate safety measures. Thanks for asking!

QUESTION FOR THE ASSEMBLY: I seem to remember reading that latex Gesso will
also work as a resist. This is the same gesso that is used to size canvas
for painting. If I add some food coloring to gesso, theoretically I should
be able to use it as a resist. Has anyone else had
experience--positive--with gesso? Is there anything else I could use for a
resist medium?

All assistance is appreciated,

Tig
in Springfield, VA, where the air is crisp, and there is a smell of wood
smoke on the morning air

Megan Ratchford on tue 5 nov 02


Tig,
Good morning! I have been using latex for a while. Not gesso but an
expensive variety for making molds. I water it down, (it is the amonia
based latex,) and use it on my feet, lid seats, etc, where clean is
essential. I let the glaze dry then peel it off. I also use it as a
decorative feature to resist glaze in layers: dip, peel, latex again, dip,
peel, etc...
I do use wax with alumina for my porcelain pieces but I water the wax
down, 2/3 wax and 1/3 water. Seems to dry imidiately, better coverage, and
a quick swipe cleans it well.
As to expense, well, I find that the wax is more expensive than the
latex in heartache. If a drop of wax goes somewhere it shouldn't then it's
a pain, but if the latex drops somewhere unfortunate you just wait a bit
then peel it off!!! :)
Megan
In cool Colorado where the sun is shining and the frost is glitter on every
leaf and blade of grass. Today I open my salt kiln from last weekend and
drive to Ft. Collins for a special visit!

Diane Winters on wed 6 nov 02


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>I have to shake the dickens out of the Aftosa wax first. After application,
>let it dry, I mean for a couple of days before either doing oxide washes or
>glazing over it.
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I use Aftosa wax resist and like it a lot - BUT, I dilute it with water.
This not only makes it last longer, but means it dries quickly without
leaving that sort of sticky/oily/gumminess the full strength stuff has when
applied thick, and even works better at resisting, at least in my
experience. (As a tilemaker who glazes by dipping, I end up waxing approx.
50% of the surface area of all my work so I've got to have the wax work
right for me.)

For economy I buy the large size, but I only dilute it in small batches,
which I keep in a separate 8oz. lidded container. (I once diluted a very
large batch and grew some very cruddy looking mold before I got close to
using it up - I think due to contamination introduced along with the water -
but have never had mold in the small batches) You can easily add as much as
1 part water to 3 or 4 parts Aftosa. I apply with a foam brush. When
diluted, the resist does end up going on rather thin in places, not much
more than like a watercolor wash, but I have been surprised how well it
still does its job.

Regards,
Diane Winters
in Oakland/Berkeley, CA with the usual mix of delight, relief, annoyance and
disappointment watching the election returns come in.