Elizabeth Priddy on sun 8 jun 03
I have a red pot that I bought at a dollar store. It was made in China.
It reminds me of a pot that my grandma had, enamelware. Hers was white. It cooks great. I have made soup in it about four times now.
When it heats up, the red turns darker from the heat, a neat property but slightly disturbing nonetheless.
Question 1: Could this "enameled" pot really just be lead glazed?
Question 2: If it is, isn't the lead harmless when fired and rendered inert? I know it is dangerous to use lead to make the glaze itself, and to use things where the lead is not really fired in completely, but isn't it changed by the fire and stable once it is?
Wondering in NC, and waiting to use my pot......should have bought the blue one...or would the blue one be just as bad?
What colors can lead glazes be?
Elizabeth Priddy
www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop
Beaufort, NC
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Earl Brunner on mon 9 jun 03
Both John and Roy in their book on cone 6 glazes place the emphasis on
STABLE glazes, glazes that resist acid and don't easily leach materials.
Leaching silica, or one of the other relatively harmless chemicals isn't
much of an issue, lead is another story. The problem with some lead
glazes is that they aren't "inert" when fired, but can give off lead
when attacked by acids in foods.
There is a cool mystery novel about North Carolina potters called
"Uncommon Clay" by Margaret Maron. Without ruining the plot, this topic
is in the story.
Lead glazes can be any color, they show color very well, that was one
of their attractions, brilliant colors with depth.
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Elizabeth
Priddy
Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 5:35 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: real questions about lead glazes
Question 2: If it is, isn't the lead harmless when fired and rendered
inert? I know it is dangerous to use lead to make the glaze itself, and
to use things where the lead is not really fired in completely, but
isn't it changed by the fire and stable once it is?
Wondering in NC, and waiting to use my pot......should have bought the
blue one...or would the blue one be just as bad?
What colors can lead glazes be?
John Hesselberth on mon 9 jun 03
On Sunday, June 8, 2003, at 08:35 PM, Elizabeth Priddy wrote:
> Question 2: If it is, isn't the lead harmless when fired and rendered
> inert? I know it is dangerous to use lead to make the glaze itself,
> and to use things where the lead is not really fired in completely,
> but isn't it changed by the fire and stable once it is?
>
> Wondering in NC, and waiting to use my pot......should have bought the
> blue one...or would the blue one be just as bad?
Hi Elizabeth,
The lead is not necessarily harmless when contained in a glaze. It
depends on how well the glaze is formulated and how durable it is.
There are specific standards in the US and most other countries on how
much lead can leach from a glaze in a specific test. Theoretically,
nothing is supposed to be sold for food use that does not meet these
standards. However I think it is fair to say that the policing of these
standards is far less than exhaustive. I put a page on my web site
about lead in glazes a couple years ago. If you want to read more, go
to:
http://www.frogpondpottery.com/pottalk/lead.htm
You can put your own mind at ease by testing your pot with one of the
lead test kits available at most hardware stores. They were developed
to test for lead painted surfaces, but they work for ceramic other
surfaces too. Those test kits will not tell you the level of lead that
will leach--they only test for the presence of lead.
Regards,
John
John Britt on mon 9 jun 03
Elizabeth,
The answer is definitely NO.
There is a lot of research on lead which I am sure you could find to back
this up.
John Britt
On Sun, 8 Jun 2003 17:35:13 -0700, Elizabeth Priddy
wrote:
>I have a red pot that I bought at a dollar store. It was made in China.
>
>It reminds me of a pot that my grandma had, enamelware. Hers was white.
It cooks great. I have made soup in it about four times now.
>
>When it heats up, the red turns darker from the heat, a neat property but
slightly disturbing nonetheless.
>
>Question 1: Could this "enameled" pot really just be lead glazed?
>
>
>Question 2: If it is, isn't the lead harmless when fired and rendered
inert? I know it is dangerous to use lead to make the glaze itself, and to
use things where the lead is not really fired in completely, but isn't it
changed by the fire and stable once it is?
>
>Wondering in NC, and waiting to use my pot......should have bought the
blue one...or would the blue one be just as bad?
>
>What colors can lead glazes be?
>
>
>
>Elizabeth Priddy
>
>www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop
>Beaufort, NC
>
>---------------------------------
>Do you Yahoo!?
>The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
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Jon Pacini on tue 10 jun 03
Greetings All---------Weren't Cemeteries once upon a time referred to as
Potters Fields??? There must have been good a reason!!
Jon Pacini
Clay Manager
Laguna Clay Co
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