Bob Freitas on wed 10 sep 03
Long, long ago, I was unofficial lab-tech for a community college,
mixing glazes usually ended up as #2 job. Dry mixing bentonite with at
least one of the other ingredients was usual process. Slaking for a few
hours was next preferred, hot water with a bit of dish soap was quicker
than long slaking, but not as effective.
Bob Freitas
Suisun City CA, USA
Long time lurker.
> Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 12:59:46 +1000
> From: Leonard Smith
> Subject: Re: Bentonite
>
>> These pieces of advice are actually similar. If you
>> put dry bentonite in your glaze and add water without
>> premixing, you get a slimy immiscible glob. By dry-
>> mixing the materials, the bentonite is distributed
>> evenly throughout, so no glob. By pre-wetting the
>> bentonite as a slurry, you also prevent the glob.
>> Two methods, one outcome. Both right. Eliminating
>> bentonite altogether would also prevent The Glob,
>> but that seems a bit extreme; bentonite is useful
>> stuff.
>>
> In general, dry mixing works well, through I have never tried mixing it
> into water first I have been told it helps if the water is hot. I have
> found that when I need to add bentonite to a glaze after it has been
> mixed in water if I sprinkle it on top and allow 24 hours for it to
> slake it mixes into the glaze slip without any lumps.
>
> Bentonite is a wonderful clay material and very beneficial to both
> suspension, adhesion and to the durability of the unfired surface.
> There are many glaze effects that I could not have achieved without it
> when I was raw glazing. If you have a need for it use it but don't take
> the advice to avoid it.
>
>
> Leonard Smith
> Rosedale Street Gallery
> 2A Rosedale Street
> Dulwich Hill NSW 2203
> Australia
| |
|
