Bill Edwards on fri 24 oct 03
Tig, I have tested this very glaze on B-Mix. It works
just fine or did at the time and based on the way I
fired and mixed the glaze. Nothing really special!
This is not really as matte as it might appear unless
you are considering a slow fire down. Its perhaps at
best a semi matte and if fired fast more waxy. It
would be great to see how this copper glaze compares
if it were fired according to Ron and Johns methods
they use in their book. Also I believe this glaze was
tested and passed the leachate testing for copper at
some point? Didn't John have that on his site once??
Good luck and let me know how well it turns out for
you. B-mix is a wonderful clay and would be even
greater if we could have it to dry quicker without
cracking or handle issues and acting so porcelain. I
use porcelain as well and can make some comparisons
but when a clay has that much shrinkage theres some
things that are simply going to be different. Handles
are an ever present issue and large pieces unless
dried evenly over a period of time. This clay accepts
the glaze well and enhances the color depth. I did
know the differences between the 10 and 6 but I don't
think its fair to the company to get involved in
hypotheticals on what their clays are fully formed
from. I do know that B-Mix has been a successful clay
over the years and many potters have had and enjoyed
using it as I have. Xaviers Warm Jade Green over B-mix
and heat/thaw tested and acid test based on my old
research, as well as an old tile I had in the studio
tells me you shouldn't have any problems and the glaze
fits the body rather well and visually no crazing is
apparent after about 4 years in the studio on the
piece. I have to go with John's accessment on the rest
of the issues regarding the contents information. Its
hard to market a product like that and get a patent
that would hold. So the only other thing to do is keep
it a trade secret and there are laws that protect
companies and allows for them to sale items and
protect discoveries without patents. Labs approve
materials all the time whereas the end user may not
ever get the final information as to whats in the
product they are using. They agree to make sure the
material does what it says it will do as well as be
safe for the end user and nothing more is needed and a
final agreement is reached between the manufacturer
and the reporting agency or labs or toxicologist.
Bill Edwards
=====
http://www.tallapoosariverpottery.com/
Bill Edwards
PO Box 267
Lafayette, AL, 36862
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search
http://shopping.yahoo.com
| |
|
