Bill Edwards on wed 12 nov 03
I thought it might be best to share this instead of
sending it private email. Several have asked about
this subject and I have written about it here but
there's always room for more and Human Ash glaze and
use is not an everyday topic nor used that often. I
believe its a wonderful gesture on the behalf of
potters and family who do choose to have their
cremains made into something else which with care can
last many life times and is significant reminders of
our loved ones in comparison to a toomb stone that may
or may not be remembered in 10 years? Its a matter of
personal desire and nothing dark or distastefull at
all about human cremains respectfully being used for
adornment and beautification as a remembrance to their
families and loved ones.
Tony - There shouldnt be any problem at all using the
ash as you choose in either the glaze or clay or in
both as I did. The recipe I wrote only used 5% but I
did a test piece with 10% ash. I also used a
substantial amount of human ashes in the clay as well.
The pieces I made were for the family of a potter
friend of mine. I had to reduce the ashes by grinding
them a little more and sifting them. This is important
but you can use the course material in the clay if you
want texture.
All this is already calcined material and so
out-gassing and pop outs on what I done did not
happen. They were some unusual iron looking deposits
here and there on the clay when fired to bisque which
left a nice spot here and there upon the final firing
much like iron does in reduction. I fired to a full
cone 6 in oxidation. The only real thing I might add
to the earlier written statement is this: I find it
best to re-grind the ash material as fine as possible.
Getting it down to a 100 mesh or smaller would be
great! Ball milling is good. I had neither but I did
have a method that I used to grind pigments back when
I was in that business and I was able to get somewhere
in the middle of medium to fine?
Also I am one of the people who add's hits to your
count meter for your site. I go there often and
appreciate what you offer to our clay buddies. Thanks
for all you do. I hope what I offered can be of help.
Bill Edwards
=====
http://www.tallapoosariverpottery.com/
Bill Edwards
PO Box 267
Lafayette, AL, 36862
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Earl Brunner on sat 15 nov 03
The "ash" from a human body has a lot of chemistry to it, this
chemistry will interact with the clay and or glaze that it is in. It
will NOT just burn out and leave "holes".
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of William
Sheppard
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 11:31 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Human Ash in Clay and Glaze
I looked into this idea of putting ashes into a piece of ceramic art
for a friend a while back.
I seem to remember that the temperature of a cremation oven is MUCH
colder than that of our kiln firings.
I figured that this higher temperature would just burn away the
carbon
and there would not actually be any ashes left in the ceramic piece.
Was I
mistaken in my thought process? I guess the thought of the ashes being
used in the process might be enough.
William Sheppard
Pat Young Ceramic Arts
Studio turning 50 years old in 2004
William Sheppard on sat 15 nov 03
I looked into this idea of putting ashes into a piece of ceramic art
for a friend a while back.
I seem to remember that the temperature of a cremation oven is MUCH
colder than that of our kiln firings.
I figured that this higher temperature would just burn away the carbon
and there would not actually be any ashes left in the ceramic piece. Was I
mistaken in my thought process? I guess the thought of the ashes being
used in the process might be enough.
William Sheppard
Pat Young Ceramic Arts
Studio turning 50 years old in 2004
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on sat 15 nov 03
Hi William,
They are not 'ashes' as Wood ashes are.
They are not vestigual silica.
They are not 'ashes' at all, except as a figurative and
maybe pallative term.
They are refractory ( at the temperatures of Cremation
anyway,) Calcium. There is no Carbon present after the
Crematory Ovens have cooled.
They get washed, and ground up into a kind of 'meal' or
coarse powder at the Crematory to conceal recognizable
configurations such as Teeth, or inconveniently sized if
eroded pieces of denser sections of Bone.
Thats the deal...
Regards,
Phil
Las Vegas
----- Original Message -----
From: "William Sheppard"
> I looked into this idea of putting ashes into a piece of
ceramic art
> for a friend a while back.
>
> I seem to remember that the temperature of a
cremation oven is MUCH
> colder than that of our kiln firings.
>
> I figured that this higher temperature would just
burn away the carbon
> and there would not actually be any ashes left in the
ceramic piece. Was I
> mistaken in my thought process? I guess the thought of
the ashes being
> used in the process might be enough.
>
> William Sheppard
Hank Murrow on sat 15 nov 03
Dear Phil and William;
Let's not forget the considerable Phosphorus component of Bone Ash
(Mammalian remains). Won't make much difference in bodies except at
high temperature, but will contribute glass former to high temp glazes.
Cheers, Hank in Eugene
www.murrow.biz/hank
On Nov 15, 2003, at 1:35 AM, pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET wrote:
>
> They are not 'ashes' as Wood ashes are.
>
> They are refractory ( at the temperatures of Cremation
> anyway,) Calcium. There is no Carbon present after the
> Crematory Ovens have cooled.
>
Snail Scott on sat 15 nov 03
At 02:31 AM 11/15/03 -0500, you wrote:
> I seem to remember that the temperature of a cremation oven is MUCH
>colder than that of our kiln firings.
Not so. Cremation temps are into the stoneware range.
> I figured that this higher temperature would just burn away the carbon
>and there would not actually be any ashes left in the ceramic piece...
The carbon burned out in the original cremation,
but most of the minerals are still there; calcium
and more. That's why bone ash is a flux.
-Snail
Paul Raymond on sun 16 nov 03
I don't know much about this but I do remember reading an article by Jeff Zamek a few years ago about his expereince with adding dog ash to a glaze. It was about 4-5 years back in either CM or Claytimes, but probably CM.
Paul
Franklin, TN
Graeme Anderson on sun 16 nov 03
What about the wood ashes from the coffin? And the different types of wood
used? Just curious.
Cheers. Graeme.
William Sheppard on tue 18 nov 03
Paul,
If I am thinking of the same article, didn't Jeff Zamek make a coffee
mug using his dog's ashes. He said something about every time he drank his
coffee out in the studio he would picture his dog lying on the floor nearby.
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