Ellen Currans on tue 6 jan 04
Hi,
I wash all my pots before glazing, but then they have been sitting on the
shelves sometimes for two or three months, and have gotten dusty. I like to make
and make and then glaze and do 5 to 8 kiln firings back to back. Otherwise,
I waste a lot of time transitioning from making to glazing.
However, the main reason I wash everything and glaze when they are still
fairly damp is because two thirds of what I make have textured patterns on them
and the dampened ware combined with fairly thin glazes allows me to control the
glaze coat. If the bisque is bone dry and the glaze thick, dipping leaves
small air bubbles in the pattern grooves, or else the coat is so thick so quickly
that the pattern is covered over. Using a thin glaze I can dip several times
quickly to get the right thickness without the air bubbles, and without large
heavy dribbles of glaze running into the pattern. Works for me.
I fire a 36 cu. ft. MFT to cone 10 (stoneware) every two days when I am
firing and never pay much attention to how dry the pots are before I start the
kiln. The glazing is usually finished the night before I load the kiln early in
the morning so they have set in the studio (or maybe in the kiln) overnight
before I fire. I'd load at night if I had any energy left to do it! I never
have a problem with cracking, exploding, dunting, etc. It takes about 12 to 13
hours to get to cone 10. (When I get my nerve up to gamble on a whole kiln
load, I'm going to try firing down ----if I can manage to stay up that much
later!) I do sleep in a lazy boy in the Studio when I have late firings, and use a
kitchen timer to alert me to checking the kiln.
Ellen Currans, in Dundee, Oregon, where we have 4 inches of snow and now
freezing rain.
Lee Love on wed 7 jan 04
Ellen Currans wrote:
>However, the main reason I wash everything and glaze when they are still
>fairly damp is because two thirds of what I make have textured patterns on them
>and the dampened ware combined with fairly thin glazes allows me to control the
>glaze coat. If the bisque is bone dry and the glaze thick, dipping leaves
>small air bubbles in the pattern grooves, or else the coat is so thick so quickly
>that the pattern is covered over.
>
At my teacher's workshop, for handles, ears and lugs, and where
ever there was a crease or ridge on the form, we used a water dipped
brush to make sure the creases were soaked, then we sponged. Because
of the scraped zogan/inlay surfaces, there was always dust. We used
dusters outside (wearing masks) to clean the dust off before we brushed
or sponged.
Like Ellen mentions, one reason for sponging is for very accuate
control of the thickness of the glaze. This was very important with
my teacher's ash glaze.
Lee In Mashiko, Japan
http://Mashiko.us
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