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why did my luster fall off the pot?

updated thu 8 apr 04

 

william schran on sun 4 apr 04


Alisa wrote: >Recently, I used Blue Titanium Lustre, I just ordered.
It was painted on clean, gloss glaze. Fired straight up to 850c.
like I do with the gold. Every piece that I painted with the lustre
had no effect of the lustre on the pots, but a neat ring of black
dust around the pot on the kiln shelf.<

Been many years since I used lusters, but I do remember gold, silver
& palladium are fired higher, to cone 019. All the other lusters were
fired to cone 022-020. Perhaps you fired too high.

Another thought, did you keep the lid propped open slightly
throughout the firing to allow the combustibles to escape when
burning off?

Bill

Alisa Clausen on sun 4 apr 04


Dear Clayart,
I usually use a gold luster for some rims of some pots.

Recently, I used Blue Titanium Lustre, I just ordered.

I took great caution to apply it in the open air, and found it much =
thinner than the gold lustre is in the bottle.

It was painted on clean, gloss glaze. Fired straight up to 850c. like I =
do with the gold.

Every piece that I painted with the lustre had no effect of the lustre =
on the pots, but a neat ring of black dust around the pot on the kiln =
shelf.

Why would this happen? Does it need several layers of application or =
anything different than the gold?

thanks and regards from Alisa in Denmark

Johanna De Maine on wed 7 apr 04


> Alisa wrote: >Recently, I used Blue Titanium Lustre, I just ordered.
> It was painted on clean, gloss glaze. Fired straight up to 850c.
> like I do with the gold. Every piece that I painted with the lustre
> had no effect of the lustre on the pots, but a neat ring of black
> dust around the pot on the kiln shelf.<

Hi Ailsa

I am guessing here that the titanium blue lustre belongs to the Mother of
Pearl family and if that is so my experience has been that MOP needs to be
applied thinly and randomly (eg stippled etc). If MOP is applied too
heavily it powders off leaving bare patches. Also I only fire my MOP to a
maximum of 785c. as I do with gold and all my lustres. The temperature you
fire at is determined by the glaze underneath. Glazes in the range of
1200-1300c. should be refired between 750-800c. for best results. This
allows the glaze to soften slightly and accept the lustre or gold and have
maximum adhesion.

If your Blue Titanium lustre is manufactured by Charles Lamb Geotechnics why
don't you contact him. He is very approachable and knowledgable. His
address is:

Charles Lamb Geotechnics
39 Farley Fields
Orton Wistow, Peterborough PE2 6YB
UK
Tel/Fax: 01733 234096
Mobile: 07880 501880

Johanna De Maine
http://johanna.demaine.org
johann@demaine.org