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ash washers unite

updated sun 18 apr 04

 

Gene Arnold on wed 14 apr 04


Today while drying a small amount of ash in the microwave a thought came =
to me.

What would be the problem with mixing the glaze with un-washed ashes, =
letting the glaze settle a day or so and then decant the water off the =
top and re-add fresh water. Then repeat the process a few times to =
remove the ash nasties.

I know some have said don't wash the ash at all, but the cone 6 glaze I =
use gives better results if I wash my ash.

Has anyone tried this???


Gene & Latonna
mudduck@mudduckpottery.com
www.mudduckpottery.com

Ivor and Olive Lewis on thu 15 apr 04


Dear Gene Arnold,
Though difficult to prove I think there are three objections to post
preparation washing of ash bearing glazes.
1. Unforeseen chemical reactions with new ingredients could create
problems by sequestering what were soluble compounds. As solids they
could change the character of the glaze and lower its maturing point
2. Caustic solutions could react with other ingredients to create
soluble compounds which you would remove from your recipe. This could
change the character of your glaze and elevate its maturing point
3. Ingredients which are not normal soluble in plain water may become
soluble in an alkali solution. this might happen with colouring
oxides.
Which puts the ball in your court. Experiment and report back.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia


3.----- Original Message ----- From: "Gene Arnold"
To:
Sent: Thursday, 15 April 2004 2:15
Subject: ash washers unite


Today while drying a small amount of ash in the microwave a thought
came to me.

What would be the problem with mixing the glaze with un-washed ashes,
letting the glaze settle a day or so and then decant the water off the
top and re-add fresh water. Then repeat the process a few times to
remove the ash nasties.

I know some have said don't wash the ash at all, but the cone 6 glaze
I use gives better results if I wash my ash.

Has anyone tried this???


Gene & Latonna
mudduck@mudduckpottery.com
www.mudduckpottery.com

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Ababi on thu 15 apr 04


ash washers uniteHi Gene
It is very simple
The unwashed ash includes some soluble oxides I believe K2O
The soluble wandering oxide might harm you glaze or your ware or might no=
t!
It is defiantly a different analysis.
If you are using any of the systems calculating or Currie's Grid. Use eit=
her washed all the time or UNWASHED all the time.
I found out that probably my loess Soil is very similar to the analysis o=
f ash I use.=20

I will try soon ( adjusting though a software) to duplicate some of my as=
h glazes. If it will work I shall not use ash anymore that makes me and m=
y studio a messy spot.
Ababi Sharon=20
Glaze addict
Kibbutz Shoval -Israel
http://ababi.active.co.il
testing my soil in a terrible delighting grid expecting to have half cost=
double beauty glaze out of my soil!
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Gene Arnold=20
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=20
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 7:45 PM
Subject: ash washers unite


Today while drying a small amount of ash in the microwave a thought cam=
e to me.=20

What would be the problem with mixing the glaze with un-washed ashes, l=
etting the glaze settle a day or so and then decant the water off the top=
and re-add fresh water. Then repeat the process a few times to remove th=
e ash nasties.

Richard Aerni on thu 15 apr 04


On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 12:45:25 -0400, Gene Arnold wrote:

>Today while drying a small amount of ash in the microwave a thought came
to me.
>
>What would be the problem with mixing the glaze with un-washed ashes,
letting the glaze settle a day or so and then decant the water off the top
and re-add fresh water. Then repeat the process a few times to remove the
ash nasties.

I think if you try this you will be happy with the results.
Good luck,
Richard Aerni
Rochester, NY

Wes Rolley on thu 15 apr 04


At 12:45 PM 4/14/04 -0400, you wrote:

>Has anyone tried this???

I have not. Fortunately, I started working with unwashed ash and developed=
=20
my glazes on that basis. While there are benefits to washing the ash, I=20
can not envision starting all over again with the process of tuning the=20
glaze recipes.

Wes


"I find I have a great lot to learn =96 or unlearn. I seem to know far too=
=20
much and this knowledge obscures the really significant facts, but I am=20
getting on." -- Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
(408)778-3024

Craig Martell on thu 15 apr 04


Gene axed:
>What would be the problem with mixing the glaze with un-washed ashes,
>letting the glaze settle a day or so and then decant the water off the top
>and re-add fresh water. Then repeat the process a few times to remove the
>ash nasties.

Hello Gene:

I don't see any problem at all with doing this. Sometime back, Richard
Aerni suggested weighing out the exact amount of ash for a glaze and
washing this a few times before adding and mixing the rest of the glaze
ingredients. If you wash everything and the glaze includes clays and other
suspenders, it might take longer for the stuff to settle before you can
decant the water.

regards, Craig Martell Hopewell, Oregon

S. Morris on thu 15 apr 04


I haven't personally tried it, but I would predict is
if you mixed unwashed ash in you glaze, and then tried
to skim some of the chucks out, you are bound to take
some of the soluable glaze materials with the
chunks.... I don't know if it would effect the overall
glaze content... and change the looks or results of a
glaze. I personally always wash my ash, because my
sourse is from a wood kiln and dirt particles from the
wood never melt out.

-Steph




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Ivor and Olive Lewis on fri 16 apr 04


Dear Gene Arnold,
To add to what I said in a previous post to this topic.
Please remember that some of our ingredients are slightly soluble,
hence, repeated washing of a glaze compounded from unwashed ash will
start to deplete your glazes of other important ingredients and change
its character in unpredictable ways.
Three potential problem ingredients would be Lithium Carbonate, Soda
Felspar and Nepheline Syenite.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia

Ivor and Olive Lewis on fri 16 apr 04


Dear Wes Rolley,
An interesting investigation is prepare two sets of test tiles, one
with washed ash and one with unwashed ash. I did this recently with
two natural ingredients, my Ash and Mintaro Slate, cross fertilised
with Soda Felspar and Kaolin. There were some remarkable contrasts for
identical values of the Kaolin/Slate/ Felspar with the opposing types
of ash.
What a fruitful pathway to natural celadon glazes without having to
introduce Iron oxide
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia