Maurice Weitman on sun 9 may 04
Greets,
As some of you may recall, I spent most of the last several months
converting my garage (storage heap) into my studio. I knew that
without an external deadline, this would take me years to accomplish,
so in November, I signed up for our Open Studio tour in May. Of
course, this was six months away, so I took my time and mostly had a
life for the first few months. When I got home from NCECA, I began
in earnest.
At some point, I'll post before and after photos, but for now I ask
you to be happy for me that I have a studio, and that I enjoy being
there. I'm thrilled.
Still needs work, of course: a sink, better lighting, better music,
more outlets, photo setup, fix the Grand Canyon crack in the concrete
floor, etc., but the main stuff is there and works great. Aside from
converting it from a workshop and storage heap, I had to replace the
breaker box in the kitchen cupboard, run a 100-amp line for a new box
in the garage err... studio, and build shelves, carts, etc.
The photos I just put up on the web
represent 17 of the pots I made for the show. About a month before
the show, I learned that the body on which I had done some testing
and expected to use would not be available; one of its ingredients
got flakey, and the replacement formula wouldn't be ready for at
least a few weeks. So I switched to another body (IMCO cone 6
porcelain) and threw about 75 pots. I was able to bisque them in my
new kiln before I went east for my son's wedding.
Everything was going well, but it seemed clear that Plan A (testing
the glazes I would use before the wedding) was not gonna happen
without pushing everything too much. So I put my faith in science,
Ron and John, and luck. And I got pretty lucky.
I just took these pics this afternoon; no time to set up a fancy
photo area. No great lighting (just a muted flash), no exotic
Varitone backdrop (I used my kiln lid), and no time to do anything to
the images but crop them. But you'll get the idea.
I really like the MC6G glazes (especially the semi-matte glazes) and
methods. I'm very much looking forward to experimenting with
thickness, slips, engobes, combinations, and other ingredients and
recipes.
I'm happy to answer questions and happier to learn what you think.
Regards,
Maurice, still in sunny, idyllic, Fairfax, California,
at Latitude: 37 degrees, 58 minutes, 36 seconds North
Longitude: 122 degrees, 36 minutes, 32 seconds West
but now in my studio at a slightly lower elevation: 214.4 feet (65.3 meters)
Maurice Weitman on mon 10 may 04
Hi, Sue, and thanks for the note.
Sue Beach wrote:
>What firing schedule did you use? The one recommended in the book?
Yes, or maybe a slight variation, that which John H. presented at
NCECA this year, and made available through his
web pages.
>Our experience with the raspberry isn't very red - it is really
>raspberry. Your
>photo looks RED. Maybe the difference is the clay body? I use a light brown
>stoneware.
Yes, I'm sure that a white/porcelain body will make a big difference
in color and brilliance compared to a brownish body. I'd say that's
a big reason why folks love porcelain so much.
And it is difficult to get an accurate rendition of color on the web,
but I can say that my "raspberry" pots are way red.
I surely don't want to start another "the only real porcelain is cone
10 (or higher)" skirmish, but the other cone 6 porcelain (wink, wink,
nudge, nudge - I also won't say "porcelaneous" because I don't know
how to spell it) body I used surely fired differently than the IMCO
body.
I guess that's why "they" say, "test, test, etc."
I'm not familiar enough with the MC6G glazes to say what variables
besides clay body would cause significant differences. Perhaps Ron
or John can help.
Thanks again for the note.
Regards,
Maurice in windy Fairfax, California where I'm getting psyched for my
road trip/adventure through Oregon to Idaho for Craig Martell's
workshop at Michael Wendt's place where I'll get to hang out with
Dave Finkelnburg, Earl Krueger, and some other clayarters and potters
whom I've never met.
Angela Davis on mon 10 may 04
Congratulations on your new studio, Maurice, I am very pleased for you.
I'm sure your happy with the results of your first kiln load,
the glazes look wonderful. Is your new kiln controlled?
If so that is probably why your glazes look so different from ours,
I was SHOCKED with your raspberry, ours has been difficult and
never pretty by itself on a pot. We use it for dipping over another glaze.
I think we need to mix more test batches, something may be wrong.
The Varigated slate blue bottle number 2 is my favorite piece,
the shape talks to me, but that is what our Varigated Blue looks like.
We haven't tried the V Slate Blue yet, that I know of. From looking at your
pictures
I suspect the guys who mixed our bucket of
Varigated may have mixed the Slate instead.
Thanks so much for sharing, I've learned a lot.
Angela Davis
"Have joy in everything you make."
Sue Beach on mon 10 may 04
Hi Maurice,
Thanks for posting the link to your MC6 firing.
Really liked the varigated slate blue & the jade green.
What firing schedule did you use? The one recommended in the book?
We've been experimenting with some of the glazes from the book and just used the
slow cooling firing schedule for the first time yesterday. Very different
results from the way we were firing before.
Our experience with the raspberry isn't very red - it is really raspberry. Your
photo looks RED. Maybe the difference is the clay body? I use a light brown
stoneware.
Sue Beach
Muncie, IN
Maurice Weitman on tue 11 may 04
At 10:36 -0400 on 5/10/04, Angela Davis wrote:
>Congratulations on your new studio, Maurice, I am very pleased for you.
Hello, Angela, and thanks for your kind note.
>I'm sure your happy with the results of your first kiln load,
>the glazes look wonderful. Is your new kiln controlled?
>If so that is probably why your glazes look so different from ours,
Yes, the kiln has a controller, so I was able to=20
do the slow, controlled cool-down that's=20
recommended in MC6G, and apparently critical to=20
much of their glazes' success.
As I wrote in response to an off-list message:=20
having a computer-controlled kiln doesn't mean I=20
got any sleep during that firing, mind you. I=20
started the firing late afternoon, went to sleep=20
around 1:00 am, and woke up at 3:15 am. Not on=20
purpose! I bolted out of bed to look out the=20
window to see if the studio formerly known as=20
garage was on fire, and I couldn't go back to=20
sleep. At around 3:30 I got dressed and went=20
down for a look-see.
Good thing I did, 'cause the kiln sitter tripped=20
about an hour before it should have. I restarted=20
it and watched as it finished going up and=20
started the soak. Then I panicked, thinking "the=20
kiln sitter can't be wrong (I put a cone 7 cone=20
in), but the computer's thermocouples can be" so=20
I cut the soak short by about 10 minutes and=20
started the cool down ramps.
And I couldn't really see the witness cones well=20
(I later realized that the ones I could see were=20
inaccurate because they were near an open peep=20
with a vent running), so I had no idea what was=20
going on. I'll write more about cone and kiln=20
sitter issues in a future message.
And, and, and... I was also standing next to the=20
kiln as it passed through 1050=BA F. going down,=20
and got to hear a few clicks. Like I needed to=20
listen to quartz inversion in action to let me=20
sleep better.
Boy, was I anxious. Visions of puddles of glaze=20
and now cracked pots on the shelves would not go=20
away. Where are the sugar plums when you need=20
them?
I was greatly relieved to see nice colors and no=20
puddles when I opened the lid the next morning.=20
The fact that I glazed too lightly on some pots=20
was light stuff on balance.
>I was SHOCKED with your raspberry, ours has been difficult and
>never pretty by itself on a pot. We use it for dipping over another glaze.
>I think we need to mix more test batches, something may be wrong.
As I just wrote to Sue Beach, the body I used=20
likely had a lot to do with the colors I got.=20
After I get the chance to do more experimenting=20
on other bodies, I'll be sure to let you all see.
I should also say that I was quite careful to=20
measure and mix the ingredients well and then=20
sieve everything at least twice through 80. I=20
took nearly every precaution possible (except for=20
neat glaze application): I bisqued to 04 (with=20
witness cones attesting), and wiped down all=20
bisqued pots with a damp sponge before glazing.
>The Varigated slate blue bottle number 2 is my favorite piece,
>the shape talks to me, but that is what our Varigated Blue looks like.
>We haven't tried the V Slate Blue yet, that I know of. From looking at you=
r
>pictures
>I suspect the guys who mixed our bucket of
>Varigated may have mixed the Slate instead.
I will now publicly confess that which I already=20
spilled to Ron and John: I'm color blind. Not=20
terribly so, but enough to doubt lots of what I=20
see. At least I can tell the difference between=20
a tawny puce and a bilious green. Most of the=20
time. But I required the assistance of a=20
normally-wired (color-vision-wise) wife to sort=20
out the pots and corroborate my scant notes with=20
the results. What I'm driving at is: I may be=20
wrong with which glaze is on which pot, but I=20
don't think so. If I am mistaken, though, I=20
blame the Donalds: Rumsfeld, Trump, and Fehr.=20
And George Steinbrenner.
Thanks again for your kind note, Angela. I can't=20
wait to try combining some glazes as you've done.=20
If I can get anything close to the beauty and=20
drama of your Henko bottle, I'd be thrilled.
Best,
Maurice
Charles Moore on tue 11 may 04
Maurice,
I have encountered the same problem with the Kiln sitter tripping too soon
on a ^6 firing using a small ^7 cone in the sitter. I now put a small ^8
bar (which I like better than the small cone). No problems since.
Charles
----- Original Message -----
From: "Maurice Weitman"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2004 12:57 AM
Subject: Re: Images of first cone 6 firing - MC6G glazes
the kiln sitter tripped
about an hour before it should have. I restarted
it and watched as it finished going up and
started the soak. Then I panicked, thinking "the
kiln sitter can't be wrong (I put a cone 7 cone
in), but the computer's thermocouples can be" so
I cut the soak short by about 10 minutes and
started the cool down ramps.
Best,
Maurice
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Steve Mills on wed 12 may 04
Because of the weight of the pivot rod we always fire one cone above the
heatwork wanted, and advise our customers the same.
Steve
Bath
UK
In message , Charles Moore writes
>Maurice,
>
>I have encountered the same problem with the Kiln sitter tripping too soo=
>n
>on a ^6 firing using a small ^7 cone in the sitter. I now put a small ^8
>bar (which I like better than the small cone). No problems since.
>
>Charles
>----- Original Message -----
>the kiln sitter tripped
>about an hour before it should have.
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
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