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using bentonite

updated sun 12 sep 04

 

Kenneth D. Westfall on thu 9 sep 04


Friend just call about using bentonite. We both remember one way you get
cottage cheese the other work fine. It been too many year for me to
remember the proper way to mix bentonite in a glaze. Do you mix it first
with the dry material, then mix with water or do you mix the bentonite with
water first then with the rest of your materials?

Kenneth D. Westfall
Pine Hill Pottery
R.D. #2 Box 6AA
Harrisville, WV 26362
kenneth@pinehillpottery.com
http://www.pinehillpottery.com

Earl Brunner on thu 9 sep 04


Mix dry first.

Earl Brunner
Las Vegas, NV
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Kenneth D.
Westfall
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 10:30 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Using Bentonite

Friend just call about using bentonite. We both remember one way you get
cottage cheese the other work fine. It been too many year for me to
remember the proper way to mix bentonite in a glaze. Do you mix it first
with the dry material, then mix with water or do you mix the bentonite with
water first then with the rest of your materials?

Kenneth D. Westfall
Pine Hill Pottery
R.D. #2 Box 6AA
Harrisville, WV 26362
kenneth@pinehillpottery.com
http://www.pinehillpottery.com

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Tig Dupre on fri 10 sep 04


------------------------------<>--------------------------------------
We both remember one way you get cottage cheese the other work fine. It been
too many year for me to remember the proper way to mix bentonite in a glaze. Do you
mix it first with the dry material, then mix with water or do you mix the bentonite
with water first then with the rest of your materials?
------------------------------<>--------------------------------------

Kenneth,

I mix my bentonite in with the dry materials. I then mix well those materials before adding them to water. Add dry materials to water, not the other way around. I also let the dry materials slake in the water before stirring. Helps to get the dry bubble out and let all the particles get wet.

After stirring, I sieve three times through 80 mesh, and let sit for a day before using.

Good luck,

Tig Dupre
in Port Orchard, Washington

Ron Roy on fri 10 sep 04


Just mix it with the raw materials before adding them to the water - I just
stir it a bit before.

RR

>Friend just call about using bentonite. We both remember one way you get
>cottage cheese the other work fine. It been too many year for me to
>remember the proper way to mix bentonite in a glaze. Do you mix it first
>with the dry material, then mix with water or do you mix the bentonite with
>water first then with the rest of your materials?
>
>Kenneth D. Westfall

Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
Phone: 613-475-9544
Fax: 613-475-3513

Frank Gaydos on sat 11 sep 04


I like to mix it one pound to one gallon of water and stir well ahead of
time in 5 gallon buckets. It forms a gruel that looks like what Linda Blair
shot out of her mouth in the Exorcist. :>) I then add one gallon to my dry
mix, slop mixture of about 100 pounds.
The reason I like this method as opposed to adding directly is that the
Bentonite will absorb 22 times its weight of water. If you add directly it
will 'steal' water that you think is going to wet other particles of clay.
This way what you see is what you get, no 'stealing' going on while the clay
sits.

Frank Gaydos

----- Original Message -----
> Just mix it with the raw materials before adding them to the water - I
just
> stir it a bit before.
>
> RR
>
> >Friend just call about using bentonite. Do you mix it first
> >with the dry material, then mix with water or do you mix the bentonite
with
> >water first then with the rest of your materials?
> >
> >Kenneth D. Westfall
>
>