Ama Menec on thu 16 sep 04
Dear Clayarters,
I have several recipes for a Gold Raku, all of which use Silver Nitrate, and
certainly one of which is rather splendidly gold, as I've seen the orriginal
recipe fired, it was fantastic. I don't however want to use Silver Nitrate
as it's hard to get hold of here in the UK, it's pretty noxious and it also
ruins your brushes. I've been advised to try Silver Carbonate, and that it
is chemically stronger that Silver Nitrate and so to use less of it. I've
tried this with several recipes, including the rather splendid one, with
pretty dull results.
So my questions are; should I try again with more Silver Carbonate added?
Should I give up on Silver Carbonate? Is there a more effective and possibly
cheaper way of getting a good gold Raku that isn't a copper bronze? Is their
no real alternative to Silver Nitrate? Thanks so much.
Ama Menec, Totnes, Devon, UK.
Wesley Derrick - Derrick Pottery - Jackson, MS on mon 20 sep 04
Ama Menec,
Take a look at this achived Clayart post......
http://www.potters.org/subject21971.htm
hope this helps....
wesley
Derrick Pottery
Clinton, MS
verboten@thebellwitch.net
Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 21 sep 04
Dear Wesley Derrick,
This is all good information but it tells us nothing about the
chemical reactivity of either compound as a glaze colourant in a Raku
glaze. A general Chemistry text (The old fashioned kind such as
Durrant "General and Inorganic Chemistry" can be much more informative
about the nature of Silver substances. Look in that text under
"Coinage Metals"
My question to the original inquiry which remains unanswered was "What
medium are you using t liquefy your glaze" Is it water or is it
something else?
Unless a post firing technique is used with either the nitrate or the
carbonate, I would anticipate that the glaze would fire to a dull
yellow. I do not think raku post fire smoking is sufficient to
encourage the chemistry necessary to encourage metallic lustre.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
S. Australia.
.
| |
|
