Taylor from Rockport on sun 5 dec 04
Earl,
I know that Vince used stiring plates when he was a wooly mamoth; I've seen
the pictures. I often wondered if that would be a good idea until I was
assured by Vince's pictures. The volume would depend on the size stiring
bar. I 'rescued' a few older glass-coated stir bars from a water testing
lab where I worked. They are kewl.
The concept of a magnetic stir plate is pretty simple. I'm sure one could
be pieced together pretty easily were one to have the will (and time). The
natural attraction/repulsion of magnets is what makes it work. Anyone in
ClayTown made one of their own?
Taylor, in Rockport
On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 12:44:27 -0800, Earl Krueger
wrote:
>Does anyone out there use magnetic stirrers to keep their glaze or slip
>well mixed?
>
Vince Pitelka on sun 5 dec 04
> Does anyone out there use magnetic stirrers to keep their glaze or slip
> well mixed?
Earl -
I used them for years to keep oxides in suspension for doing underglaze
brushwork. You can see a picture of them in operation at
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/gallery/railroad%20stoneware/rs-7.htm
Note the little whirlpool in each vessel. Those little laboratory stirrers
cost me about $100 each, but it was so great just being able to dip my brush
in the oxide mix without ever having to stir it.
I have never heard of magnetic stirrers being used on large vessels, but I
see no reason why it wouldn't be possible. It would take a much larger
stirrer mechanism, and I am afraid that it might be prohibitively expensive.
At http://www.sciencelab.com/page/S/PVAR/21761/50-HI300NU there is a stirrer
that will handle five liters of fluid, but of course that depends on the
thickness of the fluid, and it might not be able to handle that much glaze
or slip. That stirir is only $200, which seems a very good deal. You have
to buy the teflon-coated stir bars separately, and you would want to
research the right size bars for your application. Get extras, because
abrasive glaze materials will wear them out quickly. They are intended to
rotate on a raised rib around their center, and when that wears out it
creates a lot more friction.
Good luck -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Earl Krueger on sun 5 dec 04
Does anyone out there use magnetic stirrers to keep their glaze or slip
well mixed?
I'm talking about the kind used in chemistry labs where you drop a bar
magnet coated with plastic into your container of slop and then put the
container on top of a box which contains a motor that rotates a driving
magnet.
If so, how well do they work? How big a container can you use? Do you
have any problem with iron, or other materials, sticking to the magnet?
Or, what's your best procedure for keeping a glaze that wants to settle
well mixed?
Thanks...
--
Earl K...
Bothell WA, USA
"You may be disappointed if you fail,
but you are doomed if you don't try."
Beverly Sills (1929 - )
Logan Oplinger on tue 7 dec 04
On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 12:44:27 -0800, Earl Krueger
wrote:
>Does anyone out there use magnetic stirrers to keep their glaze or slip
>well mixed?
>
>I'm talking about the kind used in chemistry labs where you drop a bar
>magnet coated with plastic into your container of slop and then put the
>container on top of a box which contains a motor that rotates a driving
>magnet.
>
>If so, how well do they work? How big a container can you use? Do you
>have any problem with iron, or other materials, sticking to the magnet?
>
>
>Or, what's your best procedure for keeping a glaze that wants to settle
>well mixed?
>
>Thanks...
>
>--
>Earl K...
>Bothell WA, USA
>"You may be disappointed if you fail,
>but you are doomed if you don't try."
> Beverly Sills (1929 - )
Hello Earl,
In addition to what others have said to this post already, I have a couple
small words of caution. The glass covers on the glass covered magnets can
be easily broken. You don't want bits of broken glass in the bottom of
your glaze container waiting to cut your finger tips. But if the glass is
broken intentionally, it should be easy enough to slip a piece of plastic
tubing over the exposed magnet and seal the ends with a bit of silicone. A
piece of stainless steel wire bent around the middle of the tubing will act
as a pivot point reducing the effect of friction between the magnetic bar
and the bottom of the container.
Iron filings, and minerals with moderate to strong magnetic properties will
be attracted to the ends of the magnetic bar. Not what you want to happen
with your spectacular speckled glazes.
Just for fun, go to the following site to see a list of rocks and minerals
and their magnetic properties, and compare them to magnetite:
http://www.agu.org/reference/rock/15_hunt.pdf
Logan Oplinger
Another Tropical Island
Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 7 dec 04
I wonder if the magnetic flux would cause some of the Iron compounds
to separated out from the rest of the mixture?
Just an idle thought.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
S. Australia.
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