Christine Martin on sat 15 jan 05
lee - thanks for sharing your website and pictures. i have a question
regarding the sea shells though. i'm a total newbie at this, so please don't
laugh it this seems like a silly question. you mention putting seashells
under pots. do you do this while firing instead of stilts to keep them from
sticking to the shelves? or what do you do with them?
christine
Hank Murrow on sat 15 jan 05
On Jan 15, 2005, at 10:14 AM, Christine Martin wrote:
> lee - thanks for sharing your website and pictures. i have a question
> regarding the sea shells though. i'm a total newbie at this, so please
> don't
> laugh it this seems like a silly question. you mention putting
> seashells
> under pots. do you do this while firing instead of stilts to keep them
> from
> sticking to the shelves? or what do you do with them?
Dear Christine;
I am sure Lee will respond, but here is my take on it. Woodfirers and
salt/soda firers like to have the 'bottoms' of their pots receive some
flyash or sodium so they prop up the pots on some kind of refractory
material. shells leave nice mars on the pot and the shell remnants wash
away if left to soak up ambient moisture for a few days. It may
surprise you to know that calcium melts at a higher temperature than
silica, so it makes an efficient support in such fires.
Cheers, Hank in Eugene
www.murrow.biz/hank
Edwards on sat 15 jan 05
Hello Christine: Yup the seashells are used to keep pots from sticking
to the shelves or each other as the case may be.
Some have taken to using them strictly as decorative markings. They do
leave a nicer pattern than wadding. I put them wedged between pots
sometimes as a safety measure, in case the pots get jostled in the firing.
~Craig
Christine Martin wrote:
> lee - thanks for sharing your website and pictures. i have a question
> regarding the sea shells though. i'm a total newbie at this, so please
> don't
> laugh it this seems like a silly question. you mention putting seashells
> under pots. do you do this while firing instead of stilts to keep them
> from
> sticking to the shelves? or what do you do with them?
>
> christine
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
>
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
Earl Brunner on sat 15 jan 05
The pot by Simon Levin on the cover of the current Clay Times has an example of a pot fired using sea shells. the article about Simon Levin also has some other pictures where yu can see the marks of the shells.
Hank Murrow wrote:On Jan 15, 2005, at 10:14 AM, Christine Martin wrote:
> lee - thanks for sharing your website and pictures. i have a question
> regarding the sea shells though. i'm a total newbie at this, so please
> don't
> laugh it this seems like a silly question. you mention putting
> seashells
> under pots. do you do this while firing instead of stilts to keep them
> from
> sticking to the shelves? or what do you do with them?
Dear Christine;
I am sure Lee will respond, but here is my take on it. Woodfirers and
salt/soda firers like to have the 'bottoms' of their pots receive some
flyash or sodium so they prop up the pots on some kind of refractory
material. shells leave nice mars on the pot and the shell remnants wash
away if left to soak up ambient moisture for a few days. It may
surprise you to know that calcium melts at a higher temperature than
silica, so it makes an efficient support in such fires.
Cheers, Hank in Eugene
www.murrow.biz/hank
Earl Brunner
e-mail: brunv53@yahoo.com
Ivor and Olive Lewis on sun 16 jan 05
Dear Christine Martin,
I have been reading the answers to your query and I'm left wondering
if the people who have given answers intend you will have exhilarating
success or abject failure should you try it out.
I tried it once, a long time ago when I was salt glazing. I had heard
about the idea but could find no instructions. Since it was in the
days before the internet and E- Mail so I could not get quick
answers. Oh yes, there are pictures in books and magazines but no
precise instructions.
The upshot of my trial was that the method was a total failure. The
shells, which were thick clam type shells, crumbled into a powder and
allowed the pots to move, causing some in kin damage.
It took a lot of thinking to find out why, but I will not make the
same mistake again.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
S. Australia.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christine Martin"
To:
Sent: Sunday, 16 January 2005 4:44
Subject: Loading the Kiln - Sea Shells?
> lee - thanks for sharing your website and pictures. i have a
question
> regarding the sea shells though. i'm a total newbie at this, so
please don't
> laugh it this seems like a silly question. you mention putting
seashells
> under pots. do you do this while firing instead of stilts to keep
them from
> sticking to the shelves? or what do you do with them?
>
> christine
>
>
______________________________________________________________________
________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your
subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Stephen on sun 16 jan 05
I always liked this effect when I saw it and started gathering shells
whenever I went to the coast. I staerted using this technique with wadding
in the shells. My results in woodfired salt vary. My experience is that it
is not always a sure thing. The results vary. I have had some shells flux
to the point that they left marked indentions. This can be nice but it can
also create problems, especially for functional ware. If you use it to
tumble stack your clay body has to have the strength to take this type of
stacking. It can warp. These things can be interesting, so it is an
esthetic/technical choice. I have not totally ruled it out even though I
have lost pots doing this. Someone else can probably explain a safe aproach
to using shells. I just used a trial and error aproach as with many things
I have spent years going the long way around. For me though, that was maybe
the only way if I was to keek doing pottery.
Stephen
Christine Martin on mon 17 jan 05
so if these sea shells don't melt away during firing - could they be used
for imbedding into clay? what about other things? mother of pearl?
semi-precious stones?
christine
Edwards on mon 17 jan 05
Hello Christine: They don't melt away and they do come out of the kiln
looking in pretty good shape..... but wait a few days and they are
completely powder. I would say that you could use them as a glaze
ingredient... like a coarse whiting.
They are not reusable.
Cheers
~Craig
________________
Craig Edwards, New London MN
e-mail craigedwards@charter.net
http://photobucket.com/albums/v11/credwards/
Illegitimis non carborundum
Christine Martin wrote:
> so if these sea shells don't melt away during firing - could they be used
> for imbedding into clay? what about other things? mother of pearl?
> semi-precious stones?
>
> christine
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
>
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
Lee Love on mon 17 jan 05
Christine Martin wrote:
> so if these sea shells don't melt away during firing - could they be used
> for imbedding into clay?
They turn into a powdery substance and easily dissolve in water
(they become a caustic paste you have to take care to clean off.)
> what about other things? mother of pearl?
> semi-precious stones?
Mother of pearl would get ugly and powdery. I wouldn't waste
the stones, but glass is fun.
--
in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://www.livejournal.com/users/togeika/ WEB LOG
http://public.fotki.com/togeika/ Photos!
Lee Love on mon 17 jan 05
Ivor and Olive Lewis wrote:
>The upshot of my trial was that the method was a total failure. The
>shells, which were thick clam type shells, crumbled into a powder and
>allowed the pots to move, causing some in kin damage.
>It took a lot of thinking to find out why, but I will not make the
>same mistake again.
>
Shells are packed with wadding. I am using about 60 alumina hyd. and
40 kaolin.
The best shells have lines on them that run raidally, from the
point of the hinge, fanning out to the lip of the shell.. These leave
nice lines and are strong. They are also white. You can see a bunch
here (about the 18th photo down):
http://potters.blogspot.com/
When I hear these hip-hop lyrics, I always think of the wrong shells:
Sea Shells. (Funny to think of a baggy pants urban kid with a pocket
full of sea shells) YoYo! :
"Ralley 'round your family
With a pocket full of shells..."
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://www.livejournal.com/users/togeika/ WEB LOG
http://public.fotki.com/togeika/ Photos!
Snail Scott on mon 17 jan 05
At 12:48 AM 1/17/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>so if these sea shells don't melt away during firing - could they be used
>for imbedding into clay...what about other things? mother of pearl?
>semi-precious stones?
Shells sort of get calcined, and lose their
structure. A few stones will handle low ceramic
temperatures, but most won't.
Every class I've ever taught has included
folks who want to incorporate other materials
into their project, and they always start by
assuming that means firing it all together,
as though it's not 'real ceramic' if it doesn't
all come out of the kiln in its final form.
The number of things that can endure ceramic
processes is tiny, though.
By considering the firing as the MIDDLE of the
process instead of the end, you infinitely
extend your options! You can use anything!
Why embed stones into unfired clay? Just make a
cavity to hold it, and inlay the stone afterward.
You'll need to make the socket slightly bigger
than the stone to accomodate shrinkage, but you'd
have to do that anyway or get a bit of cracking.
And setting _into_ the clay is only one option.
If you aren't relying on the clay to be its
'sole means of support', you can attach things
on wires, with string, and even make glue a
decorative element (see the previous discussion
about gold leaf on glue for repairs, etc). Why
save glue for repairs alone?
There are effects that rely on embedded objects
fired with the clay, but don't let yourself be
limited to that as the only approach.
-Snail
Lee Love on mon 17 jan 05
Christine Martin wrote:
> lee - thanks for sharing your website and pictures. i have a question
> regarding the sea shells though. i'm a total newbie at this, so please
> don't
> laugh it this seems like a silly question. you mention putting seashells
> under pots. do you do this while firing instead of stilts to keep them
> from
> sticking to the shelves? or what do you do with them?
Hi Chistine!
Yes, the reason you mention and also for the other decorative
reasons everybody else mentioned. One thing they didn't mention, is
that on larger heavier pots, clay wads will not hold their shape, but
wad packed shells will.
You can see a photo of a couple bizen pots if you go here:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/togeika/
The first one shows how I am packing the pot, to try and get more
variation on the pot. The secton photo is of a bizen pot that is a
little too uniform for my liking.
--
in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://www.livejournal.com/users/togeika/ WEB LOG
http://public.fotki.com/togeika/ Photos!
Stephen on mon 17 jan 05
Someone came into my shop yesterday and told me they had a friend that
tried to inlay diamonds and wondered where they went after the firing. An
expensive failed experiment. They might as well have used coalOr at least
asked someone first.
Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 18 jan 05
Dear Christine Martin,
Sea shells, Mother of pearl are all manufactured by Mother Nature from
Calcium Carbonate.
When this chemical compound, CaCO3, is heated much above 850=BA C (1560=BA
F) it is destroyed and becomes a reactive chemical, Calcium Oxide.
This new substance can react with water or moisture in the air to make
Calcium Hydroxide. This new chemical reaction caused an increase in
volume and is responsible for the ceramic fault known as "Lime Pops".
Some semi precious stones may be amenable to use as embedded
decoration. The best candidates would be Sapphire and Ruby slightly
impure alumina, which is a refractory material. Rock crystal, though
much cheaper, would not work due to the Quartz Phase Changes
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis
Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 18 jan 05
<< Shells are packed with wadding. I am using about 60 alumina hyd.
and 40 kaolin.>>
Thanks Lee,
That was not made plain in the article from which I got my original
information. But experience is a wonderful instructor when a teacher
fails to pass on all of the information.
I think Scallop Shells would add a wonderful motif to the base of a
pot. Broad, shallow and wonderful texture. So would barnacles.
Best regards,
Ivor.
Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 18 jan 05
Dear Stephen,
Diamond oxidises readily above 800=BA Celsius. So does Graphite.
Do they teach elementary Chemistry in High School these days?
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
S. Australia.
Ben on tue 18 jan 05
Ivor wrote : Some semi precious stones may be amenable to use as embedded
decoration.
Tourmaline might be another to try.
Ben
Ivor and Olive Lewis on wed 19 jan 05
Dear Ben,
Tourmaline should melt in the 1050 to 1150 range.
Contains a fair amount of Boron so it might be an ideal high
temperature flux.
Still a bit expensive unless you choose Schorl.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
S. Australia.
Ben on wed 19 jan 05
> Tourmaline should melt in the 1050 to 1150 range.
Right. Might work for the original post. Cone 06 - 1023C @ 300C/hr
> Contains a fair amount of Boron so it might be an ideal high
> temperature flux.
> Still a bit expensive unless you choose Schorl.
Schorl'd have a bit much iron. Unless you were after that.
I think some of the tourmalines have enough alumina they might glaze alright
on there own. But as you said - a bit pricey.
There's a spot about 10 clicks from here where they used to just lay on the
ground free for the picking, no claim until 1888. Not so anymore... Not
so rabid as the diamond mines though...
Take care,
Ben
URL Krueger on thu 20 jan 05
On Monday 17 January 2005 07:07 am, Snail Scott wrote:
> By considering the firing as the MIDDLE of the
> process instead of the end, you infinitely
> extend your options!
This is why Snail's comments are always looked forward to by
us newbies. We are busy examining the bark on the trees
while Snail has experienced the whole forest and she leads
us along so that we may understand the entirety.
Thank you Snail, and the others on the list who do the same.
--
Earl K...
Bothell WA, USA
Volunteer U.S. Marine Corps 1967-1971
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