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bisque firing underglazed beads

updated tue 30 aug 05

 

Judy Shreve on sun 28 aug 05


Greetings,

I am volunteering in our local high school with limited ceramic supplies.
The students are making bowls using a coil technique. We want to
add 'jewels' to these bowls in their wet state. We are going to make
beads out of colored slips. I want to bisque these beads first. (There
is no hole in the beads to use a 'bead tree.') What is the best way to do
this? Can I put them in a bisqued bowl with a dusting of alumina hydrate
to bisque? Will they stick to the bowl? -- to each other? Please help!

Thanks,
Judy Shreve
Mountain House Studios
Alpharetta, GA

Elizabeth Hunt on sun 28 aug 05


Judy,

Underglazed beads should not stick to each other or the bowl, if the
underglaze is indeed "underglaze." However, there are some commercial
multi-use products on the market that advertize they can be used as an
underglaze, overglaze or alone as a glaze. Read the fine print on the jar
and make sure the "underglaze" can't be used alone as a glaze and you should
be fine. Putting the beads in a bisqued bowl is a good idea to keep them all
together and to make getting them in and out of the kiln easier. Another
thing to keep in mind is that if you press bisqued beads into wet clay, you
will more than likely get some cracking around the beads as the bowl
shrinks in drying. These should just be surface cracks if the beads aren't
imbedded too deeply, and could add an interesting element...or
not...depending on the intentions of the individual. Good luck with this and
have fun.:)

Elizabeth
Eastern Shore of Va, but grew up a stone's throw from Alpharetta
----- Original Message -----
From: "Judy Shreve"
To:
Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2005 5:23 PM
Subject: bisque firing underglazed beads


> Greetings,
>
> I am volunteering in our local high school with limited ceramic supplies.
> The students are making bowls using a coil technique. We want to
> add 'jewels' to these bowls in their wet state. We are going to make
> beads out of colored slips. I want to bisque these beads first. (There
> is no hole in the beads to use a 'bead tree.') What is the best way to do
> this? Can I put them in a bisqued bowl with a dusting of alumina hydrate
> to bisque? Will they stick to the bowl? -- to each other? Please help!
>
> Thanks,
> Judy Shreve
> Mountain House Studios
> Alpharetta, GA
>
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Marcia Selsor on mon 29 aug 05


If you are using a slip at a bisque temp. then you shouldn't need
anything to keep them from sticking.
But why are you bisque firing them first to be added to wet clay?
I am missing something in this process.
Marcia Selsor in Montana
Charter Member Potters Council

On Aug 28, 2005, at 3:23 PM, Judy Shreve wrote:

> Greetings,
>
> I am volunteering in our local high school with limited ceramic
> supplies.
> The students are making bowls using a coil technique. We want to
> add 'jewels' to these bowls in their wet state. We are going to make
> beads out of colored slips. I want to bisque these beads first.
> (There
> is no hole in the beads to use a 'bead tree.') What is the best
> way to do
> this? Can I put them in a bisqued bowl with a dusting of alumina
> hydrate
> to bisque? Will they stick to the bowl? -- to each other? Please
> help!
>
> Thanks,
> Judy Shreve
> Mountain House Studios
> Alpharetta, GA

Snail Scott on mon 29 aug 05


At 05:23 PM 8/28/2005 -0400, you wrote:
>...We want to
>add 'jewels' to these bowls in their wet state. We are going to make
>beads out of colored slips. I want to bisque these beads first. (There
>is no hole in the beads to use a 'bead tree.')


Unless there's added flux in the slip, it
shouldn't stick to the shelf, and even if
it doesn't, just put the kiln-wash-marked
side into the clay when you 'set the jewels'.

-Snail