William Melstrom on fri 9 sep 05
I apply crystalline glazes to greenware (raw glaze) and I don't use =
pedestals or catchers. It would be impossible for me to get the =
application uniformity that this requires if I didn't use a fountain =
glazer. Please go to the link for images of me using a fountain glazer.
http://www.handspiral.com/Glaze_Application.htm
William Melstrom
Mary K on fri 9 sep 05
Dear William,
I am fascinated by your process, especially your claim
that catchers are not needed, when using the fountain
glazer. You say that because of the uniformiy of glaze
application, you have no runs? The nature of
crystalline glazes which makes it possible for
crystals to grow is its low viscosity, which in turn
makes the glaze very fluid. Where does your glaze go??
I have never once-fired a crystalline pot, and I am
wondering how much the absorption of the glaze into
the green pot has to do with it?...if anything? How
thick is your glaze application? Do you use a liner
glaze for the insides of your pots or the same
crystalline glaze as outside? When I have used
crystalline glazes inside the pot, they are very
lovely, but VERY heavy from the glaze falling to the
bottom inside. All the books I have read, and potters
I have spoken to, use catchers. Please enlighten us?
(It sure would cut down on time to use your method)
Mary K
"Art is not just for oneself, not just a marker of
ones' own understanding. It is also a map for those
who follow after us."
--- William Melstrom wrote:
> I apply crystalline glazes to greenware (raw glaze)
> and I don't use pedestals or catchers. It would be
> impossible for me to get the application uniformity
> that this requires if I didn't use a fountain
> glazer. Please go to the link for images of me
> using a fountain glazer.
> http://www.handspiral.com/Glaze_Application.htm
> William Melstrom
>
>
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Bruce Girrell on fri 9 sep 05
Very informative. Thank you. It makes me want to run out an buy one of those
things.
In the series showing you glazing the outside (last series of photos) - What
do you do about the four big fingerprints that will remain on the outside of
the pot?
Bruce Girrell
in sunny northern Michigan where fall is making its presence known despite
my efforts to ignore it.
William Melstrom on fri 9 sep 05
> I am fascinated by your process, especially your claim
> that catchers are not needed, when using the fountain
> glazer.
Mary, my glazes do run. I know exactly how much, and I account for this
during application.
Crystalline glazes are taken to a high temperature to properly melt the
ingredients, then lowered about 150 degrees to grow the crystals. At the
crystal-growing temp the glaze is still a liquid, but is no longer fluid.
Please go to:
http://www.handspiral.com/Glaze%20Flow.htm
which might answer some of your questions. If you still have questions,
please contact me off-forum.
William Melstrom
william@handspiral.com
www.handspiral.com
William Melstrom on fri 9 sep 05
> In the series showing you glazing the outside (last series of photos) -
What
> do you do about the four big fingerprints that will remain on the outside
of
> the pot?
Bruce,
First of all, no matter what I am glazing, I am glazing lots of pieces in
succession, so my hands are constantly covered with glaze. This means that
a little glaze is applied by contact where my fingers touch the pieces.
Secondly, crystalline glazes need to be applied unusually thick, which means
that I have to double glaze everything. I make sure that during the
application of the second coat that my fingers are contacting the piece in
different places from where they were during the initial glazing. This
helps even finger marks out a bit.
What happens when I glaze the outside of vases is sort of magical. When I
lift a vase out of the glaze bucket, I hold it for a few seconds, letting
some of the excess glaze drip back into the bucket. During that time,
excess glaze is also flowing off of my hands and onto the vase right where I
am handling it. The vase is upside-down at this time. If you can picture
this, the areas on the vase right below where my fingers are contacting it
are getting an extra shot of glaze as the glaze runs down my hands. When I
turn the vase right side up and fire it, that extra glaze flows down and
covers the "glaze-starved" area where my fingers were making contact. It
usually works out perfectly, and that's the magic.
William Melstrom
www.handspiral.com
jesse hull on fri 9 sep 05
William -you've gotten yourself into it now... Trying
to explain all this on the net isn't going to be easy.
For those that didn't attend, William Melstrom was
part of the Crystalline Glaze Symposium/Exhibit,
"LatticeStructures" on Sept. 2-4. Joining 15
artists/tradesman including Peter Ilsley, Diane
Creber, and Paul Geil, William's was one of my
favorite presentations. In front of 85 people, using
images projected on a 40ft. screen, he did an
outstanding job explaining all the nuances of his
approach and answering all the questions concerning
catcher-less crystalline firing, fountain glazing, and
"finger-spots" that have so far been posed to him on
clayart.
You can check out more info on the event at:
www.latticestructures.com,
on the Exhibit at: www.redstarstudios.org,
and on William at: www.handspiral.com
-But anyone who missed it will have to wait 'til next
time...
~jessehull -Curator.
www.jessehull.com
www.latticestructures.com
Jennifer Boyer on fri 9 sep 05
The fountain glazer is designed to be used with a "vacuum hand" also
made by Ram. If you have a vacuum pump for a pug mill, the hand is a
cheap tool to buy. I've always needed a smooth glaze application since
I do brushwork on most things...
Here's how it works:
http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/play.html
Jennifer
On Sep 9, 2005, at 1:47 PM, William Melstrom wrote:
>> In the series showing you glazing the outside (last series of photos)
>> -
> What
>> do you do about the four big fingerprints that will remain on the
>> outside
> of
>> the pot?
>
> Bruce,
> First of all, no matter what I am glazing, I am glazing lots of pieces
> in
> succession, so my hands are constantly covered with glaze. This means
> that
> a little glaze is applied by contact where my fingers touch the pieces.
> Secondly, crystalline glazes need to be applied unusually thick, which
> means
> that I have to double glaze everything. I make sure that during the
> application of the second coat that my fingers are contacting the
> piece in
> different places from where they were during the initial glazing. This
> helps even finger marks out a bit.
>
************************
Jennifer Boyer
Thistle Hill Pottery
Montpelier, VT
http://thistlehillpottery.com
William Melstrom on fri 9 sep 05
> The fountain glazer is designed to be used with a "vacuum hand" also
> made by Ram. If you have a vacuum pump for a pug mill, the hand is a
> cheap tool to buy. I've always needed a smooth glaze application since
> I do brushwork on most things...
>
> Here's how it works:
>
> http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/play.html
Jennifer:
I thought that vacuum-hand type systems were meant to be used on waxed
bottoms, but in your pictures, I don't see any wax. Is that correct?
Also, I am glazing greenware, not bisque. Would a vacuum holding system
work for me?
Thanks,
William Melstrom
www.handspiral.com
william@handspiral.com
Gordon Ward on fri 9 sep 05
Hi William,
You don't have to wax. With greenware, especially flat greenware,I
would dial down the vacuum to the minimum needed. It should work very
well for you.
Gordon
On Sep 9, 2005, at 4:07 PM, William Melstrom wrote:
>> The fountain glazer is designed to be used with a "vacuum hand" also
>> made by Ram. If you have a vacuum pump for a pug mill, the hand is a
>> cheap tool to buy. I've always needed a smooth glaze application since
>> I do brushwork on most things...
>>
>> Here's how it works:
>>
>> http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/play.html
>
> Jennifer:
> I thought that vacuum-hand type systems were meant to be used on waxed
> bottoms, but in your pictures, I don't see any wax. Is that correct?
> Also, I am glazing greenware, not bisque. Would a vacuum holding
> system
> work for me?
> Thanks,
> William Melstrom
> www.handspiral.com
> william@handspiral.com
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> _______
> 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.
>
William & Susan Schran User on fri 9 sep 05
On 9/9/05 3:09 PM, "jesse hull" wrote:
> -But anyone who missed it will have to wait 'til next
> time...
Well alright then, a next time.....
--
William "Bill" Schran
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Jennifer Boyer on fri 9 sep 05
Hi William,
The whole point of the vacuum hand is to eliminate the need for waxing
the bottoms of pots. I first saw the fountain glazer/vacuum hand in use
in a slip casting factory.
sadly, I would imagine that the active suction of the hand would break
your green pots....sorry!
Jennifer
On Sep 9, 2005, at 7:07 PM, William Melstrom wrote:
>> The fountain glazer is designed to be used with a "vacuum hand" also
>> made by Ram. If you have a vacuum pump for a pug mill, the hand is a
>> cheap tool to buy. I've always needed a smooth glaze application since
>> I do brushwork on most things...
>>
>> Here's how it works:
>>
>> http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/play.html
>
> Jennifer:
> I thought that vacuum-hand type systems were meant to be used on waxed
> bottoms, but in your pictures, I don't see any wax. Is that correct?
> Also, I am glazing greenware, not bisque. Would a vacuum holding
> system
> work for me?
> Thanks,
> William Melstrom
> www.handspiral.com
> william@handspiral.com
>
>
>
************************
Jennifer Boyer
Thistle Hill Pottery
Montpelier, VT
http://thistlehillpottery.com
Jennifer Boyer on sat 10 sep 05
Interesting! My vacuum pump has no method for "dialing down" the
vacuum...That would be nice!
Jennifer
On Sep 9, 2005, at 9:24 PM, Gordon Ward wrote:
> Hi William,
>
> You don't have to wax. With greenware, especially flat greenware,I
> would dial down the vacuum to the minimum needed. It should work very
> well for you.
>
> Gordon
>
>
> On Sep 9, 2005, at 4:07 PM, William Melstrom wrote:
>
>>> The fountain glazer is designed to be used with a "vacuum hand" also
>>> made by Ram. If you have a vacuum pump for a pug mill, the hand is a
>>> cheap tool to buy. I've always needed a smooth glaze application
>>> since
>>> I do brushwork on most things...
>>>
>>> Here's how it works:
>>>
>>> http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/play.html
>>
>> Jennifer:
>> I thought that vacuum-hand type systems were meant to be used on waxed
>> bottoms, but in your pictures, I don't see any wax. Is that correct?
>> Also, I am glazing greenware, not bisque. Would a vacuum holding
>> system
>> work for me?
>> Thanks,
>> William Melstrom
>> www.handspiral.com
>> william@handspiral.com
>>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> _______
> 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.
>
>
************************
Jennifer Boyer
Thistle Hill Pottery
Montpelier, VT
http://thistlehillpottery.com
jesse hull on sat 10 sep 05
Why not just "dial down" the OUTPUT of the pump?
You don't need a pump that can be switched in terms of
how much it "pulls". If you're building your own, the
parts you'll more than likely be using are
PVC/Irrigation components normally used on municipal
supply water hose systems. You can get pieces at
horticultural centers or, e.g., Home Depot that would
allow you to increase/ decrease the flow the pump is
allowed to push out. Using a simple device like this
will do away with settings altogether, working more
like an infinity switch.
~_jessehull_.
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