Lili Krakowski on sat 17 dec 05
A major puzzlement.
We have on board people who in other parts of their lives test, try, =
practice, research, experiment till the cows come home.
We have wives who try for 15 years (and more, my dears, and more) to =
teach husbands to hang up their towels, or put dishes in the dishpan. =
We have husbands who for 15 years (and more) try to teach their wives =
how baseball is scored. We have actors and singers who rehearse and =
rehearse. We have Marianne, a professional musician who, I am sure, =
practices for hours on end.
We have cooks who putschky with recipes till they are really fine =
tuned...And like that.
So WHY when it comes to glazes--as interesting, as variable, as subtle a =
thing (can't think of the word) as any, does the patience stop, and the =
result has to be perfect the first time....?
1. Some glaze recipes have been around forever. Some even longer. A =
c6 glaze calling for soda spar, whiting, kaolin, and colemanite in 1952 =
which turned out lovely, will turn out identical in 2005 only by a =
miracle! The soda spar--even if from same mine, different run. Kaolin? =
even if from same mine, different run. Whiting is as variable as the =
evening breeze, which is why some potters insist on buying/using only =
what is sold as calcium carbonate. Colemanite? Don't make me laugh! =
Assuming you can get it--no, close to, not identical with Gerstley =
Borate--be glad if you get two batches the same year that are the same. =
And, before I forget...c.6 is not the same either.
So. Any recipe you are testing is a shot in the dark.=20
2. The clay you are testing on will be very different from the one the =
"giver of the glaze" used. I repeat and repeat: test all new-to-you =
glazes on at least 3 bodies made for the cone you are firing to. This =
should give you an idea of where the glaze is heading. Stripe each test =
tile with a magnesium/zinc/boron free white slip, and a black one.
3. Condition of glaze matters. Method of application matters. =
Thickness of application matters. Thickness of glaze when applied =
matters. Sieve your glaze properly. Make sure it is smooth. Make =
sure your test tile is clean. If you dip the tile, then dip once all =
the way, a second time halfway. If you brush, ditto. The first, one =
thin coat. The cover 1/2 the tile with another thin coat.
4. Have a good decent test tile. Ok. At this point I often grab a bit =
of broken bisque off the shelf and run a test. That freedom took 50 =
years to win. Make your test tiles BIG. In my opinion the glaze =
surface for a "learner's test" should be about 2"x2". Later on you =
will be able to evaluate a glaze from something not much bigger than a =
postage stamp. Not now, not yet.
5. Firing a test kiln. I have an adorable Paragon Test Kiln, known to =
the other kilns as Little Miss Howard. She is a doll, and works like a =
charm. But a test kiln never really replicates what you will get in a =
big kiln. I fire LMH in 3 hours. She is a simple little girl, no fancy =
digital ramps. But I would guess that, even with such, a tiny kiln =
does NOT fire identically to a big one.=20
Having said all that...How often do you taste the Advokaat before you =
declare it ready to serve? Mmmm? Marianne? How often does a student =
have to play Pour Elise (Known as Poor Elise in our house) before you =
say ok now?
How many shoes do you try on before buying a pair? Well, please tell =
me why, oh, why, glaze testing has to be any easier, quicker, =
one-two-three? =20
It isn't. It is great fun, and very satisfying...esp. when, as happens =
soon enough, instinct takes over and you know JUST what to do when =
something ain't quite right....
And. Do learn to calculate your glazes.
Yes, I use GlazeMaster, love it. Not saying other programs not as good =
etc. just that I have this one, and am grateful to John for it, and for =
his constant assistance with Clayart glaze problems. And no, I have no =
commercial connection, do not know the man, am not related. One of my =
frogs, however, insists it danced with one of John's frogs at a =
Cotillion.
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
marianne kuiper milks on sat 17 dec 05
Dear Professor Krakowski,
I got it. Glazes rubbed in until they shone. (shone??)
I am not really sure whether I am really that impatient. I guess I am still trying to please someone (anyone out there who wants to be pleased or show approval??) like a little kid who has been "good".
I told myself that if I had ONE test tile I liked, I would be happy. For now. There were three, out of 20+ combinations of 2x3 tiles. And I realized something you said. i have a recipe from John Hesselberth, a slate blue, that I love. WitI the test tiles I put it on a reddish stoneware and, lo and behold: the color was "off" and I didn't like it. It was also on a lovely, fine bowl, where I had put it on and next to a satin black. The result was marvelous. Delicate.
My friend Jackie suggested I pour, which I did, but it left little holes (I didn't realize it might do that) Still: I want to do that again. Or dip. Or spray. I better, therefore, start working more in porcelain if I want these results repeated.
Am I learning? Am I more patient?(.............)
Question: If I want one color partly over another I applied first, how do I block part of the first color if I so desire? Can't use wax over fresh glaze (right?), nor latex, which wouldn't make any sense. Any other way to block a clear section w/o having to fire it again???
Regarding Advokaat:I don't like the stuff so that is that. But....if I did and served it, the number of tastings would depend on the closenes and "class"(sorry, Americans-it's more important in Europe) of the company. If they're in a stupor, well, who cares? But bitterballen met jonge jenever....
Marianne
Lili Krakowski wrote: A major puzzlement.
We have on board people who in other parts of their lives test, try, practice, research, experiment till the cows come home.
We have wives who try for 15 years (and more, my dears, and more) to teach husbands to hang up their towels, or put dishes in the dishpan. We have husbands who for 15 years (and more) try to teach their wives how baseball is scored. We have actors and singers who rehearse and rehearse. We have Marianne, a professional musician who, I am sure, practices for hours on end.
We have cooks who putschky with recipes till they are really fine tuned...And like that.
So WHY when it comes to glazes--as interesting, as variable, as subtle a thing (can't think of the word) as any, does the patience stop, and the result has to be perfect the first time....?
1. Some glaze recipes have been around forever. Some even longer. A c6 glaze calling for soda spar, whiting, kaolin, and colemanite in 1952 which turned out lovely, will turn out identical in 2005 only by a miracle! The soda spar--even if from same mine, different run. Kaolin? even if from same mine, different run. Whiting is as variable as the evening breeze, which is why some potters insist on buying/using only what is sold as calcium carbonate. Colemanite? Don't make me laugh! Assuming you can get it--no, close to, not identical with Gerstley Borate--be glad if you get two batches the same year that are the same. And, before I forget...c.6 is not the same either.
So. Any recipe you are testing is a shot in the dark.
2. The clay you are testing on will be very different from the one the "giver of the glaze" used. I repeat and repeat: test all new-to-you glazes on at least 3 bodies made for the cone you are firing to. This should give you an idea of where the glaze is heading. Stripe each test tile with a magnesium/zinc/boron free white slip, and a black one.
3. Condition of glaze matters. Method of application matters. Thickness of application matters. Thickness of glaze when applied matters. Sieve your glaze properly. Make sure it is smooth. Make sure your test tile is clean. If you dip the tile, then dip once all the way, a second time halfway. If you brush, ditto. The first, one thin coat. The cover 1/2 the tile with another thin coat.
4. Have a good decent test tile. Ok. At this point I often grab a bit of broken bisque off the shelf and run a test. That freedom took 50 years to win. Make your test tiles BIG. In my opinion the glaze surface for a "learner's test" should be about 2"x2". Later on you will be able to evaluate a glaze from something not much bigger than a postage stamp. Not now, not yet.
5. Firing a test kiln. I have an adorable Paragon Test Kiln, known to the other kilns as Little Miss Howard. She is a doll, and works like a charm. But a test kiln never really replicates what you will get in a big kiln. I fire LMH in 3 hours. She is a simple little girl, no fancy digital ramps. But I would guess that, even with such, a tiny kiln does NOT fire identically to a big one.
Having said all that...How often do you taste the Advokaat before you declare it ready to serve? Mmmm? Marianne? How often does a student have to play Pour Elise (Known as Poor Elise in our house) before you say ok now?
How many shoes do you try on before buying a pair? Well, please tell me why, oh, why, glaze testing has to be any easier, quicker, one-two-three?
It isn't. It is great fun, and very satisfying...esp. when, as happens soon enough, instinct takes over and you know JUST what to do when something ain't quite right....
And. Do learn to calculate your glazes.
Yes, I use GlazeMaster, love it. Not saying other programs not as good etc. just that I have this one, and am grateful to John for it, and for his constant assistance with Clayart glaze problems. And no, I have no commercial connection, do not know the man, am not related. One of my frogs, however, insists it danced with one of John's frogs at a Cotillion.
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
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