Frank Colson on fri 3 feb 06
As a kid, I would melt and pour my own lead soldiers. Then, later, when I
first did raku with Hal Rigger, in the early 60's, using lead based glazes,
I heard something about it being nasty! So, in the early 70's, when I had a
hand made tile operation, in San Miguel de Alende,
Mexico, of course all we used was lead glazes for those thousand, plus,
tiles, we pressed every day! Several national and international conferences
after that, where I often did demos, I learned -Guess What? Lead in any
form was a No NO! Those were the days when one filled
up the gas tank in the car with lead based gasoline while sniffing the
fumes! And those were the days when babies would teeth on lead based
paint on their cribs, and so many of us made lead based glazes! Lead was
cheap, if offered a wide range of effects and it was DANGEROUS!
Eventually, I learned a great deal about lead poisoning in my adventures
with potters and ceramic artists. I learned early in my career that a
lead glazed pitcher filled with fresh orange juice and left in the frig
overnight could put a person in the hospital in one day. I also learned
that
getting lead into the body, gradually, would take about 30 years to kill
you! The death certificate usually stated that it was due to pneumonia that
the patient died because lead had broken down the immune system. So! I
should be DEAD by now! SO? Well, I also learned very interestingly; the
human body cannot, does not, flush lead out when there is caffeine in the
system. It isn't actually caffeine itself, but an
ingredient in caffeine which is responsible for lead not being flushed out
of the body. I have volumes of material on this subject from those leanings.
That includes a receipt made of white vinegar and liver of sulfur which, if
poured onto a glazed vessel, will identify if there is lead
in the glaze! So, now this is my testimonial- I quit consuming anything
with caffeine to this day! Coffee, tea, coke, chocolate cake, etc.etc.
Do I fudge occasionally? To be honest, yes! But, very very rarely.
To your good lead free health, may you never die of pneumonia but with a
smile on your face!
Frank Colson
www.R2D2u.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bonnie Staffel"
To:
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 10:05 AM
Subject: Lead/kiln
> When I started out in clay oh so many years ago, lead glazes were the
> norm and of course I used them in my firing. I think I worked with lead
> glazes for a number of years, but only took personal care by wearing a
> mask when mixing glazes. I never had heard that the fumes from kiln
> were also dangerous nor that the lead remained in the kiln.
>
> No wonder I can't lose any weight, I have lead in my bones!!!
>
> Paul Lewing wrote:
>
> >There is another test that will measure how much lead you have in your
> bones
>
> http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
> DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
> DVD Beginning Processes
> Charter Member Potters Council
>
>
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